AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT represent two distinct generations of GPU design, and their benchmark results reflect that. The RTX 3080, built on the Ampere architecture, was a high-end part at its 2020 launch, while the RX 7700 XT is a newer, mid-range RDNA 3.0 offering. The data shows a split decision: the older NVIDIA card wins most tests, but the AMD card takes specific victories that matter for certain workloads. The RTX 3080 wins 6 of the 10 head-to-head benchmarks, while the RX 7700 XT wins 4.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most significant victory for the RTX 3080 comes in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where it scores 4407 against the RX 7700 XT’s 3316. That is a 32.9% lead, which is a massive gap in a modern, demanding DirectX 12 workload. This single result suggests the older card has substantially more raw compute headroom in next-generation API scenarios. The RTX 3080 also dominates in legacy DirectX tests, winning Passmark DirectX 10 by 42.9% (170 vs 119) and Passmark DirectX 12 by 26.6% (100 vs 79). Its DirectX 11 score of 207 trails the AMD card's 232, but the DirectX 12 win is more relevant for current gaming.

The RTX 3080’s lead is not confined to synthetic benchmarks. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 152423 compared to 138383, a 10.1% advantage. Its Passmark G3D score of 25086 is 11.3% higher than the RX 7700 XT's 22547, and its Passmark GPU Compute score of 14397 is 11.5% higher than 12912. These results paint a picture of a card that is simply faster in most compute and rasterization tasks. The average benchmark score for the RTX 3080 is 23172, placing it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs; the RX 7700 XT averages 22549, landing in the 67th percentile. These are close overall averages, but the distribution of wins is lopsided.

The RX 7700 XT, however, has its own decisive victories. The most striking is in Geekbench Vulkan, where it scores 46443 versus the RTX 3080’s 33620. That is a 27.6% advantage for the AMD card, indicating a significantly stronger Vulkan implementation. It also wins in older DirectX APIs, taking Passmark DirectX 11 by 10.8% (232 vs 207) and Passmark DirectX 9 by 12.2% (294 vs 258). These wins suggest that for certain APIs and workloads, the newer architecture has a clear edge. The RX 7700 XT also wins the Passmark G2D test, scoring 1161 against the RTX 3080’s 1054, a 9.2% margin in 2D performance.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3080 wins where raw throughput and modern API efficiency are paramount. Its 32.9% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is the standout, making it the clear choice for users prioritizing current-generation DirectX 12 titles. Its wins in Passmark DirectX 10, DirectX 12, and OpenCL further cement its position as the stronger card for compute-heavy applications and older DX12 games. If the workload is heavily threaded and uses the GPU for general-purpose compute, the data favors the RTX 3080, as shown by its 11.5% lead in Passmark GPU Compute.

The RX 7700 XT wins where Vulkan is the primary API and in legacy DirectX performance. The 27.6% lead in Geekbench Vulkan is its most compelling argument, suggesting it is the better option for Vulkan-based games and applications. Its wins in DirectX 9 and DirectX 11 indicate that for older titles, it will provide a better experience. The G2D victory is a minor point, but it does suggest better 2D desktop performance. For users who play a mix of older games and modern Vulkan titles, the RX 7700 XT has a clear appeal.

The split is stark: the RTX 3080 wins the modern DX12 and compute tests, while the RX 7700 XT wins the Vulkan and legacy API tests. There is no overlap in these categories. A user choosing between them should look at the API breakdown of their typical software. The RTX 3080 is the safer bet for a forward-looking DX12-focused setup, while the RX 7700 XT is better for a Vulkan-centric or retro-oriented library.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures and process nodes. The RTX 3080 uses the GA102 chip, which is manufactured on an 8 nm process at Samsung. This is a large die, measuring 628 mm², and it houses 28,300 million transistors. The RX 7700 XT uses the Navi 32 chip, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 346 mm² and 28,100 million transistors. The process node difference is significant, with the RX 7700 XT using a more advanced node that allows for a much higher transistor density of 81.2M / mm², compared to the RTX 3080's 45.1M / mm².

The memory subsystems are also starkly different. The RTX 3080 comes with 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, delivering 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 7700 XT offers 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, which results in 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The NVIDIA card has a 75.7% bandwidth advantage, which is a major factor in its DX12 and compute wins. However, the AMD card has 2 GB more VRAM, which can be a consideration for higher-resolution textures. The memory clock for the RX 7700 XT is listed at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective), while the RTX 3080's memory clock is 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective).

Core configurations show a different design philosophy. The RTX 3080 has 8704 shading units, 272 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, along with 68 RT cores and 272 tensor cores. The RX 7700 XT has 3456 shading units, 216 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, with 54 RT cores and no tensor cores. Despite having fewer shading units, the RX 7700 XT achieves higher clock speeds, with a boost clock of 2544 MHz compared to the RTX 3080's 1710 MHz. This leads to a higher FP32 performance of 35.17 TFLOPS for the AMD card versus 29.77 TFLOPS for the NVIDIA card. The RTX 3080 has a higher pixel rate of 164.2 GPixel/s, but the RX 7700 XT wins in texture rate at 549.5 GTexel/s versus 465.1 GTexel/s.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 has a higher average benchmark score of 23172, compared to the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT's 22549. This is a difference of 623 points, or roughly 2.8%.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap in the head-to-head tests?

A: The largest delta is in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where the RTX 3080 leads by 32.9%. The second largest is in Geekbench Vulkan, where the RX 7700 XT leads by 27.6%.

Q: Which GPU is better for Vulkan-based applications?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is significantly better in Vulkan, as shown by its 46443 score in Geekbench Vulkan, which is 27.6% higher than the RTX 3080's 33620.

Q: Does the RTX 3080 have more memory bandwidth?

A: Yes. The RTX 3080 has a memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s, while the RX 7700 XT has 432.0 GB/s. This is a substantial advantage for the NVIDIA card.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock speed?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT has a much higher boost clock of 2544 MHz, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080's 1710 MHz. The RX 7700 XT also has a game clock of 2171 MHz.

Q: What is the difference in transistor count?

A: The RTX 3080 has 28,300 million transistors, while the RX 7700 XT has 28,100 million. The difference is minimal, with the RTX 3080 having 200 million more.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every major specification. The RTX 3080 is built on an 8 nm process, while the RX 7700 XT uses a 5 nm process. The RTX 3080 has a die size of 628 mm², which is nearly double the RX 7700 XT's 346 mm². The memory configuration is a key differentiator: the RTX 3080 has 10 GB of GDDR6X on a 320-bit bus, while the RX 7700 XT has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus. This results in a bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s for the NVIDIA card and 432.0 GB/s for the AMD card.

The core counts also differ, with the RTX 3080 featuring 8704 shading units, 272 TMUs, and 68 RT cores, while the RX 7700 XT has 3456 shading units, 216 TMUs, and 54 RT cores. The RTX 3080 has 272 tensor cores, which the RX 7700 XT lacks entirely. The boost clocks are significantly different: 1710 MHz for the RTX 3080 and 2544 MHz for the RX 7700 XT. The TDP also varies, with the RTX 3080 rated at 320 W and the RX 7700 XT at 245 W. The suggested PSU is 700 W for the NVIDIA card and 550 W for the AMD card.

Power connectors differ as well: the RTX 3080 uses a single 12-pin connector, while the RX 7700 XT uses two 8-pin connectors. The display outputs are different, with the RTX 3080 offering 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, and the RX 7700 XT offering 1x HDMI 2.1a, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, and 1x USB Type-C. The physical dimensions are also not identical, with the RTX 3080 being longer at 285 mm (11.2 inches) but shorter in height at 112 mm (4.4 inches) and width at 40 mm (1.6 inches). The RX 7700 XT is shorter at 267 mm (10.5 inches) but taller at 135 mm (5.3 inches) and thicker at 50 mm (2 inches).

The Verdict

The data is clear on a few points. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the faster card for modern DirectX 12 workloads and general compute, evidenced by its 32.9% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad and 11.5% lead in Passmark GPU Compute. It also has significantly higher memory bandwidth, which is a critical factor in those wins. For a user building a system around the latest DX12 games and GPU-accelerated compute, the RTX 3080 is the data-backed choice.

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is the better option for Vulkan-focused users. Its 27.6% lead in Geekbench Vulkan is not a minor difference, and it also wins in DirectX 9 and DirectX 11. It also has 2 GB more VRAM and a lower TDP of 245 W versus 320 W, making it a more power-efficient card that requires a less hefty PSU. For users with a library of older titles or those that prefer Vulkan, the RX 7700 XT is the better fit.

The RTX 3080’s higher average score of 23172 and its 68th percentile ranking versus the RX 7700 XT's 67th percentile show that overall, it is the more powerful part. However, the RX 7700 XT is not a poor performer; it wins in 4 of 10 tests. The decision comes down to which APIs you prioritize. If you need maximum performance in DX12 and compute, the RTX 3080 is the answer. If Vulkan performance and lower power draw are more important, the RX 7700 XT is the pick. The RTX 3080's end-of-life production status and higher launch MSRP of 699 USD versus the RX 7700 XT's 449 USD also place them in different market positions, but the benchmark data shows the older card still holds a considerable edge in key areas.