NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980

VS
Performance
GeForce RTX 3080205% better
53,71351% of 104,598
GeForce GTX 980
17,604.517% of 104,598

The GeForce RTX 3080 has 205% better performance than the GeForce GTX 980 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

Performance per dollar
GeForce RTX 3080140% better
76.8448% of 161.45
GeForce GTX 980
32.0720% of 161.45

The GeForce RTX 3080 has 140% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 980 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

Shop GeForce RTX 3080
Shop GeForce GTX 980
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Summary

#

About the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 GPU

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is a desktop graphics card that launched in Q3 2020 with a MSRP of $699. It is built on the Ampere GPU microarchitecture (codename GA102) and is manufactured on a 8 nm process.

Memory

The RTX 3080 has 10 GB of GDDR6X memory, with a 1,188 MHz memory clock and a 320 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 760.3 Gb/s, which affects how fast it can transfer data to and from memory. GPU memory stores temporary data that helps the GPU with complex math and graphics operations. More memory is generally better, as not having enough can cause performance bottlenecks.

Cores and Clock Speeds

The RTX 3080 includes 8,704 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 1,440 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 1,710 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 272 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 96 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing. Additionally, the GPU features 272 tensor cores optimized for AI-accelerated workloads and 68 RT cores dedicated to real-time ray tracing calculations.

Compatibility & Power Consumption

The RTX 3080 occupies 2 PCIe expansion slots. It supports HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a display connections. NVIDIA recommends a power supply of at least 700 W to handle the GPU's thermal design power (TDP) of 320 W.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The RTX 3080 has the 23rd best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 51.35% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 53,713 score and $699 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 76.84. This is the 40th best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

About the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 GPU

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 is an end-of-life desktop graphics card that released in Q3 2014 with a MSRP of $549. It is built on the Maxwell 2.0 GPU microarchitecture (codename GM204) and is manufactured on a 28 nm process.

Memory

The GTX 980 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, with a 1,753 MHz memory clock and a 256 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 224.4 Gb/s, which affects how fast it can transfer data to and from memory. GPU memory stores temporary data that helps the GPU with complex math and graphics operations. More memory is generally better, as not having enough can cause performance bottlenecks.

Cores and Clock Speeds

The GTX 980 includes 2,048 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 1,127 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 1,216 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 128 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 64 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing.

Compatibility & Power Consumption

The GTX 980 occupies 2 PCIe expansion slots. It supports DVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2 display connections. NVIDIA recommends a power supply of at least 450 W to handle the GPU's thermal design power (TDP) of 165 W.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The GTX 980 has the 127th best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 16.83% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 17,604.5 score and $549 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 32.07. This is the 76th best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

General Info

General overview of the GPU, including details like its manufacturer, release date, launch price, and current production status.

InfoGeForce RTX 3080GeForce GTX 980
ManufacturerNVIDIANVIDIA
ArchitectureAmpereMaxwell 2.0
Market SegmentDesktopDesktop
Release DateQ3 2020Q3 2014
Launch Price (MSRP)$699$549
Production StatusActiveEnd-of-life
ShopCheck PriceCheck Price

Gaming Performance

#

Select a game to compare FPS metrics

Display FPS for Sons of the Forest
Sons of the Forest
Display FPS for Riders Republic
Riders Republic
Display FPS for Far Cry 6
Far Cry 6
Display FPS for The Last of Us Part 1
The Last of Us
Display FPS for Resident Evil 4 (Remake)
Resident Evil 4 (Remake)
Display FPS for Company of Heroes 3
Company of Heroes 3
Display FPS for Atomic Heart
Atomic Heart

FPS Benchmarks

This table showcases the average frame rate (FPS) achieved both GPUs in at various resolutions. Frame rate is a crucial indicator of how smoothly the GPU can run the game. A higher FPS generally translates to a smoother gameplay experience.

  • Frames Per Second
FPS data for Sons of the Forest
Sons of the Forest
GeForce RTX 3080GeForce GTX 980
Low - 1080p
121 FPS
--
Medium - 1080p
117 FPS
--
High - 1080p
114 FPS
--
Ultra - 1080p
112 FPS
--
QHD - 1440p
99 FPS
--
4K UHD - 2160p
70 FPS
--
FPS Source: Notebookcheck

Compare Frames Per Second (FPS)

The average frame rate (FPS) in can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative performance. Generally, higher FPS results in a smoother gameplay experience.

Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce RTX 3080 orGeForce GTX 980

Compare Cost Per Frame

The average cost per frame in can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative value. Generally, a lower cost per frame implies better value for your money.

Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce RTX 3080 orGeForce GTX 980

Benchmark Performance

#
Performance
GeForce RTX 3080205% better
53,71351% of 104,598
GeForce GTX 980
17,604.517% of 104,598

The GeForce RTX 3080 has 205% better performance than the GeForce GTX 980 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce RTX 3080 is ranked 23rd with a score of 53,713, and the GeForce GTX 980 is ranked 127th with a score of 17,604.5.

Performance per dollar
GeForce RTX 3080140% better
76.8448% of 161.45
GeForce GTX 980
32.0720% of 161.45

The GeForce RTX 3080 has 140% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 980 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce RTX 3080 is ranked 40th with a performance per dollar of 76.84, and the GeForce GTX 980 is ranked 76th with a performance per dollar of 32.07.

Relative Performance

The average score in the benchmark test can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative performance. Generally, powerful GPUs tend to have higher scores.

Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce RTX 3080 or
GPUBenchmark Performance
GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)56,634+5%
Radeon RX 680055,084+3%
GeForce RTX 308053,713
Radeon RX 6800 XT52,046-3%
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti49,760-7%
Radeon RX 48017,919-67%
Radeon RX 47017,624.5-67%
GeForce GTX 98017,604.5-67%
Radeon R9 FURY17,543-67%
GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB)17,401-68%

Relative Value For Money

The average performance per dollar in the benchmark test can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative value. A higher score implies a better value for your money.

Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce RTX 3080 or

Benchmark Scores

This table showcases the average performance scores achieved by both GPUs across industry-standard benchmark tests. These scores provide a valuable insight into overall performance. Powerful GPUs tend to have higher scores.

  • Popular
BenchmarkGeForce RTX 3080GeForce GTX 980
3DMark Time Spy Graphics
17,535.5
--
3DMark Time Spy Score
16,133.5
--
3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics
188,064
(+120.28%)
85,374
3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics
39,257
(+203.42%)
12,938
3DMark Night Raid Graphics
120,402
--
3DMark 11 Performance Score
35,564.5
(+151%)
14,169
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit
--
109.6
PassMark G3D Mark
25,236
(+127.33%)
11,101
PassMark G2D Mark
1,024
(+29.46%)
791
Unigine Heaven 3.0 DirectX 11
--
129.7
Benchmarks Source: Notebookcheck

Technical Specs

#

Graphics Processor

General information about the graphics processing unit like their architecture, manufacturing process size, and transistor count. Newer GPU architectures generally bring efficiency improvements and may introduce technologies that enhance graphical capabilities.

SpecGeForce RTX 3080GeForce GTX 980
CodenameGA102GM204
ArchitectureAmpereMaxwell 2.0
Process Size8 nm28 nm
Transistors28,300 million5,200 million

Memory Details

Memory specifications like their capacity, bandwidth, and clock speeds. GPU memory stores graphics data like frames, textures, and shadows which helps display rendered images. These specs are crucial for graphics-intense applications like gaming and 3D modeling.

SpecGeForce RTX 3080GeForce GTX 980
Memory Size10 GB4 GB
Memory TypeGDDR6XGDDR5
Memory Bandwidth760.3 Gb/s224.4 Gb/s
Memory Clock1,188 MHz1,753 MHz
Memory Interface320 bit256 bit
L1 Cache128 KB48 KB
L2 Cache5 MB2 MB

Board Compatibility

Compatibility information like their slot size, bus interface, power consumption, and display support. These specs are useful for verifying compatibility with your motherboard, power supply, and monitor.

SpecGeForce RTX 3080GeForce GTX 980
Slots2 slots2 slots
Bus InterfacePCIe 4.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
Thermal Design Power (TDP)320 W165 W
Suggested PSU700 W450 W
Power Connectors1x 12-pin2x 6-pin
OutputsHDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4aDVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2

Cores & Clock Speeds

Processing power information like its cores and clock speed. These specs impact how fast they can process graphics. Each type of core or component serves a specific computational purpose.

SpecGeForce RTX 3080GeForce GTX 980
CUDA Cores8,7042,048
Stream Multiprocessors (SM)68--
Texture Mapping Units (TMU)272128
Render Output Units (ROP)9664
Tensor Cores272--
Ray Tracing Cores68--
Core Clock Speed1,440 MHz1,127 MHz
Core Clock Speed (Boost)1,710 MHz1,216 MHz

Theoretical Performance

Theoretical performance numbers derived from the raw specifications of the different components like core count and clock speeds. While these provide a glimpse into peak processing power, they do not represent real-world performance.

SpecGeForce RTX 3080GeForce GTX 980
Pixel Fill Rate164.2 GPixel/s77.82 GPixel/s
Texture Fill Rate465.1 GTexel/s155.6 GTexel/s
FP32 Performance29.77 TFLOPS4.98 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance465.1 GFLOPS155.6 GFLOPS

API Support

Graphics API versions supported by these graphics cards. APIs evolve over time, introducing new features and functionalities. Older GPUs may not support recent versions.

SpecGeForce RTX 3080GeForce GTX 980
DirectX12 Ultimate (12_2)12 (12_1)
OpenCL3.03.0
OpenGL4.64.6
Shader Model6.86.8

Check out these comparisons for similar GPUs:

Looking for alternatives? Check out these similar GPUs:

* Performance rating, performance per dollar, and rankings are based on the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark and MSRP.