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 vs GeForce RTX 3070 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 vs GeForce RTX 3070: 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

2016

Why buy it

✅Draws 180W instead of 220W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2016 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
20% HIGHER MSRP
$599 MSRPvs$499 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.1 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

✅44.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Delivers 70.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 26.1 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $599 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

❌22.2% higher power demand at 220W vs 180W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 3070 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 44.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 42% in PassMark G3D (22,172 vs 15,609), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3070 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, 46 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2016. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3070 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $100 cheaper on MSRP at $499 vs $599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 70.5% (44.4 vs 26.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1080 vs GeForce RTX 3070 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 1080

The GeForce GTX 1080 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 27 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1733 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 15,609 points. Launch price was $599.

GeForce RTX 3070

The GeForce RTX 3070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1725 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,172 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1080 scores 15,609 versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 22,172 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 42%. The GeForce GTX 1080 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3070 uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1725 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 3070
G3D Mark Score	15,609	22,172+42%
Architecture	Pascal	Ampere
Process Node	16 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2560	5888+130%
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS	20.31 TFLOPS+129%
Boost Clock	1733 MHz	1725 MHz
ROPs	64	96+50%
TMUs	160	184+15%
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	5.8 MB+517%
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1080 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 3070
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)

Both cards ship with 8 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 320 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3070) — a 40% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3070. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 1080 and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 3070
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5X	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	320 GB/s	448 GB/s+40%
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 3070
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.4	1.4
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6th gen (GeForce GTX 1080) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070). Decoder: NVDEC 3rd gen vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 3070
Encoder	NVENC 6th gen	NVENC 7th gen
Decoder	NVDEC 3rd gen	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1080 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 220W — a 20% difference. The GeForce GTX 1080 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 3070). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 3070
TDP	180W-18%	220W
Recommended PSU	500W-23%	650W
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	242mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C	75°C
Perf/Watt	86.7	100.8+16%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1080 came in at $599, while the GeForce RTX 3070 launched at $499. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3070 was 16.7% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 26.1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 70.1% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3070 (2020 vs 2016).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 3070
MSRP	$599	$499-17%
Performance per Dollar	26.1	44.4+70%
Codename	GP104	GA104
Release	May 27 2016	September 1 2020
Ranking	#137	#63

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