GeForce GTX 1080 vs Radeon RX 6800S

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1080

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz
GTX family
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VS
AMD

Radeon RX 6800S

2022Core: 1800 MHzBoost: 2100 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 1080 vs Radeon RX 6800S 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 vs Radeon RX 6800S 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 Radeon RX 6800S: 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

  • Costs $201 less on MSRP ($599 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
  • Delivers 31.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 26.1 vs 19.8 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 6800S across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
  • 2016 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 80% higher power demand at 180W vs 100W.

Radeon RX 6800S

2022

Why buy it

  • 2.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
  • Better long-term bet: RDNA 2.0 on 7nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 100W instead of 180W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 33.6% HIGHER MSRP
    $800 MSRPvs$599 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 19.8 vs 26.1 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon RX 6800S is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 2.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.5% in PassMark G3D (15,841 vs 15,609), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon RX 6800S is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer feature stack, with FSR 3 (2023) and FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023), while GeForce GTX 1080 is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 7nm process instead of 16nm, 32 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2016. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1080 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $201 cheaper on MSRP at $599 vs $800, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 31.6% (26.1 vs 19.8), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and lighter 1440p, GeForce GTX 1080 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and lighter 1440p headroom, Radeon RX 6800S has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1080 vs Radeon RX 6800S Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

AMD

Radeon RX 6800S

The Radeon RX 6800S is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1800 MHz to 2100 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 32 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 15,841 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1080 scores 15,609 and the Radeon RX 6800S reaches 15,841 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1080 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 6800S uses RDNA 2.0, both on 16 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 2,048 (Radeon RX 6800S). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 8.602 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6800S). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 2100 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080Radeon RX 6800S
G3D Mark Score
15,609
15,841+1%
Architecture
Pascal
RDNA 2.0
Process Node
16 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
2560+25%
2048
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS+3%
8.602 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1733 MHz
2100 MHz+21%
ROPs
64
64
TMUs
160+25%
128
L1 Cache
960 KB+88%
512 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 6800S is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GTX 1080 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce GTX 1080 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 6800S leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080Radeon RX 6800S
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR 3
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 8 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 320 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 6800S) — a 25% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1080. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 1080 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 6800S.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080Radeon RX 6800S
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5X
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
320 GB/s+25%
256 GB/s
Bus Width
256-bit+100%
128-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 12 (12_2) (Radeon RX 6800S). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080Radeon RX 6800S
DirectX
12.1
12 (12_2)
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 RDNA 2 Media Engine (Radeon RX 6800S). Decoder: NVDEC 3rd gen vs RDNA 2 Media Engine. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Radeon RX 6800S).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080Radeon RX 6800S
Encoder
NVENC 6th gen
RDNA 2 Media Engine
Decoder
NVDEC 3rd gen
RDNA 2 Media Engine
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1
H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1080 draws 180W versus the Radeon RX 6800S's 100W — a 57.1% difference. The Radeon RX 6800S is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 650W (Radeon RX 6800S). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080Radeon RX 6800S
TDP
180W
100W-44%
Recommended PSU
500W-23%
650W
Power Connector
8-pin
Mobile
Length
267mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75°C
75°C
Perf/Watt
86.7
158.4+83%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1080 came in at $599, while the Radeon RX 6800S launched at $800. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1080 was 25.1% cheaper ($201 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 26.1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 19.8 (Radeon RX 6800S) — the GeForce GTX 1080 offers 31.8% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 6800S (2022 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080Radeon RX 6800S
MSRP
$599-25%
$800
Performance per Dollar
26.1+32%
19.8
Codename
GP104
Navi 23
Release
May 27 2016
January 4 2022
Ranking
#137
#135

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