GeForce RTX 3070 vs GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 MHz
RTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

2021Core: 1365 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce RTX 3070 vs GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 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 RTX 3070 vs GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 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 3070 vs GeForce RTX 3080 Ti: 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 3070

2020

Why buy it

  • Costs $700 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $1,199 MSRP).
  • Delivers 98.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 22.4 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $1,199 MSRP).
  • Draws 220W instead of 350W, a 130W reduction.
  • Measures 242mm instead of 285mm, a 43mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3080 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (184 vs 320), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
  • GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.

GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

2021

Why buy it

  • 13.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 73.9% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (320 vs 184).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 140.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,199 MSRPvs$499 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 22.4 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($1,199 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • 59.1% higher power demand at 350W vs 220W.
  • 17.8% longer card at 285mm vs 242mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 13.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 21.1% in PassMark G3D (26,861 vs 22,172), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 8 GB of VRAM, 80 vs 46 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2020. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3070 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $700 cheaper on MSRP at $499 vs $1,199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 98.3% (44.4 vs 22.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and strong 1440p, GeForce RTX 3070 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and strong 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3070 vs GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 31 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1365 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 10240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 80 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,861 points. Launch price was $1,199.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti's 26,861 — the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti leads by 21.1%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti uses Ampere, both on a 8 nm process. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 10,240 (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 34.1 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti). Boost clocks: 1725 MHz vs 1665 MHz. Ray tracing: 46 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 80 (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti) with 184 Tensor cores vs 320.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
G3D Mark Score
22,172
26,861+21%
Architecture
Ampere
Ampere
Process Node
8 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
5888
10240+74%
Compute (TFLOPS)
20.31 TFLOPS
34.1 TFLOPS+68%
Boost Clock
1725 MHz+4%
1665 MHz
ROPs
96
112+17%
TMUs
184
320+74%
L1 Cache
5.8 MB
10 MB+72%
L2 Cache
4 MB
6 MB+50%
Ray Tracing Cores
46
80+74%
Tensor Cores
184
320+74%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
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)

The GeForce RTX 3070 has 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3080 Ti gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 912 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti) — a 103.6% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070 and 384-bit on the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
12 GB+50%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth
448 GB/s
912 GB/s+104%
Bus Width
256-bit
384-bit+50%
L2 Cache
4 MB
6 MB+50%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.4
1.4
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
Encoder
NVENC 7th gen
NVENC 7th gen
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3070 draws 220W versus the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti's 350W — a 45.6% difference. The GeForce RTX 3070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 750W (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 285mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
TDP
220W-37%
350W
Recommended PSU
650W-13%
750W
Power Connector
8-pin
2x 8-pin
Length
242mm
285mm
Height
112mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C-12%
85°C
Perf/Watt
100.8+31%
76.7
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3070 came in at $499, while the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti launched at $1199. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3070 was 58.4% cheaper ($700 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 22.4 (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 98.2% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3080 Ti (2021 vs 2020).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
MSRP
$499-58%
$1199
Performance per Dollar
44.4+98%
22.4
Codename
GA104
GA102
Release
September 1 2020
May 31 2021
Ranking
#63
#33

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