GPU: GA102
CUDA cores: 10,240
hour increase: 1,665MHz
VRAM: 12 GB GDDR6X
The Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti is a formidable GPU, capable of handling any modern game with ease on the highest settings. DLSS 2.0 support further enhances performance. It is arguably the best Ampere GPU for gamers.
to
- Excellent performance
- Good thermal performance
against
- very expensive
- power-hungry
It has not been reviewed yet
GPU: m 103
CUDA cores: 9728
hour increase: 2,510MHz
VRAM: 16GB GDDR6X
The RTX 4080 is Nvidia’s next Lovelace GPU. It promises to deliver more than twice the performance of the RTX 3080 Ti in certain games, and comes with improved DLSS 3 support for greater frame rates and image quality.
to
- Enhanced performance
- DLSS3 support
against
- very expensive
- More power-hungry
Comparing the Nvidia RTX 4080 vs Nvidia RTX 3080 TI graphics card just got simpler – but that can make the choice more difficult for consumers.
Nvidia was initially planning to release two versions of the RTX 4080 GPU, one with 16GB memory, AD103 GPU chip, 9728 CUDA cores, a downsampled model with 12GB memory, fewer CUDA cores, and AD104 chip.
However, there was quite a bit of backlash, with several people (us included) pointing out that the performance difference between the two versions of the RTX 4080 was potentially so great, that calling both the RTX 4080 was pretty confusing. . Many people even thought that the 12GB RTX 4080 model was really springing to life as the rumored RTX 4070. It sure would have made more sense.
Nvidia seems to have agreed and announced that they are ‘releasing’ the 12GB version. Until that GPU comes out, maybe there’s a new name, there will only be one RTX 4080 GPU – which makes comparing it to the RTX 3080 Ti a lot easier.
Nvidia RTX 4080 vs. Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti: Price
- Nvidia RTX 4080 costs $1,199 (about £1,050 / AU$1,790)
- Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti launched for $1,199 / £1,049 / AU$1,949
Comparing the price of the Nvidia RTX 4080 vs Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti is a bit tricky. On paper, it looks like the RTX 4080 will launch at $1,199 as the RTX 3080 Ti did. That would make the RTX 4080 great value for money, considering the performance improvements it brings.
Complicating matters is that the RTX 3080 Ti was launched in the midst of a global chip shortage as well as a cryptocurrency bubble, which sent shares plummeting and prices soaring. Therefore, the RTX 3080 Ti rarely sells anywhere near its MSRP — and even now, more than a year after its launch, the RTX 3080 Ti is still priced well above its MSRP.
The RTX 4080 launches under very different circumstances, and while we expect it to sell out quickly (as did its more expensive sibling, the RTX 4090), we should see it sell out at its recommended retail price — to begin with, at least.
Therefore, we may have a strange situation where the RTX 4080 is cheaper than the RTX 3080 Ti. If that happens, there is a clear winner. However, we expect the RTX 3080 Ti GPUs to drop in price once the RTX 4080 is readily available.
Nvidia RTX 4080 vs. Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti: Specifications
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti was an absolute beast of a GPU when it launched in 2021 — and to be fair, it still is. During the previous RTX 3000 series lineup, it was only bettered by the ultra-premium RTX 3090 and RTX 3090 Ti.
It comes with 10,240 CUDA cores, a base clock of 1.37GHz, a boost clock of 1.67GHz, and 12GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus.
Meanwhile, the RTX 4080 comes with 9728 CUDA cores, a base clock of 2.21GHz, and a boost clock of 2.21GHz. There is also 16GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus.
So on paper, things aren’t quite as clear. While the RTX 4080 has faster clock speeds and more memory, the RTX 3080 Ti has a larger memory bus, which means more data can be transferred at once. The RTX 3080 Ti also has more CUDA cores.
However, as we’ll explain in the next section, it’s not that simple.
Nvidia RTX 4080 vs. Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti: Performance
While we haven’t reviewed the RTX 4080 yet and therefore haven’t put it through our usual suite of benchmark tests (we’ll update this article when we do), we did get a tip from Nvidia that gives us a bit of a clue as to how the RTX 4080 compares to the RTX 3080 Ti. . Of course, you’ll want to take these numbers with a pinch of salt, considering they come from Nvidia and haven’t been independently verified yet.
According to Nvidia, it is clear that the RTX 4080 will offer more than three times the performance of the RTX 3080 Ti in certain games.
Considering how powerful the RTX 3080 Ti is, that’s incredibly exciting, and it could mean the RTX 4080 is the GPU for 4K gaming.
The Nvidia RTX 4080 seems capable of a jump in performance, despite some specs that appear weaker on paper. This is thanks to some significant tweaks Team Green made with the Lovelace architecture the 4080 (and 4090) is built on, compared to the Ampere architecture in the RTX 3080 Ti.
It comes with two third-generation ray tracing cores, and fourth-generation Tensor cores, both of which are a generational leap over what the RTX 3080 Ti has.
Again, according to Nvidia, the new ray tracing cores provide up to twice the ray tracing performance of the previous generation. Ray tracing is appearing in an increasing number of games, and it delivers impressively realistic lighting effects. However, it’s also quite demanding on hardware, so any performance boost here would be very welcome.
Meanwhile, the fourth-generation Tensor cores seem to offer up to five times the AI performance of the third-generation — and that could help games that use AI tools like DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling).
Speaking of DLSS, which is a great way to upscale games with AI to improve performance, the RTX 4080 comes with DLSS 3, which provides visual multi-frame generation. This analyzes the frame sequences and motion data of the game and creates additional frames for smoother gameplay and higher frame rates.
However, the RTX 3080 Ti sticks to DLSS 2.0. But this still works very well and is supported by a large number of games. Meanwhile, games that support DLSS 3 are kind of thin on the ground at the moment — but we expect that to change over time.
Nvidia RTX 4080 vs Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti: Which Should You Buy?
The RTX 3080 Ti remains a great GPU for 4K gaming, and the RTX 4080 is shaping up to be another winner from Nvidia as well. Buying any of these GPUs means you have a gaming rig that can handle modern games at high frame rates and high resolutions for years to come.
For the absolute best future-proofing, the RTX 4080 is best, especially as more DLSS 3 games come out.
However, if the price of the RTX 3080 Ti drops significantly once the RTX 4080 is released, this is also an excellent buy and, despite being (slightly) older, will still be able to wow you for years to come.