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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 1080

2016

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (15,609 vs 22,713).
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
20% HIGHER MSRP
$599 MSRPvs$499 MSRP

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB

2023

Why buy it

✅+45.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Delivers 74.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 45.5 vs 26.1 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 8 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

GeForce GTX 1080

2016

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB

2023

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Why buy it

✅+45.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Delivers 74.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 45.5 vs 26.1 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 8 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (15,609 vs 22,713).
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
20% HIGHER MSRP
$599 MSRPvs$499 MSRP

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB better than GeForce GTX 1080?

Yes. GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 22,713 vs 15,609 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB is a 2023 card with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, while GeForce GTX 1080 is a 2016 model from an older high-end class with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2016, 45.5% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 16 GB instead of 8 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB is about $100 cheaper on MSRP at $499 MSRP versus $599 MSRP, and you are getting 45.5% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 74.7%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce GTX 1080 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1080 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $599 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 1080 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB
1080p
low	153 FPS	223 FPS
medium	135 FPS	208 FPS
high	120 FPS	182 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	168 FPS
1440p
low	131 FPS	197 FPS
medium	106 FPS	166 FPS
high	94 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	85 FPS	131 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	138 FPS
medium	65 FPS	115 FPS
high	52 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	87 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 Open GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB
1080p
low	300 FPS	433 FPS
medium	251 FPS	366 FPS
high	187 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	151 FPS	241 FPS
1440p
low	188 FPS	279 FPS
medium	158 FPS	239 FPS
high	126 FPS	195 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	162 FPS
4K
low	106 FPS	123 FPS
medium	87 FPS	102 FPS
high	71 FPS	84 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	66 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 Open GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB
1080p
low	702 FPS	888 FPS
medium	562 FPS	716 FPS
high	468 FPS	628 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	511 FPS
1440p
low	527 FPS	676 FPS
medium	421 FPS	537 FPS
high	351 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	383 FPS
4K
low	351 FPS	458 FPS
medium	281 FPS	363 FPS
high	234 FPS	312 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	256 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 Open GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB
1080p
low	433 FPS	775 FPS
medium	364 FPS	639 FPS
high	303 FPS	558 FPS
ultra	258 FPS	492 FPS
1440p
low	356 FPS	613 FPS
medium	298 FPS	503 FPS
high	235 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	378 FPS
4K
low	193 FPS	375 FPS
medium	151 FPS	322 FPS
high	137 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	256 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 Open GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1080 and GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB

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 4060 Ti 16GB

The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2310 MHz to 2535 MHz. It has 4352 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 165W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 34 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,713 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1080 scores 15,609 versus the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB's 22,713 — the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB leads by 45.5%. The GeForce GTX 1080 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB uses Ada Lovelace, both on 16 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 4,352 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 22.06 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 2535 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB
G3D Mark Score	15,609	22,713+46%
Architecture	Pascal	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	16 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	2560	4352+70%
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS	22.06 TFLOPS+149%
Boost Clock	1733 MHz	2535 MHz+46%
ROPs	64+33%	48
TMUs	160+18%	136
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	4.3 MB+357%
L2 Cache	2 MB	32 MB+1500%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce GTX 1080 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1080 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1080 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB has 16 GB. The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 320 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 288 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB) — a 11.1% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1080. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 32 MB (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB) — the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	16 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5X	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	320 GB/s+11%	288 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	32 MB+1500%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.4+8%	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6th gen (GeForce GTX 1080) vs NVENC 8th gen (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB). 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 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB
Encoder	NVENC 6th gen	NVENC 8th 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

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1080 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB's 165W — a 8.7% difference. The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 16-pin (12VHPWR). Card length: 267mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2.2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 65°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB
TDP	180W	165W-8%
Recommended PSU	500W-9%	550W
Power Connector	8-pin	16-pin (12VHPWR)
Length	267mm	240mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2-9%	2.2
Temp (Load)	75°C	65°C-13%
Perf/Watt	86.7	137.7+59%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1080 launched at $599 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB launched at $499. The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB costs 16.7% less ($100 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 26.1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 45.5 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB) — the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB offers 74.3% better value. The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2016).