The Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 series has transformed PC gaming with its incredible visuals and performance. However, deciding between the RTX 3080 and RTX 3080 Ti can be tricky. While both are top-tier options, slight differences matter. This guide will help you understand those differences, so you can choose the ideal graphics card for your gaming setup.
About Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080Ti is an improved version of the RTX 3080. It has 17% more CUDA cores than the latter. The number of RT cores is also greater. Additionally, the 3080Ti offers 12GB of memory. This increase in memory will lead to an additional surge in performance.
The Specifications and the price range of the 3080Ti is pretty close to 3090. The only significant difference between them is the memory. The RTX 3080Ti is good enough for running any of the latest games in 4k resolution and at a decent frame rate of 60fps too.
Built on Nvidia’s Ampere Architecture, the RTX3080Ti is significantly larger than the RTX3080. This increase in six can be attributed to the higher number of cores and addition VRAM.
About Nvidia RTX 3080
At the time of release, the Nvidia 3080 could outshine any other graphic card in the market at that time. Nvidia had released this graphic card as an affordable solution to 4k gaming. In terms of performance. It significantly outmatches the 2080Ti. It easily shows a 20-30% increase in performance compared to the 2080Ti and a 50-60% edge over 2080.
This is one of the most value-for-money graphic cards when it comes to higher resolutions like 4k and quicker refresh rates. The RTX 3080 is also based on the Ampere architecture from Nvidia. This architecture focuses on optimizing performance and power consumption. The RT and Tensor cores are all second generation.
The RTX 3080 is the first graphic card from Nvidia where they have managed to make both data paths capable of handling floating-point computations. This is how the CUDA count amounts to double that over previous generations.
Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti vs. RTX 3080: Comparison Specifications Table
| RTX 3080 | RTX 3080Ti | |
| CUDA Cores | 8704 | 10240 |
| VRAM | 10GB | 12GB |
| Clock Speed | 1.71 GHz | 1.67 GHz |
| Architecture | Ampere | Ampere |
| Power Consumption | 454.1W | 505.1W |
| Ports | Display Port, HDMI, PCie | Display Port, HDMI, 8-pin |
| Average FPS 1440p | 98 | 110 |
| Average FPS 4k | 60 | 68 |
Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti vs. RTX 3080: Specs and Features
Of course, the 3080 and the 3080Ti have some common specs between them. The Ampere architecture, for instance, allows both GPUs to be power efficient at high-performance levels. Both the GPUs are loaded with the 3rd generation of tensor cores, and DLSS. You can enjoy 120Hz, 4K graphics on both processors.
The 3080Ti has 12GB of memory which enables it to perform much better than the 3080 with 10GB of memory. A greater number of CUDA cores also enables the 3080Ti to provide better graphic performance. In terms of ray tracing and handling DLSS, the 3080Ti also outclasses the 3080 with a greater number of tensor and RT cores.
When it comes to power consumption, the 3080Ti is slightly more power-hungry. It consumes a peak power of 350W while the 3080 is rated for only 320W. Due to higher power consumption, you will need a better PSU to be able to overclock the 3080Ti.
Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti vs. RTX 3080: Performance
Although the RTX 3080Ti is priced much higher than the RTX 3080, its performance is not outlandishly better compared to the latter. As far as performance in the 4K, Ultra Max settings is concerned, the 3080Ti will provide an edge of around 10FPS for older games.
For the games that are newer in the market, this difference in FPS may shrink to 5 or 6 FPS. For Assasin’s Creed Valhalla, the FPS difference was quite marginal at around 2FPS. If you benchmark both GPUs under lower settings like High, then the performance difference may not seem very obvious.
The 1440p performance for both cards is also quite similar with both GPUs hitting the 90-100FPS mark. Both these GPUs have been designed for 4K gaming and not for 1440p. With the exception of Cyberpunk 2077, the RTX 3080Ti beats the RTX 3080 but not by a big margin. Both the GPUs, on the other hand, clearly outperform RTX 3070, which was their best GPU for 1440p gaming.
Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti vs. RTX 3080: Price
The RTX 3080 is of a common man’s choice, while the more premium 3080Ti will set you back by a lot of extra bucks. While the 3080 starts at around $699, the 3080Ti carries a hefty price tag of $1199. This huge price difference is not quite justified by the difference in performance.
Conclusion
The Nvidia RTX 3080 is clearly the winner in terms of value. It is capable of going toe to toe with RTX 3080Ti even in 4k, ultra max settings. But, when it comes to cost, it costs around half that of its counterpart. So, if you are seeking value for money, then the Nvidia RTX 3080 should be the go to GPU for high-performance gaming.
Another great advantage of the RTX 3080 is its lower power consumption. Therefore, there will be lesser cooling issues when overclocking the 3080. It is important to keep in mind, however, that both processors will run hot and proper cooling is necessary in both cases.
