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 3080 12GB vs GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU 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 3080 12GB vs GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU: 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 3080 12GB

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $560 less on MSRP ($1,250 MSRP vs $1,810 MSRP).
✅Delivers 42% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.3 vs 15.0 G3D/$ ($1,250 MSRP vs $1,810 MSRP).
✅Draws 350W instead of 425W, a 75W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.

GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU

2023

Why buy it

✅33.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 12 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌
44.8% HIGHER MSRP
$1,810 MSRPvs$1,250 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 15.0 vs 21.3 G3D/$ ($1,810 MSRP vs $1,250 MSRP).
❌21.4% higher power demand at 425W vs 350W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 33.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2% in PassMark G3D (27,102 vs 26,569), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 16 GB vs 12 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is limited to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 8nm, and 114 vs 70 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB makes the most sense to buy today. It is $560 cheaper on MSRP at $1,250 vs $1,810, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 42% (21.3 vs 15.0), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and strong 1440p, GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and strong 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB vs GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU Technical Specifications

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

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 11 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1260 MHz to 1710 MHz. It has 8960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 70 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,569 points. Launch price was $799.

GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 28 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2280 MHz to 2520 MHz. It has 14592 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 425W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 114 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 27,102 points. Launch price was $1,599.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB scores 26,569 and the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU reaches 27,102 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 8,960 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 14,592 (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 30.64 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 73.54 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1710 MHz vs 2520 MHz. Ray tracing: 70 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 114 (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU) with 280 Tensor cores vs 456.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score	26,569	27,102+2%
Architecture	Ampere	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	8 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	8960	14592+63%
Compute (TFLOPS)	30.64 TFLOPS	73.54 TFLOPS+140%
Boost Clock	1710 MHz	2520 MHz+47%
ROPs	96	176+83%
TMUs	280	456+63%
L1 Cache	8.8 MB	14.3 MB+63%
L2 Cache	6 MB	72 MB+1100%
Ray Tracing Cores	70	114+63%
Tensor Cores	280	456+63%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	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 RTX 3080 12GB has 12 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU carries 16 GB. GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 912 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 576 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU) — a 58.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. L2 Cache: 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 72 MB (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU) — the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity	12 GB	16 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR6X	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	912 GB/s+58%	576 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+50%	256-bit
L2 Cache	6 MB	72 MB+1100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.4+8%	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs NVENC (9th Gen) (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs NVDEC (6th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU
Encoder	NVENC 7th gen	NVENC (9th Gen)
Decoder	NVDEC 5th gen	NVDEC (6th Gen)
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB draws 350W versus the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU's 425W — a 19.4% difference. The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 285mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU
TDP	350W-18%	425W
Recommended PSU	750W	650W-13%
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	Mobile
Length	285mm	0mm
Height	112mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	80°C	80
Perf/Watt	75.9+19%	63.8

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB came in at $1250, while the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU launched at $1810. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3080 12GB was 30.9% cheaper ($560 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.3 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 15.0 (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU) — the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB offers 42% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU (2023 vs 2022).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU
MSRP	$1250-31%	$1810
Performance per Dollar	21.3+42%	15.0
Codename	GA102	AD102
Release	January 11 2022	December 28 2023
Ranking	#38	#14

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