I got my severely electronically handicapped dad a pixel 3a to replace the Nexus 5 that he broke (which I also gave him). If he can figure out how to use it then literally anyone can.
Yeah they are fine, I have had my share of MSI main boards and GPU's over the years with a couple of issues on them, but no more or less than any other manufacturer.
Why a 1080ti? At that price point a 5700xt would give you similar performance at a lower price point. I wouldn't consider a(nother) 1080ti unless it were at a similar price point to a new 5700xt as they are pretty neck and neck in many titles.