NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded database contains two direct head-to-head comparisons between the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780. Both are compute-oriented tests, and the RTX 2080 wins both decisively. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 2080 scores 91,313 against the GTX 780's 22,863. That is a delta of 299.4%, meaning the newer card delivers roughly four times the raw compute throughput in this workload. The gap is even larger in Geekbench Vulkan: the RTX 2080 posts 107,797 while the GTX 780 manages 24,514, a delta of 339.7%. This indicates that the RTX 2080's advantage grows when moving from a general compute API to a modern graphics API, a pattern consistent with its newer architecture and feature set.

Beyond the direct comparisons, the aggregate benchmark data reinforces the same conclusion. The RTX 2080 holds an average benchmark score of 22,895 across all recorded tests, while the GTX 780 averages 19,164. That places the RTX 2080 at the 68th percentile of all GPUs in the database, versus the 64th percentile for the GTX 780. The percentile gap is modest, but the average score difference is 3,731 points, or roughly 19.5% higher for the RTX 2080. The GTX 780's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA TITAN Xp (19,177, delta -0.1%), the NVIDIA Tesla K20m (19,089, delta 0.4%), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (19,049, delta 0.6%). The RTX 2080's nearest rivals are the Intel Arc B580 (23,021, delta -0.5%), the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (23,061, delta -0.7%), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (22,729, delta 0.7%). Notably, the RTX 2080 sits within 1.2% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (23,172, delta -1.2%), a much newer and higher-tier card, which shows how close the 2080 remains to modern performance levels in this database.

Looking at individual benchmark categories, the RTX 2080's PassMark G3D score is 18,720, while the GTX 780 has no equivalent G3D entry in the database. The RTX 2080 also records PassMark GPU compute at 7,872, PassMark DirectX 11 at 158, DirectX 10 at 136, DirectX 9 at 223, DirectX 12 at 72, and G2D at 907. The GTX 780 only has Geekbench Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan entries, so no direct PassMark comparison is possible from the recorded data. Still, the two Geekbench head-to-head tests are sufficient to establish the performance hierarchy: the RTX 2080 is categorically faster in compute and modern API workloads. The wins tally in the database is 2 for the RTX 2080 and 0 for the GTX 780.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear recommendation for anyone choosing between these two cards: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 is the superior performer in every recorded metric. Its average benchmark score of 22,895 is 19.5% higher than the GTX 780's 19,164, and its direct head-to-head wins show deltas of 299.4% and 339.7% in OpenCL and Vulkan, respectively. The RTX 2080 also carries a higher percentile ranking, 68th versus 64th, placing it closer to the top of the database's GPU hierarchy. The GTX 780, while still a functional card for its era, is firmly in the lower half of modern performance expectations based on these figures.

For a user prioritizing raw compute throughput or modern graphics API support, the RTX 2080 is the only sensible option from this pair. Its Vulkan score of 107,797 is more than four times the GTX 780's 24,514, which suggests a massive advantage in current-generation game engines and compute-heavy applications. The GTX 780's best recorded result, its Geekbench Metal score of 10,114, is not even comparable to the RTX 2080's lowest recorded score in the head-to-head tests, which is 91,313 in OpenCL. If the user is constrained to older software that relies on DirectX 11 or OpenGL 4.6, both cards support those APIs, but the RTX 2080 still offers higher raw performance across the board. The GTX 780 should only be considered if the workload is strictly legacy and the user has no need for modern compute or Vulkan performance.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 averages 22,895 across all recorded tests, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 averages 19,164.

Q: How large is the performance gap in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The RTX 2080 scores 91,313 versus the GTX 780's 22,863, a delta of 299.4%.

Q: Does the GTX 780 win any direct head-to-head benchmark?

A: No. The database records 2 wins for the RTX 2080 and 0 wins for the GTX 780 in the two available head-to-head tests.

Q: What is the RTX 2080's closest rival in the database?

A: The Intel Arc B580 (23,021, delta -0.5%) and the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (23,061, delta -0.7%) are the closest, followed by the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (22,729, delta 0.7%).

Q: What is the GTX 780's closest rival in the database?

A: The NVIDIA TITAN Xp (19,177, delta -0.1%) is the closest, followed by the NVIDIA Tesla K20m (19,089, delta 0.4%) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (19,049, delta 0.6%).

Q: Which card has a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The RTX 2080 ranks at the 68th percentile, while the GTX 780 ranks at the 64th percentile.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every core specification. The RTX 2080 uses a TU104 chip built on a 12 nm process at TSMC, while the GTX 780 uses a GK110 chip on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC. Transistor counts diverge significantly: the RTX 2080 packs 13,600 million transistors on a 545 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 25.0M per mm². The GTX 780 has 7,080 million transistors on a 561 mm² die, for a density of 12.6M per mm². The RTX 2080's die is slightly smaller but holds nearly twice the transistors, a direct result of the denser 12 nm node.

Clock speeds also favor the RTX 2080. Its base clock is 1515 MHz with a boost of 1710 MHz, versus 863 MHz base and 902 MHz boost for the GTX 780. Memory configuration is completely different: the RTX 2080 has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, with memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) and bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GTX 780 has 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, at 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective) and 288.4 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 2080's narrower bus is offset by faster memory, resulting in 55% more bandwidth.

Compute resources differ substantially. The RTX 2080 has 2,944 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, while the GTX 780 has 2,304 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The RTX 2080 also adds 46 RT cores and 368 tensor cores, features entirely absent from the GTX 780. Pixel rate for the RTX 2080 is 109.4 GPixel/s versus 43.30 GPixel/s for the GTX 780. Texture rate is 314.6 GTexel/s versus 173.2 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 10.07 TFLOPS for the RTX 2080 and 4.156 TFLOPS for the GTX 780. The RTX 2080 also supports FP16 at 20.14 TFLOPS (2:1), while the GTX 780 has no FP16 capability listed.

Power and physical specs differ as well. The RTX 2080 has a TDP of 215 W with a suggested PSU of 550 W, while the GTX 780 has a TDP of 250 W and a suggested PSU of 600 W. Both are dual-slot cards with 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connectors. The RTX 2080 is 267 mm long, 116 mm high, and 35 mm wide; the GTX 780 is 267 mm long, 111 mm high, and 38 mm wide. Display outputs differ: the RTX 2080 offers 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C, while the GTX 780 offers 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2. The RTX 2080 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The GTX 780 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175.

Architecture Differences

The RTX 2080 is built on the Turing architecture, which represents a major generational leap over the Kepler architecture used in the GTX 780. Turing introduces dedicated hardware for ray tracing and tensor operations, visible in the RTX 2080's 46 RT cores and 368 tensor cores. The GTX 780 has no such hardware, as Kepler predates both features. This architectural difference explains the massive Vulkan and OpenCL compute gaps: the RTX 2080 can offload specific workloads to dedicated units, while the GTX 780 relies entirely on its general-purpose shading units.

The manufacturing process also separates the two. Turing is fabricated on a 12 nm node at TSMC, while Kepler uses a 28 nm node. The RTX 2080's transistor density of 25.0M per mm² is nearly double the GTX 780's 12.6M per mm², allowing the newer card to fit more logic into a similar die area. The GTX 780's die is actually slightly larger at 561 mm² versus 545 mm², but it holds far fewer transistors. This density advantage translates into higher clock speeds (1710 MHz boost versus 902 MHz) and more compute units per square millimeter.

Memory architecture also reflects the generational shift. The RTX 2080 uses GDDR6 with a 256-bit bus, while the GTX 780 uses GDDR5 with a 384-bit bus. The newer memory type operates at a much higher effective data rate (14 Gbps versus 6 Gbps), which more than compensates for the narrower bus. The RTX 2080 also offers double the VRAM capacity (8 GB versus 3 GB), which matters for modern workloads that exceed 3 GB of usage.

The RTX 2080 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), a feature level that includes ray tracing and mesh shaders, while the GTX 780 only reaches DirectX 12 (11_0). Vulkan support also differs: the RTX 2080 reports Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 780 reports Vulkan 1.2.175. The RTX 2080's display output includes a USB Type-C port, which supports VirtualLink for VR headsets, a feature the GTX 780 lacks. The GTX 780's dual-DVI outputs reflect its 2013-era design, while the RTX 2080 focuses on HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4a for modern monitors. The RTX 2080 also has a lower TDP (215 W versus 250 W) despite far higher performance, proof of the efficiency gains from the 12 nm process and Turing's architectural improvements. The GTX 780 requires a 600 W PSU versus 550 W for the RTX 2080, so the newer card is less demanding on the power supply while delivering substantially more compute throughput.