GeForce RTX 3080 12GB vs RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

2022Core: 1260 MHzBoost: 1710 MHz
RTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell

2025Core: 1230 MHzBoost: 2055 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3080 12GB vs RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell 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 PRO 4000 Blackwell 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 PRO 4000 Blackwell: 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 $749 less on MSRP ($1,250 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
  • Delivers 60.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.3 vs 13.3 G3D/$ ($1,250 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 24 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
  • 150% higher power demand at 350W vs 140W.

RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell

2025

Why buy it

  • 14.3% 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).
  • Better long-term bet: Blackwell 2.0 (2025−2026) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 140W instead of 350W, a 210W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 59.9% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,999 MSRPvs$1,250 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 13.3 vs 21.3 G3D/$ ($1,999 MSRP vs $1,250 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 14.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce RTX 3080 12GB instead at 26,569 vs 26,498, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell 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 2025 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 $749 cheaper on MSRP at $1,250 vs $1,999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 60.3% (21.3 vs 13.3), 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 PRO 4000 Blackwell has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB vs RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

NVIDIA

RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell

The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 18 2025. It features the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1230 MHz to 2055 MHz. It has 8960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 140W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 70 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,498 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB scores 26,569 and the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell reaches 26,498 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is built on Ampere while the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell uses Blackwell 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 8,960 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 8,960 (RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell). Raw compute: 30.64 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 36.83 TFLOPS (RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell). Boost clocks: 1710 MHz vs 2055 MHz. Ray tracing: 70 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 70 (RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell) with 280 Tensor cores vs 280.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3080 12GBRTX PRO 4000 Blackwell
G3D Mark Score
26,569
26,498
Architecture
Ampere
Blackwell 2.0
Process Node
8 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
8960
8960
Compute (TFLOPS)
30.64 TFLOPS
36.83 TFLOPS+20%
Boost Clock
1710 MHz
2055 MHz+20%
ROPs
96
96
TMUs
280
280
L1 Cache
8.8 MB
8.8 MB
L2 Cache
6 MB
48 MB+700%
Ray Tracing Cores
70
70
Tensor Cores
280
280

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell supports the newer Upscaling support, whereas the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3080 12GBRTX PRO 4000 Blackwell
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 PRO 4000 Blackwell carries 24 GB. RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell 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 432 GB/s (RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell) — a 111.1% 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 PRO 4000 Blackwell. L2 Cache: 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 48 MB (RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell) — the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3080 12GBRTX PRO 4000 Blackwell
VRAM Capacity
12 GB
24 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR6X
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
912 GB/s+111%
432 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 PRO 4000 Blackwell). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3080 12GBRTX PRO 4000 Blackwell
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.2+2%
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 9th Gen NVENC (2x) (RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs 6th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3080 12GBRTX PRO 4000 Blackwell
Encoder
NVENC 7th gen
9th Gen NVENC (2x)
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
6th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB draws 350W versus the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell's 140W — a 85.7% difference. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 650W (RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell). 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.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3080 12GBRTX PRO 4000 Blackwell
TDP
350W
140W-60%
Recommended PSU
750W
650W-13%
Power Connector
2x 8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
285mm
267mm
Height
112mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
80°C
80°C
Perf/Watt
75.9
189.3+149%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB came in at $1250, while the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell launched at $1999. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3080 12GB was 37.5% cheaper ($749 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.3 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 13.3 (RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell) — the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB offers 60.2% better value. The newer card here is RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell (2025 vs 2022).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3080 12GBRTX PRO 4000 Blackwell
MSRP
$1250-37%
$1999
Performance per Dollar
21.3+60%
13.3
Codename
GA102
GB203
Release
January 11 2022
March 18 2025
Ranking
#38
#48

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