Wondering which graphics card is better – the RTX 3070 Ti vs the RTX 3080? Don’t worry. Here’s a quick comparison that can help you choose between the two popular Nvidia RTX graphics cards.
The RTX 3080 is one of the most popular GPUs around, and was launched way back in 2020. It was soon followed by Nvidia’s RTX 3070 Ti. While both of these are some of the best graphics cards, they have aged like fine wine.
Various benchmarks and tests reveal that the RTX 3080 is the more powerful and better graphics card of the two – however, numbers seldom give you the complete picture.So if you’re considering RTX 3080 or RTX 3070 Ti for your custom gaming rig, then read these comparisons which pit both GPUs head to head.
- Get yourself an RTX 3080 from Best Buy, or Amazon
- Get yourself an RTX 3070 Ti from Best Buy, or Amazon
Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti vs RTX 3080: Specifications
| RTX 3070 Ti | RTX 3080 | |
| CUDA cores | 6144 | 8704 |
| Base clock | 1570 MHz | 1440 MHz |
| Boost clock | 1770 MHz | 1710 MHz |
| VRAM | 8GB GDDR6X | 10GB GDDR6x |
| Memory bus width | 256-bit | 320-bit |
| Memory clock speed | 1880 MHz | 1180 MHz |
| TDP | 290W | 320W |
| GPU die | GA104-400 | GA102-200 |
| MSRP | $599 | $649 |
| Release date | June 10, 2021 | September 17, 2020 |
Both the RTX 3070 Ti and the RTX 3080 are based on the same chip architecture, Ampere. However, the RTX 3070 Ti uses a cut-down version of the die, the GA104, whereas the RTX 3080 uses a larger die, the GA102. As a result, the RTX 3080 beats the RTX 3070 Ti when it comes to CUDA core count, in addition to VRAM and memory.
This means that the RTX 3080 will be slightly faster than the RTX 3070 Ti all-around, and you can expect better performance at higher framerates. The RTX 3070 Ti does have a higher clock speed overall, but it’s not really enough to compete with the RTX 3080’s beefier core count. This also comes at the cost of a higher power consumption on the RTX 3080’s part.
While slightly older, the RTX 3080 still manages to beat out the RTX 3070 Ti when it comes to how everything looks on paper, so unless you can’t stretch to that extra bit of cash, you should buy the RTX 3080 over the RTX 3070 Ti if you are looking for the best performance around.
Winner: RTX 3080
RTX 3070 Ti vs RTX 3080: Price
When it comes to price, the RTX 3070 Ti is slightly cheaper than the RTX 3080, coming in at around $50 cheaper at MSRP. With GPU prices plunging, you can expect to find an RTX 3070 Ti for around MSRP, if you are lucky.
However, with two models of RTX 3080, one of which has a 12GB variant, you could grab yourself a bargain, with some extra VRAM in the process. Especially now that Nvidia is aggressively slashing prices on GA102-based chips, whereas the same has not quite happened for GA104-based GPUs quite yet.
So, you might find that many stores as of the time of writing will carry the RTX 3080 for around the same price as an RTX 3070 Ti at the moment, making it an absolute no-brainer with regards to which one you should pick.
Winner: RTX 3080
RTX 3070 Ti vs RTX 3080: Performance
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As we mentioned previously, the RTX 3080 is more powerful in just about every way when compared to the RTX 3070 Ti. In 3DMark‘s Time Spy Extreme benchmark, the RTX 3070 Ti achieved an average graphics score of 7406, whereas the RTX 3080 manages to pull ahead with an average graphics score of 8902, a performance difference of around 20%.
In 3DMark’s Port Royal, a ray tracing-focused benchmark, the RTX 3080 beats the RTX 3070 Ti, with an average score of 11577. The RTX 3070 Ti only manages to attain a comparative 8859, meaning that you can expect 30% better ray-traced performance on the higher-end card.
Overall, this represents a performance difference between the two cards of around 25%. This means that as of right now, the RTX 3080 is certainly the better purchase, considering the price difference of only $50.
Winner: RTX 3080
RTX 3070 Ti vs RTX 3080: Which one should you buy?
With a staggering difference in their performance of around 25%, the RTX 3080 is certainly more powerful than the RTX 3070 Ti, which is based on a cut-down chip. The price difference here is only around $50 at MSRP, but as of the time of writing, you can find both cards hovering at around the same price, since Nvidia is looking to get rid of their stock for the impending Lovelace launch, and the arrival of the RTX 4090, 4080 and 4070.
We recommend that if you absolutely need a graphics card right now, then you should choose the RTX 3080. But, do be warned that it’s going to quickly become outdated once Nvidia launches its next generation of graphics cards.
Get yourself an RTX 3080 from Best Buy, or AmazonGet yourself an RTX 3070 Ti from Best Buy, or Amazon
Winner: RTX 3080
How much better is the 3070 Ti than the RTX 3080?
The RTX 3070 Ti is around 25% slower than the RTX 3080 in 3DMark benchmarks. You should not expect greater performance from the RTX 3070 Ti when compared to the RTX 3080, due to the RTX 3080 having consistently higher specifications than the RTX 3070 Ti.
How much faster is the 3070 Ti than the RTX 3080?
The RTX 3070 Ti has higher clock speeds when compared to the RTX 3080, but it does not manage to be faster overall when compared to Nvidia’s flagship GPU. The RTX 3070 Ti falls slightly short of the raw power of the RTX 3080, as a middle ground between the base RTX 3070, and the RTX 3080. Therefore, it is not faster, despite what its clock speeds might show you initially.
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