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 RTX 4500 Ada Generation 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 RTX 4500 Ada Generation: 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 $1,000 less on MSRP ($1,250 MSRP vs $2,250 MSRP).
✅Delivers 71.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.3 vs 12.4 G3D/$ ($1,250 MSRP vs $2,250 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RTX 4500 Ada Generation across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 24 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌66.7% higher power demand at 350W vs 210W.

RTX 4500 Ada Generation

2023

Why buy it

✅25.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 12 GB).
✅Draws 210W instead of 350W, a 140W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌
80% HIGHER MSRP
$2,250 MSRPvs$1,250 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 12.4 vs 21.3 G3D/$ ($2,250 MSRP vs $1,250 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 25.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 4.8% in PassMark G3D (27,850 vs 26,569), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 24 GB vs 12 GB of VRAM, a 5nm process instead of 8nm, and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2022. 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 $1,000 cheaper on MSRP at $1,250 vs $2,250, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 71.7% (21.3 vs 12.4), 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, RTX 4500 Ada Generation has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB vs RTX 4500 Ada Generation 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.

RTX 4500 Ada Generation

The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 9 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2070 MHz to 2580 MHz. It has 7680 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 210W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 60 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 27,850 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB scores 26,569 and the RTX 4500 Ada Generation reaches 27,850 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is built on Ampere while the RTX 4500 Ada Generation uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 8,960 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 7,680 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Raw compute: 30.64 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 39.63 TFLOPS (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Boost clocks: 1710 MHz vs 2580 MHz. Ray tracing: 70 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 60 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation) with 280 Tensor cores vs 240.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
G3D Mark Score	26,569	27,850+5%
Architecture	Ampere	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	8 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	8960+17%	7680
Compute (TFLOPS)	30.64 TFLOPS	39.63 TFLOPS+29%
Boost Clock	1710 MHz	2580 MHz+51%
ROPs	96+20%	80
TMUs	280+17%	240
L1 Cache	8.8 MB+17%	7.5 MB
L2 Cache	6 MB	48 MB+700%
Ray Tracing Cores	70+17%	60
Tensor Cores	280+17%	240

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTX 4500 Ada Generation supports the newer Upscaling support, whereas the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB has 12 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 4500 Ada Generation carries 24 GB. RTX 4500 Ada Generation gives you 100% 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 448 GB/s (RTX 4500 Ada Generation) — a 103.6% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB and 192-bit on the RTX 4500 Ada Generation. L2 Cache: 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 48 MB (RTX 4500 Ada Generation) — the RTX 4500 Ada Generation has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
VRAM Capacity	12 GB	24 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR6X	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	912 GB/s+104%	448 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+100%	192-bit
L2 Cache	6 MB	48 MB+700%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 12.2 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12.2+2%
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 8th Gen (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs AV1,HEVC,H.264,VP9 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
Encoder	NVENC 7th gen	NVENC 8th Gen
Decoder	NVDEC 5th gen	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1	AV1,HEVC,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB draws 350W versus the RTX 4500 Ada Generation's 210W — a 50% difference. The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 650W (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 285mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
TDP	350W	210W-40%
Recommended PSU	750W	650W-13%
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	285mm	267mm
Height	112mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	80°C
Perf/Watt	75.9	132.6+75%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB came in at $1250, while the RTX 4500 Ada Generation launched at $2250. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3080 12GB was 44.4% cheaper ($1000 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.3 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 12.4 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation) — the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB offers 71.8% better value. The newer card here is RTX 4500 Ada Generation (2023 vs 2022).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
MSRP	$1250-44%	$2250
Performance per Dollar	21.3+72%	12.4
Codename	GA102	AD103
Release	January 11 2022	August 9 2023
Ranking	#38	#27

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