GeForce GTX 1650 vs GeForce RTX 3080

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1650

2019Core: 1485 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz
GTX family
·······
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3080

2020Core: 1440 MHzBoost: 1710 MHz
RTX family
·······

GeForce GTX 1650 vs GeForce RTX 3080 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 1650 vs GeForce RTX 3080 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 1650 vs GeForce RTX 3080: 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 1650

2019

Why buy it

  • Costs $550 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
  • Delivers 47.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 35.9 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
  • Draws 75W instead of 320W, a 245W reduction.
  • Measures 229mm instead of 285mm, a 56mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3080 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 10 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • Older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.

GeForce RTX 3080

2020

Why buy it

  • 186.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 150% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (10 GB vs 4 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 369.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $699 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 35.9 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
  • 326.7% higher power demand at 320W vs 75W.
  • 24.5% longer card at 285mm vs 229mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3080 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 186.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 218.6% in PassMark G3D (25,071 vs 7,869), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3080 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 10 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 12nm, and 68 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1650 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $550 cheaper on MSRP at $149 vs $699, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 47.2% (52.8 vs 35.9), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 1650 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and strong 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 3080 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1650 vs GeForce RTX 3080 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1650

The GeForce GTX 1650 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 23 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1485 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,869 points. Launch price was $149.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3080

The GeForce RTX 3080 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1440 MHz to 1710 MHz. It has 8704 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 320W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 68 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 25,071 points. Launch price was $699.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1650 scores 7,869 versus the GeForce RTX 3080's 25,071 — the GeForce RTX 3080 leads by 218.6%. The GeForce GTX 1650 is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3080 uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 896 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 8,704 (GeForce RTX 3080). Raw compute: 2.984 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 29.77 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3080). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 1710 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3080
G3D Mark Score
7,869
25,071+219%
Architecture
Turing
Ampere
Process Node
12 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
896
8704+871%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.984 TFLOPS
29.77 TFLOPS+898%
Boost Clock
1665 MHz
1710 MHz+3%
ROPs
32
96+200%
TMUs
56
272+386%
L1 Cache
0.88 MB
8.5 MB+866%
L2 Cache
1 MB
5 MB+400%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3080 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1650 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3080
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 1650 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3080 carries 10 GB. GeForce RTX 3080 gives you 150% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 128 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 760 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3080) — a 493.8% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3080. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 1650 and 320-bit on the GeForce RTX 3080. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 5 MB (GeForce RTX 3080) — the GeForce RTX 3080 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3080
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
10 GB+150%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth
128 GB/s
760 GB/s+494%
Bus Width
128-bit
320-bit+150%
L2 Cache
1 MB
5 MB+400%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3080). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3080
DirectX
12
12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan
1.4+8%
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
3
4+33%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 5th gen (Volta) (GeForce GTX 1650) vs NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3080). Decoder: NVDEC 4th gen vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3080).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3080
Encoder
NVENC 5th gen (Volta)
NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder
NVDEC 4th gen
NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9
H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1650 draws 75W versus the GeForce RTX 3080's 320W — a 124.1% difference. The GeForce GTX 1650 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 750W (GeForce RTX 3080). Power connectors: None vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 285mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 75.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3080
TDP
75W-77%
320W
Recommended PSU
300W-60%
750W
Power Connector
None
2x 8-pin
Length
229mm
285mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
70°C-7%
75
Perf/Watt
104.9+34%
78.3
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1650 came in at $149, while the GeForce RTX 3080 launched at $699. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1650 was 78.7% cheaper ($550 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 52.8 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 35.9 (GeForce RTX 3080) — the GeForce GTX 1650 offers 47.1% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3080 (2020 vs 2019).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3080
MSRP
$149-79%
$699
Performance per Dollar
52.8+47%
35.9
Codename
TU117
GA102
Release
April 23 2019
September 1 2020
Ranking
#323
#41

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.