Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 vs. RTX 3080: Is it worth the upgrade? (2023)

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Nvidia released the GeForce RTX 4080 in late 2022, introducing the latest generation of graphics hardware based on Ada Lovelace's architecture. quickly became one of thebetter graphics cardJust released, even with its impressive price tag. The graphics card it replaced in the series, the GeForce RTX 3080, was just as impressive for its time and still handles the latest games with grace. We're here to explore the architectural changes and see if the generation-to-generation upgrade is worth it.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 vs RTX 3080: Price, Specs and Availability

Nvidia presents the GeForce RTX 4080end of 2022, will be available on November 16. Graphics cards have had absurd prices ever since the cryptocurrency mining boom drove up prices and created a secondary market full of scalpers. Nvidia then released the RTX 4080 for $1199 as costs rose due to the pandemic. That's a lot of money for a non-flagship GPU, even if you factor in the new technology that's inside. Cards customized by partners can cost hundreds of dollars more. At least there is a steady supply of graphics cards at retailers, but the high prices come at a time when economic stability has deteriorated.

Compare that to the GeForce RTX 3080, which launched in September 2020 for $699 for the 10GB version. That's still expensive, but in line with the x80 graphics of the 20 series. Nvidia followed with another RTX 3080 with 12GB of VRAM in January 2022. Nvidia left its partners to launch a model that was priced early at $1,249. Availability has been low amid the logistical hurdles of the cryptocurrency boom and the pandemic, and an affordable RTX 3080 is still hard to come by.


  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
    architecturethey have lovealmost
    arrange, process4 nanometers8 nanometara
    transistorHRK 45.9 billionHRK 28.3 billion
    shading unit9.7288.960 / 8.704
    Beam/Core Accelerator7668
    stream procesor7668
    base clock speed2,205 MHz1,260 MHz / 1,440 MHz
    increase clock speed2,505 MHz1,710 MHz
    MEMORY CAPACITY16 GB GDDR6X12 GB GDDR6X / 10 GB GDDR6X
    memory bus256 reviews384 bit/320 bit
    memory bandwidth716.8 GB/s912 GB/s / 760 GB/s
    Energy consumption320 said350W / 320W

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 vs. RTX 3080: Architecture

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 vs. RTX 3080: Is it worth the upgrade? (3)

Source: Nvidia

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 uses the 4nm Ada Lovelace architecture. This is a significant reduction from the 8nm Ampere arch on which the RTX 3080 is based, bringing energy efficiency and higher clocks. Ada Lovelace also upgraded the ray tracing core to 3rd generation, added a 4th generation Tensor core and an 8th generation NVENC encoder, and brought new tricks like frame generation to DLSS version 3.

The RTX 4080 and RTX 3080 10GB have a TDP of 320W, but the RTX 4080 is much more capable due to the efficiency of the 4nm process, which enables significantly higher clocks. This means that every core in the RTX 4080, from CUDA to Tensor and more, can do more work than an RTX 3080 core.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 vs RTX 3080: Performance

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 vs. RTX 3080: Is it worth the upgrade? (4)

We have no hands-on experience with the RTX 3080 and the only 30 series card I have available is the smaller RTX 3070. We have benchmarks for the RTX 4080 and could use other sources to show how it stacks up against the RTX 3080.

user reference pointBenchmarks with almost every graphics card out there show that the GeForce RTX 4080 is 55% more efficient than the RTX 3080. From my own testing of the RTX 3070 and RTX 4070Ti, the Ada Lovelace architecture is superior as resolutions increase, with a larger lead than the 30 series at 1440p and 4K.

This is in line with what we saw when benchmarking the RTX 4080 in demanding games, with the jump from 1440p to 4K only significantly reducing FPS with ray tracing enabled. Most of the improvements are found in higher core clocks and more powerful RT and Tensor cores.

game

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080

Cyberpunk 2077

  • 2K, Ultra: 121 FPS
  • 2K, Ultra, RT Ultra: 73 FPS
  • 4K, Ultra: 65 FPS
  • 4K, Ultra, RT Ultra: 31 FPS

damn eternity

  • 2K, Super Nightmare: 265 FPS
  • 4K, Ultra Nightmare: 202 FPS
  • 4K, Ultra, RT: 159 FPS

Elf's salary 6

  • 2K, Ultra: 156 FPS
  • 4K, Ultra: 105 FPS
  • 4K, Ultra, RT: 95 FPS

the subway leaves

  • 2K, Extreme: 179 FPS
  • 2K, Extreme, RT Ultra: 143 FPS
  • 4K, extreme: 98 FPS
  • 4K, Extreme, RT Ultra: 80 FPS

Red Dead Redemption 2

  • 2K, Ultra: 142 FPS
  • 4K, Ultra: 96 FPS

Unless you're gaming with heavy ray tracing or in 4K resolution and want to go above 60 FPS, the RTX 4080 won't provide enough upgrade value. That is, unless you're still sitting on a 20 or 10 series graphics card waiting for the price to drop. Prices aren't going down anytime soon, and games are demanding more and more VRAM for textures. While the RTX 4080 isn't the best value for money this generation, it's better value than the sky-high price of the RTX 3080.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 vs. RTX 3080: Is it worth the upgrade?

Even with the reduction in graphics card shortages, it's often still easier to find the latest GPUs in an areaPre-installed gaming PCs.This way you also get full system warranty support and know that everything else in the system will work together. The aftermarket for computer hardware is still thriving, so you can recoup a good chunk of your costs by selling your old system.

If you decide for yourself, the GeForce GTX 4080 is solid value for money, even if it's not the best graphics card of this generation. Thanks to the process change from Samsung's 8nm to TSMC's 4nm, it's objectively better in every way than the RTX 3080, with newer technology, more VRAM and better performance. Multi-card cooling solutions using this chip are large, with a large size that can be difficult to fit into most computer cases. If you decide this is the right upgrade for you, I suggest you budget for a new box that you know has enough space.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 vs. RTX 3080: Is it worth the upgrade? (5)

Source: Nvidia

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080

Editor's Choice

Nvidia's GeForce RTX 4080 is powerful enough for stable, smooth 4K gaming with maximum ray tracing. It's also expensive, but if you need the highest possible frames per second, it's worth it.

$1,219 on Amazon Newegg $1270 1200 USD u Best Buyu

The RTX 3080 should be the champion of the previous generation in terms of price and performance. It was never able to meet that demand, mainly due to a perfect storm of blocking, demand from players and cryptocurrency miners, and rising component costs. Nvidia's handling of launching the 12GB variant at a premium price a year later doesn't help, as it appears to be taking advantage of abnormal market pricing. If you already have one of these cards, your wallet has been hacked and you can probably exit this generation and upgrade later.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 vs. RTX 3080: Is it worth the upgrade? (6)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080

still going strong

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 remains a force to be reckoned with as the 40 series dominates the market with plenty of power for dazzling gaming. The 10GB and 12GB variants were a controversial choice that still resonates today.

see amazonka $1300 from Amazon

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