Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti vs RTX 3080: what is the greatest difference

Even though the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti was released about a year ago, the graphics card industry has been in a strange position since then, too.

When Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3080 debuted back in September 2020, purchasing a graphics card was nigh-on impossible. But now that we’re seeing a bit of a drop in the price of graphics cards, we’ve decided to revisit the question of which is the greatest bargain for gamers. You never know when you may be able to purchase a graphics card, so you might as well find out which one is ideal for you now.

Because of the nomenclature, the RTX 3080Ti and the RTX 3080 may seem similar. It’s no secret that the RTX 3080 is strong, but in our testing, we discovered that the RTX 3080 Ti performs just as well as the more expensive version of the card. Is this the right card for you?

the Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti versus the RTX 3080: cost

The Founders Edition of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti retailed for $1,199 (£1,049; AU$1,949). You could anticipate to pay between between $1,199 and $1,400 for an RTX 3080 Ti when the market returns to a more typical state.

The RTX 3080, on the other hand, is touted to be much less expensive. The Founders Edition of Nvidia’s flagship GPU retailed for $699 (£649, around AU$950) at launch. In spite of recent price increases, this is the graphics card that has seen the highest pricing. Currently, the price ranges from $1,200 to $1,600 on Amazon in the United States. That means it costs around the same as its larger sister.

As of this writing, you can get the Gigabyte RX 3080 Ti Gaming OC for $1,449 on Amazon, which is the same price as an RTX 3080 right now. If you have to choose between an RTX 3080 and an RTX 3080 Ti, even if the latter is just around $100 more expensive, the RTX 3080 Ti is the better choice. It’s simply a lot quicker than the old method.

Specifications of the Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 3080

When you first hear “RTX 3080 Ti,” you may believe it’s merely a mid-generation spec increase over the original RTX 3080. But that’s not the case. Nvidia, on the other hand, went all out for it.

The original Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 had a 320-bit bus and 10GB of GDDR6X memory. It was coupled with 8,704 CUDA cores and a 1.71GHz boost clock. The 12GB option was added a few months ago. In addition, that variant comes with a larger 384-bit memory bus and 8,960 CUDA cores.

In contrast, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti has 10,240 CUDA cores and a boost rate of 1.67 GHz. As a result, it outperforms the RTX 3080 in all but one way. The RTX 3090, with its 10,496 CUDA cores, is a better comparison. There is a 384-bit bus, however it still has the same amount of RAM as the RTX 3080 update.

Seeing the two cards side-by-side clearly demonstrates how different they are. The RTX 3080 Ti simply outperforms the RTX 3080 if you’re seeking to play 4K games. Ray tracing, for example, is less likely to suffer as a result.

A comparison of the Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 3080:

There’s a limit to what specs can tell you, however. In the end, what truly counts is how well these graphics cards perform in the most popular PC games.

The RTX 3080 Ti outperforms the RTX 3080 in 4K gaming, delivering a roughly 10% performance advantage. To put this into context, the newer RTX 3080 is capable of running Dirt 5 at 4K with all settings maxed at 95 frames per second, whereas the older model can only manage 86 frames per second. Although 86 frames per second isn’t much to sneeze at on either card, it’s hard to dispute that an additional 10 frames per second makes a difference.

In contrast, if you’re playing at 1080p or below, the benefits begin to disappear. The RTX 3080 Ti isn’t worth the extra money, since both of these GPUs are capable of destroying any current game at that resolution.

It’s also likely, though, that future games may test the capabilities of the most powerful graphics at this low resolution. You’re probably the sort that like to invest in long-term solutions if you’re purchasing a graphics card this pricey for 1080p gaming.

For 1080p gaming at a high frame rate, both of these graphics cards are superb, thus professional esports gamers should like them both. It’s excellent news for anybody who depends on speed to boost their response speed because the RTX 3080 Ti can handle a game like Overwatch and reach over 244 fps.