NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)

VS
Performance
GeForce RTX 408052% better
86,26782% of 104,598
GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)
56,63454% of 104,598

The GeForce RTX 4080 has 52% better performance than the GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB) for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

Performance per dollar
GeForce RTX 40802% better
71.9545% of 161.45
GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)
70.8844% of 161.45

The GeForce RTX 4080 has 2% better value for the money than the GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB) for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

Shop GeForce RTX 4080
Shop GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Summary

#

About the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 GPU

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a desktop graphics card that launched in Q4 2022 with a MSRP of $1,199. It is built on the Ada Lovelace GPU microarchitecture (codename AD103) and is manufactured on a 5 nm process.

Memory

The RTX 4080 has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory, with a 1,400 MHz memory clock and a 256 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 716.8 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 4080 includes 9,728 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 2,205 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 2,505 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 304 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 112 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing. Additionally, the GPU features 304 tensor cores optimized for AI-accelerated workloads and 76 RT cores dedicated to real-time ray tracing calculations.

Compatibility & Power Consumption

The RTX 4080 is a large graphics card, occupying 3 PCIe 4.0 x16 expansion slots. It supports HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a display connections. With a thermal design power (TDP) of 320 W and a large, 3-slot size, it is recommended to use a power supply of 700 W and a case with sufficient space to accommodate the card. Compare your card's model and your case's dimensions to verify compatibility.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The RTX 4080 has the 3rd best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 82.47% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 86,267 score and $1,199 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 71.95. This is the 43rd best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

About the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB) GPU

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB) is a desktop graphics card that launched in Q1 2022 with a MSRP of $799. It is built on the Ampere GPU microarchitecture (codename GA102) and is manufactured on a 8 nm process.

Memory

The RTX 3080 has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory, with a 1,188 MHz memory clock and a 384 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 912.4 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 RTX 3080 includes 8,960 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 1,260 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 1,710 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 280 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 96 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing. Additionally, the GPU features 280 tensor cores optimized for AI-accelerated workloads and 70 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 750 W to handle the GPU's thermal design power (TDP) of 350 W.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The RTX 3080 has the 21st best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 54.14% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 56,634 score and $799 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 70.88. This is the 44th 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 4080GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)
ManufacturerNVIDIANVIDIA
ArchitectureAda LovelaceAmpere
Market SegmentDesktopDesktop
Release DateQ4 2022Q1 2022
Launch Price (MSRP)$1,199$799
Production StatusActiveActive
ShopCheck PriceCheck Price

Gaming Performance

#

Select a game to compare FPS metrics

Display FPS for God of War Ragnarök
God of War Ragnarök
Display FPS for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Space Marine 2
Display FPS for Star Wars Outlaws
Star Wars Outlaws
Display FPS for Once Human
Once Human
Display FPS for The First Descendant
The First Descendant
Display FPS for F1 24
F1 24
Display FPS for Senua's Saga Hellblade 2
Senua's Saga Hellblade 2

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 God of War Ragnarök
God of War Ragnarök
GeForce RTX 4080GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)
Low - 1080p
294 FPS
--
Medium - 1080p
260 FPS
--
High - 1080p
230 FPS
--
Ultra - 1080p
214 FPS
--
QHD - 1440p
166 FPS
--
4K UHD - 2160p
101 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 4080 orGeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)
GPUFrames Per Second
GeForce RTX 4080100.8
Radeon RX 7900 XT86.1-15%

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 4080 orGeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)
GPUCost Per Frame
Radeon RX 7900 XT10.44-12%
GeForce RTX 408011.89

Benchmark Performance

#
Performance
GeForce RTX 408052% better
86,26782% of 104,598
GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)
56,63454% of 104,598

The GeForce RTX 4080 has 52% better performance than the GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB) for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce RTX 4080 is ranked 3rd with a score of 86,267, and the GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB) is ranked 21st with a score of 56,634.

Performance per dollar
GeForce RTX 40802% better
71.9545% of 161.45
GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)
70.8844% of 161.45

The GeForce RTX 4080 has 2% better value for the money than the GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB) for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce RTX 4080 is ranked 43rd with a performance per dollar of 71.95, and the GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB) is ranked 44th with a performance per dollar of 70.88.

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 4080 or
GPUBenchmark Performance
GeForce RTX 4090104,598+21%
GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER87,055+1%
GeForce RTX 408086,267
Radeon RX 7900 XTX83,322-3%
Radeon RX 7900 XT75,896-12%
Radeon RX 6900 XT59,119-31%
Radeon RX 7700 XT57,340-34%
GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)56,634-34%
Radeon RX 680055,084-36%
GeForce RTX 308053,713-38%

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 4080 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 4080GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)
3DMark Time Spy Graphics
27,735
(+54.46%)
17,956
3DMark Time Spy Score
25,625
(+51.08%)
16,961
3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics
185,431
217,116
(+17.09%)
3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics
57,903
(+30.02%)
44,533
3DMark Night Raid Graphics
211,103
--
3DMark 11 Performance Score
57,741
(+39.44%)
41,410
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit
158.9
--
PassMark G3D Mark
34,626
(+29.79%)
26,679
PassMark G2D Mark
1,239
(+14.72%)
1,080
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 4080GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)
CodenameAD103GA102
ArchitectureAda LovelaceAmpere
Process Size5 nm8 nm
Transistors45,900 million28,300 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 4080GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)
Memory Size16 GB12 GB
Memory TypeGDDR6XGDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth716.8 Gb/s912.4 Gb/s
Memory Clock1,400 MHz1,188 MHz
Memory Interface256 bit384 bit
L1 Cache128 KB128 KB
L2 Cache64 MB5 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 4080GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)
Slots3 slots2 slots
Bus InterfacePCIe 4.0 x16PCIe 4.0 x16
Thermal Design Power (TDP)320 W350 W
Suggested PSU700 W750 W
Power Connectors1x 16-pin1x 12-pin
OutputsHDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4aHDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a

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 4080GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)
CUDA Cores9,7288,960
Stream Multiprocessors (SM)7670
Texture Mapping Units (TMU)304280
Render Output Units (ROP)11296
Tensor Cores304280
Ray Tracing Cores7670
Core Clock Speed2,205 MHz1,260 MHz
Core Clock Speed (Boost)2,505 MHz1,710 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 4080GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)
Pixel Fill Rate280.6 GPixel/s164.2 GPixel/s
Texture Fill Rate761.5 GTexel/s478.8 GTexel/s
FP32 Performance48.74 TFLOPS30.64 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance761.5 GFLOPS478.8 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 4080GeForce RTX 3080 (12 GB)
DirectX12 Ultimate (12_2)12 Ultimate (12_2)
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.