GeForce RTX 3080 12GB vs Radeon RX 7900 GRE

CPU

GPU

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

2022Core: 1260 MHzBoost: 1710 MHz

RTX family

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Radeon RX 7900 GRE

2023Core: 1287 MHzBoost: 2245 MHz

RX family

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GeForce RTX 3080 12GB vs Radeon RX 7900 GRE Performance Spectrum

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

12 GB 350

26,569

0.0%

GeForce GTX 1070 Ti

GeForce GTX 1070 SLI

GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile

RTX 5000 Ada Generation Mobile

GeForce RTX 5070

RTX 5000 Ada Generation

GeForce RTX 5070 Ti

GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER

Radeon RX 7900 GRE

16 GB 260

27,162

+2.2%

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 3080 12GB vs Radeon RX 7900 GRE 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 Radeon RX 7900 GRE: 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

✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 7900 GRE 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 FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌Radeon RX 7900 GRE is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
❌
127.7% HIGHER MSRP
$1,250 MSRPvs$549 MSRP

Radeon RX 7900 GRE

2023

Why buy it

✅6.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $701 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $1,250 MSRP).
✅Delivers 132.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 49.5 vs 21.3 G3D/$ ($549 MSRP vs $1,250 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 12 GB).

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR 3 (2023) instead.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon RX 7900 GRE is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 6.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.2% in PassMark G3D (27,162 vs 26,569), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon RX 7900 GRE 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 FSR 3 (2023) and FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (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 80 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?

Radeon RX 7900 GRE makes the most sense to buy today. It is $701 cheaper on MSRP at $549 vs $1,250, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 132.8% (49.5 vs 21.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB vs Radeon RX 7900 GRE 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.

Radeon RX 7900 GRE

The Radeon RX 7900 GRE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in July 27 2023. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1287 MHz to 2245 MHz. It has 5120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 260W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 80 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 27,162 points. Launch price was $549.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB scores 26,569 and the Radeon RX 7900 GRE reaches 27,162 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 7900 GRE uses RDNA 3.0, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 8,960 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 5,120 (Radeon RX 7900 GRE). Raw compute: 30.64 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 45.98 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 7900 GRE). Boost clocks: 1710 MHz vs 2245 MHz. Ray tracing: 70 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 80 (Radeon RX 7900 GRE) with 280 Tensor cores.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	Radeon RX 7900 GRE
G3D Mark Score	26,569	27,162+2%
Architecture	Ampere	RDNA 3.0
Process Node	8 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	8960+75%	5120
Compute (TFLOPS)	30.64 TFLOPS	45.98 TFLOPS+50%
Boost Clock	1710 MHz	2245 MHz+31%
ROPs	96	160+67%
TMUs	280	320+14%
L1 Cache	8.8 MB+252%	2.5 MB
L2 Cache	6 MB	6 MB
Ray Tracing Cores	70	80+14%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 7900 GRE is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. 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 3080 12GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 7900 GRE leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	Radeon RX 7900 GRE
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	FSR 3
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB has 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 7900 GRE carries 16 GB. Radeon RX 7900 GRE 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 (Radeon RX 7900 GRE) — 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 Radeon RX 7900 GRE.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	Radeon RX 7900 GRE
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	6 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 12 Ultimate (Radeon RX 7900 GRE). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	Radeon RX 7900 GRE
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 VCN 4.0 (Radeon RX 7900 GRE). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs VCN 4.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs AV1,H.264,H.265/HEVC (Radeon RX 7900 GRE).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	Radeon RX 7900 GRE
Encoder	NVENC 7th gen	VCN 4.0
Decoder	NVDEC 5th gen	VCN 4.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1	AV1,H.264,H.265/HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB draws 350W versus the Radeon RX 7900 GRE's 260W — a 29.5% difference. The Radeon RX 7900 GRE is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 750W (Radeon RX 7900 GRE). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 285mm vs 276mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 60°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	Radeon RX 7900 GRE
TDP	350W	260W-26%
Recommended PSU	750W	750W
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	285mm	276mm
Height	112mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	60°C-25%
Perf/Watt	75.9	104.5+38%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB came in at $1250, while the Radeon RX 7900 GRE launched at $549. On MSRP, Radeon RX 7900 GRE was 56.1% cheaper ($701 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.3 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 49.5 (Radeon RX 7900 GRE) — the Radeon RX 7900 GRE offers 132.4% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 7900 GRE (2023 vs 2022).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	Radeon RX 7900 GRE
MSRP	$1250	$549-56%
Performance per Dollar	21.3	49.5+132%
Codename	GA102	Navi 31
Release	January 11 2022	July 27 2023
Ranking	#38	#29

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