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 RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design 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 RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design 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 RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design

2019

Why buy it

✅100% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (368 vs 184).
✅Draws 80W instead of 220W, a 140W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌GeForce RTX 3070 is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 44.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

✅48.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (184 vs 368), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌175% higher power demand at 220W vs 80W.

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 48.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 73.7% in PassMark G3D (22,172 vs 12,766), 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: a 8nm process instead of 12nm and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2019. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3070 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 3070 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 29 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 735 MHz to 1095 MHz. It has 2944 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 80W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12,766 points.

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 RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design scores 12,766 versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 22,172 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 73.7%. The GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3070 uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,944 (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070). Raw compute: 6.447 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) vs 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070). Boost clocks: 1095 MHz vs 1725 MHz. Ray tracing: 46 RT cores (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) vs 46 (GeForce RTX 3070) with 368 Tensor cores vs 184.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3070
G3D Mark Score	12,766	22,172+74%
Architecture	Turing	Ampere
Process Node	12 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2944	5888+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.447 TFLOPS	20.31 TFLOPS+215%
Boost Clock	1095 MHz	1725 MHz+58%
ROPs	64	96+50%
TMUs	184	184
L1 Cache	2.9 MB	5.8 MB+100%
L2 Cache	4 MB	4 MB
Ray Tracing Cores	46	46
Tensor Cores	368+100%	184

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3070
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	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 GDDR6. Memory bandwidth: 384 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3070) — a 16.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3070. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3070
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	384 GB/s	448 GB/s+17%
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	4 MB	4 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3070
DirectX	12 (12_2)	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.3	1.4+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6 (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070). Decoder: NVDEC 4 vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070).

Feature	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3070
Encoder	NVENC 6	NVENC 7th gen
Decoder	NVDEC 4	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design draws 80W versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 220W — a 93.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 0W (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 3070). Power connectors: None vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 242mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3070
TDP	80W-64%	220W
Recommended PSU	0W-100%	650W
Power Connector	None	8-pin
Length	0mm	242mm
Height	0mm	112mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	80	75°C-6%
Perf/Watt	159.6+58%	100.8

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3070 (2020 vs 2019).

Feature	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3070
MSRP	—	$499
Codename	TU104B	GA104
Release	January 29 2019	September 1 2020
Ranking	#174	#63

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