NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER Comparison

# Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data available for these two GPUs comes from different test suites, making direct head-to-head comparisons limited. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER has a single recorded benchmark result: a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3075. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 has no corresponding 3DMark Steel Nomad score, but instead offers results from Geekbench and Passmark tests. This means a direct apples-to-apples comparison in a single benchmark is not possible from the data provided.

However, the average benchmark scores provide a useful baseline. The RTX 5080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 3075, while the GT 1030 has an average benchmark score of 2662. The RTX 5080 SUPER sits at the 19th percentile among all GPUs, whereas the GT 1030 sits at the 17th percentile. This indicates that while both are positioned relatively low in the overall distribution, the RTX 5080 SUPER still outperforms the GT 1030 by a meaningful margin – roughly 15.5% higher average score.

Looking at the nearest rivals for each card, the RTX 5080 SUPER's closest competitor is the NVIDIA Quadro P1000, which scores 3163, putting the RTX 5080 SUPER 2.8% behind. It also trails the Intel Arc Pro B60 (3182) by 3.4%, but leads the NVIDIA GeForce 820A (2983) by 3.1% and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M (2967) by 3.6%. The GT 1030's nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro K1100M at 2664, a negligible 0.1% difference, and it essentially matches the Intel Arc Pro B50 (2660) with a 0.1% lead. It also edges out the NVIDIA GeForce GT 440 (2645) by 0.6% but trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 SUPER (2690) by 1%.

The GT 1030's individual benchmark results show its strengths in specific workloads. Its highest scores come from Geekbench Vulkan at 9229 and Geekbench OpenCL at 8568, with Geekbench Metal at 4637. Passmark results are considerably lower, with G3D at 2417, GPU Compute at 1250, and G2D at 441. The DirectX-specific Passmark tests are very low, ranging from 9 (DirectX 10) to 36 (DirectX 9). These numbers suggest the GT 1030 performs better in compute-oriented or Vulkan-based tasks than in legacy DirectX workloads.

The RTX 5080 SUPER's single 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 3075 is its only data point, but this benchmark is a demanding DX12 test, and a score in the low 3000s indicates moderate capability in modern gaming workloads. The lack of comparable Geekbench or Passmark data for the RTX 5080 SUPER means its performance profile is less comprehensively documented in this dataset.

# The Verdict

Based strictly on the data, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER is the stronger performer. Its average benchmark score of 3075 exceeds the GT 1030's 2662 by approximately 15.5%. The percentile rankings reinforce this: 19th percentile for the RTX 5080 SUPER versus 17th for the GT 1030. For users seeking higher raw performance in modern DX12 workloads, the RTX 5080 SUPER is the clear choice.

However, the GT 1030 has its own advantages in specific areas. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 9229 and OpenCL score of 8568 are substantial, and its Passmark G3D score of 2417, while lower than the RTX 5080 SUPER's average, still represents a functional level of performance for lighter tasks. The GT 1030 also has a significantly lower power draw at 30 W TDP compared to 415 W for the RTX 5080 SUPER, making it suitable for systems with minimal power delivery.

The choice between these two depends entirely on use case. The RTX 5080 SUPER is designed for demanding applications – its 24 GB GDDR7 memory, 1.02 TB/s bandwidth, and 56.28 TFLOPS FP32 performance indicate a card built for high-end gaming or compute tasks. The GT 1030, with its 2 GB GDDR5 memory and 48.06 GB/s bandwidth, is suited for basic display output, legacy gaming, or low-power HTPC builds.

# Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent entirely different generations of NVIDIA architecture. The RTX 5080 SUPER is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It uses the GB203 chip with 45,600 million transistors on a 378 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 120.6M per mm². The GT 1030, in contrast, uses the Pascal architecture, produced on a 14 nm process at Samsung. Its GP108 chip contains 1,800 million transistors on a 74 mm² die, with a density of 24.3M per mm².

The RTX 5080 SUPER includes dedicated ray tracing cores (84) and tensor cores (336), features completely absent from the GT 1030, which lists no RT or tensor cores. This means the RTX 5080 SUPER can accelerate ray-traced workloads and AI inference tasks, while the GT 1030 cannot. The shading unit count reflects this gap: the RTX 5080 SUPER has 10,752 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 112 ROPs, versus 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs for the GT 1030.

The FP16 compute ratio also differs dramatically. The RTX 5080 SUPER achieves 56.28 TFLOPS FP16 with a 1:1 ratio to FP32, meaning it processes half-precision and single-precision at the same rate. The GT 1030 manages only 17.62 GFLOPS FP16 with a 1:64 ratio, indicating FP16 is effectively an afterthought on Pascal. This makes the RTX 5080 SUPER vastly more capable in mixed-precision workloads.

# Specification Differences

The memory subsystems are fundamentally different. The RTX 5080 SUPER features 24 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 1.02 TB/s of bandwidth. The GT 1030 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus, providing 48.06 GB/s. This is a 20-fold difference in capacity and a 21-fold difference in bandwidth.

Clock speeds show the RTX 5080 SUPER operating at a base of 2295 MHz and boost of 2617 MHz, with memory at 2000 MHz (32 Gbps effective). The GT 1030 runs at 1228 MHz base and 1468 MHz boost, with memory at 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective). Pixel and texture rates follow suit: the RTX 5080 SUPER achieves 293.1 GPixel/s and 879.3 GTexel/s, while the GT 1030 manages 23.49 GPixel/s and 35.23 GTexel/s.

Power and physical specifications differ substantially. The RTX 5080 SUPER has a 415 W TDP, requires a dual-slot cooler and a single 16-pin power connector, and measures 304 mm in length, 137 mm in height, and 40 mm in width. The GT 1030 has a 30 W TDP, is single-slot, requires no power connector (suggested PSU is 200 W), and measures 145 mm by 69 mm by 18 mm. The bus interface also differs: PCIe 5.0 x16 for the RTX 5080 SUPER versus PCIe 3.0 x4 for the GT 1030.

Display outputs and API support vary. The RTX 5080 SUPER offers 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b, while the GT 1030 has 1x DVI and 1x HDMI 2.0. Both support DirectX 12, but the RTX 5080 SUPER supports 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the GT 1030 supports 12 (12_1). Both have OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

# FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 3075, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 has an average score of 2662. The RTX 5080 SUPER leads by approximately 15.5%.

Q: Does the RTX 5080 SUPER support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RTX 5080 SUPER includes 84 dedicated ray tracing cores. The GT 1030 has no ray tracing cores, as it is based on the older Pascal architecture.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between these two cards?

A: The RTX 5080 SUPER provides 1.02 TB/s of bandwidth using 24 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus. The GT 1030 provides 48.06 GB/s using 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus.

Q: How do these cards compare in terms of power consumption?

A: The RTX 5080 SUPER has a TDP of 415 W and requires a 16-pin power connector. The GT 1030 has a TDP of 30 W and requires no power connector, with a suggested PSU of 200 W.

Q: Which GPU has better Vulkan performance?

A: Based on the data, the GT 1030 scores 9229 in Geekbench Vulkan. The RTX 5080 SUPER has no recorded Geekbench Vulkan score, only a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3075, so a direct comparison in Vulkan is not possible.

Q: What is the transistor count for each GPU?

A: The RTX 5080 SUPER contains 45,600 million transistors on a 378 mm² die, while the GT 1030 contains 1,800 million transistors on a 74 mm² die. This reflects the much more complex architecture of the newer card.

# Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5080 SUPER wins in virtually every performance metric where direct data exists. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3075 demonstrates capability in modern DirectX 12 gaming workloads, a category where the GT 1030's highest Passmark DirectX 12 score is only 13. The RTX 5080 SUPER's 56.28 TFLOPS FP32 performance is orders of magnitude beyond the GT 1030's 1,127.4 GFLOPS, making it the obvious choice for compute-heavy tasks such as rendering, simulation, or machine learning inference (supported by its 336 tensor cores).

The GT 1030's wins come in specific niche areas. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 9229 and OpenCL score of 8568 indicate respectable performance in those specific APIs, though no comparable data exists for the RTX 5080 SUPER. The GT 1030 also wins on physical footprint and power requirements: at 30 W TDP, single-slot design, and 145 mm length, it fits in small form factor cases where the 415 W, 304 mm dual-slot RTX 5080 SUPER cannot. The GT 1030 requires no external power connector, making it suitable for legacy systems with limited PSU capacity.

For gaming, the RTX 5080 SUPER is the clear winner. The GT 1030's Passmark DirectX scores (9 for DX10, 17 for DX11, 13 for DX12, 36 for DX9) are extremely low, indicating it struggles with even basic 3D acceleration. The RTX 5080 SUPER's single benchmark score, while not stellar, is in a completely different league. For users prioritizing modern gaming, ray tracing, or AI workloads, the RTX 5080 SUPER is the only viable choice. For users needing a low-power display adapter for office work, video playback, or legacy applications, the GT 1030's 2 GB memory and 30 W TDP are sufficient, though its End-of-life production status means it is no longer actively manufactured.