The SD80MAC was a 5,000 horsepower (3.7 MW) C-C diesel-electric locomotive. It was powered by a 20-cylinder version of EMD's 710G prime mover, and was the second diesel locomotive by GM-EMD to use a V20 engine, since EMD's SD45 series. It introduced a wide radiator housing similar to GE Transportation locomotives and the placement of dynamic brakes at the rear of the locomotive, which is a quieter location, features that were incorporated into the SD90MAC and SD70ACe models. Key spotting differences between the SD80MAC and SD90MAC include no external rear sandbox on the SD90MAC, no rear lighted number boards on the SD90MAC, and the placement of the front numberboards. The SD80MAC also had recessed red marker lights in the nose, an identifying feature unique to Conrail (CR) locomotives, although Norfolk Southern (NS) had removed the lights on most of their former Conrail engines.

The EMD 710 is a line of diesel engines built by Electro-Motive Diesel. The 710 series replaced the earlier EMD 645 series when the 645F series proved to be unreliable in the early 1980s 50-series locomotives which featured a maximum engine speed of 950 rpm. The EMD 710 is a relatively large medium-speed two-stroke diesel engine that has 710 cubic inches displacement per cylinder, and a maximum engine speed of 900 rpm.