GeForce GTX 1080 Ti vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1080 Ti

2017Core: 1481 MHzBoost: 1582 MHz
GTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020Core: 1410 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce GTX 1080 Ti vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce GTX 1080 Ti vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce GTX 1080 Ti vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce GTX 1080 Ti

2017

Why buy it

  • 37.5% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (11 GB vs 8 GB).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2017 hardware with 11 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 75.2% HIGHER MSRP
    $699 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.6 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

  • 19.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $300 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
  • Delivers 91.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 26.6 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 11 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 19.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 9.2% in PassMark G3D (20,312 vs 18,606), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 16nm, 38 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2017. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti makes the most sense to buy today. It is $300 cheaper on MSRP at $399 vs $699, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 91.3% (50.9 vs 26.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1080 Ti vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1080 Ti

The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 10 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1481 MHz to 1582 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 18,606 points. Launch price was $699.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 4864 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 38 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,312 points. Launch price was $399.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti scores 18,606 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 9.2%. The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce GTX 1080 Ti) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Raw compute: 11.34 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1080 Ti) vs 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Boost clocks: 1582 MHz vs 1665 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 TiGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score
18,606
20,312+9%
Architecture
Pascal
Ampere
Process Node
16 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
3584
4864+36%
Compute (TFLOPS)
11.34 TFLOPS
16.2 TFLOPS+43%
Boost Clock
1582 MHz
1665 MHz+5%
ROPs
88+10%
80
TMUs
224+47%
152
L1 Cache
1.3 MB
4.8 MB+269%
L2 Cache
2.75 MB
4 MB+45%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 TiGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti has 11 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti carries 8 GB. GeForce GTX 1080 Ti gives you 37.5% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 484 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1080 Ti) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — a 8% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. Memory bus width is 352-bit on the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. L2 Cache: 2.75 MB (GeForce GTX 1080 Ti) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 TiGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
VRAM Capacity
11 GB+38%
8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5X
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
484 GB/s+8%
448 GB/s
Bus Width
352-bit+38%
256-bit
L2 Cache
2.75 MB
4 MB+45%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1080 Ti) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 TiGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
DirectX
12
12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 4th gen (GeForce GTX 1080 Ti) vs NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: NVDEC 3rd gen vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 1080 Ti) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 TiGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder
NVENC 4th gen
NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder
NVDEC 3rd gen
NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1
H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti draws 250W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 22.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 1080 Ti) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 TiGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
TDP
250W
200W-20%
Recommended PSU
600W
600W
Power Connector
6-pin + 8-pin
8-pin
Length
267mm
242mm
Height
112mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
75
Perf/Watt
74.4
101.6+37%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti came in at $699, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti was 42.9% cheaper ($300 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 26.6 (GeForce GTX 1080 Ti) vs 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 91.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (2020 vs 2017).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 TiGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
MSRP
$699
$399-43%
Performance per Dollar
26.6
50.9+91%
Codename
GP102
GA104
Release
March 10 2017
December 1 2020
Ranking
#95
#73

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