GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
RTX 5880 Ada Generation
GeForce RTX 3080 12GB vs RTX 5880 Ada Generation 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 3080 12GB vs RTX 5880 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
GeForce RTX 3080 12GB vs RTX 5880 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
2022Why buy it
- ✅Costs $4,750 less on MSRP ($1,250 MSRP vs $6,000 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 408.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.3 vs 4.2 G3D/$ ($1,250 MSRP vs $6,000 MSRP).
- ✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than RTX 5880 Ada Generation across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 48 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (280 vs 440), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
- ❌22.8% higher power demand at 350W vs 285W.
RTX 5880 Ada Generation
2024Why buy it
- ✅21.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅57.1% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (440 vs 280).
- ✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (48 GB vs 12 GB).
- ✅Draws 285W instead of 350W, a 65W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
- ❌380% HIGHER MSRP$6,000 MSRPvs$1,250 MSRP
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.2 vs 21.3 G3D/$ ($6,000 MSRP vs $1,250 MSRP).
Quick Answers
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GeForce RTX 3080 12GB vs RTX 5880 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 5880 Ada Generation
The RTX 5880 Ada Generation is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 5 2024. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 975 MHz to 2460 MHz. It has 14080 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 285W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 110 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 25,096 points.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB scores 26,569 versus the RTX 5880 Ada Generation's 25,096 — the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB leads by 5.9%. The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is built on Ampere while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 8,960 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 14,080 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Raw compute: 30.64 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 69.27 TFLOPS (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Boost clocks: 1710 MHz vs 2460 MHz. Ray tracing: 70 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 110 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) with 280 Tensor cores vs 440.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3080 12GB | RTX 5880 Ada Generation |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 26,569+6% | 25,096 |
| Architecture | Ampere | Ada Lovelace |
| Process Node | 8 nm | 5 nm |
| Shading Units | 8960 | 14080+57% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 30.64 TFLOPS | 69.27 TFLOPS+126% |
| Boost Clock | 1710 MHz | 2460 MHz+44% |
| ROPs | 96 | 176+83% |
| TMUs | 280 | 440+57% |
| L1 Cache | 8.8 MB | 13.8 MB+57% |
| L2 Cache | 6 MB | 72 MB+1100% |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 70 | 110+57% |
| Tensor Cores | 280 | 440+57% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The RTX 5880 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 5880 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 5880 Ada Generation carries 48 GB. RTX 5880 Ada Generation gives you 300% 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 768 GB/s (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) — a 18.8% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB and 384-bit on the RTX 5880 Ada Generation. L2 Cache: 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 72 MB (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) — the RTX 5880 Ada Generation has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3080 12GB | RTX 5880 Ada Generation |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 12 GB | 48 GB+300% |
| Memory Type | GDDR6X | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 912 GB/s+19% | 768 GB/s |
| Bus Width | 384-bit | 384-bit |
| L2 Cache | 6 MB | 72 MB+1100% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 12 Ultimate (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3080 12GB | RTX 5880 Ada Generation |
|---|---|---|
| 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 3080 12GB) vs NVENC 8th gen (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP8,VP9 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3080 12GB | RTX 5880 Ada Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 7th gen | NVENC 8th gen |
| Decoder | NVDEC 5th gen | NVDEC 5th gen |
| Codecs | H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 | MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP8,VP9 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB draws 350W versus the RTX 5880 Ada Generation's 285W — a 20.5% difference. The RTX 5880 Ada Generation is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 650W (RTX 5880 Ada Generation). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs 16-pin. Card length: 285mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3080 12GB | RTX 5880 Ada Generation |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 350W | 285W-19% |
| Recommended PSU | 750W | 650W-13% |
| Power Connector | 2x 8-pin | 16-pin |
| Length | 285mm | 267mm |
| Height | 112mm | 112mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 80°C | 80°C |
| Perf/Watt | 75.9 | 88.1+16% |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB came in at $1250, while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation launched at $6000. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3080 12GB was 79.2% cheaper ($4750 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.3 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 4.2 (RTX 5880 Ada Generation) — the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB offers 407.1% better value. The newer card here is RTX 5880 Ada Generation (2024 vs 2022).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3080 12GB | RTX 5880 Ada Generation |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $1250-79% | $6000 |
| Performance per Dollar | 21.3+407% | 4.2 |
| Codename | GA102 | AD102 |
| Release | January 11 2022 | January 5 2024 |
| Ranking | #38 | #40 |
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