NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the database's average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile has a higher average benchmark score of 23628, compared to the RTX 2070 SUPER's 20282. This puts the RTX 3080 Mobile at the 69th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 2070 SUPER sits at the 65th percentile.

Q: How do the two compare in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test?

A: The RTX 3080 Mobile scores 2644, while the RTX 2070 SUPER scores 1651. That is a 60.1% advantage for the RTX 3080 Mobile, which represents the largest single-test gap between the two cards.

Q: Are there any tests where the RTX 2070 SUPER wins by a wide margin?

A: Yes, the RTX 2070 SUPER wins the Passmark DirectX 9 test with a score of 223 versus 170 for the RTX 3080 Mobile, a 23.8% lead. It also wins the Passmark G2D test by 27.4% (878 vs 637).

Q: What is the memory configuration of each card?

A: Both cards have 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, with 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth and 14 Gbps effective memory speed. They are identical in this regard.

Q: What are the power requirements of each card?

A: The RTX 3080 Mobile is rated at 115 W TDP with no power connectors, as it is a portable device dependent design. The RTX 2070 SUPER is rated at 215 W TDP, uses a 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connector setup, and has a suggested PSU of 550 W.

Q: Which card holds the lead in compute-oriented workloads?

A: The RTX 3080 Mobile wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with 104831 points versus 83358 for the RTX 2070 SUPER, a 25.8% advantage. However, the RTX 2070 SUPER counters in the Passmark GPU Compute test, scoring 7557 versus 7276, a 3.7% edge.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3080 Mobile dominates modern, API-heavy workloads. Its 60.1% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is the headline result, showing a decisive advantage in current-generation DirectX 12 rendering. The Geekbench results reinforce this, with a 25.8% lead in OpenCL and a 14.8% lead in Vulkan. These are the tests that matter most for contemporary gaming and GPU compute tasks. The RTX 3080 Mobile also edges out the RTX 2070 SUPER in Passmark DirectX 12, though by a smaller 7.5% margin.

The RTX 2070 SUPER, by contrast, wins in legacy and 2D workloads. Its largest victories are in Passmark DirectX 9 (23.8% ahead) and Passmark G2D (27.4% ahead). It also takes Passmark DirectX 10 by 9.1%, DirectX 11 by 3.3%, and Passmark G3D by 10.2%. The G3D result is notable: despite the RTX 3080 Mobile's superior modern API performance, the RTX 2070 SUPER scores higher in this broader gaming benchmark. The RTX 2070 SUPER also wins the Passmark GPU Compute test, but only by 3.7%.

The split is clear. For users focused on current DirectX 12 titles, Vulkan applications, or compute workloads through OpenCL, the RTX 3080 Mobile is the stronger choice. For users running older DirectX 9/10/11 titles or prioritizing 2D performance, the RTX 2070 SUPER retains an advantage. The RTX 2070 SUPER wins 6 of the 10 head-to-head tests, but the RTX 3080 Mobile wins the tests that carry more weight for modern usage.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations. The RTX 3080 Mobile is built on Ampere, the architecture powering the GeForce 30-series, while the RTX 2070 SUPER uses Turing, the architecture behind the GeForce 20-series. This generational shift brings substantial changes under the hood.

The manufacturing process differs significantly. The RTX 3080 Mobile uses an 8 nm process from Samsung, while the RTX 2070 SUPER uses a 12 nm process from TSMC. The smaller node allows the RTX 3080 Mobile to pack 17,400 million transistors into a 392 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 44.4 million per mm². The RTX 2070 SUPER has 13,600 million transistors on a much larger 545 mm² die, resulting in a lower density of 25.0 million per mm².

The compute resources are structured differently. The RTX 3080 Mobile has 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The RTX 2070 SUPER has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RTX 3080 Mobile also has more ray tracing cores (48 vs 40) and fewer tensor cores (192 vs 320). The FP32 throughput tells the story of the generational leap: the RTX 3080 Mobile delivers 18.98 TFLOPS, while the RTX 2070 SUPER delivers 9.062 TFLOPS. Interestingly, the FP16 figures are close: 18.98 TFLOPS for the RTX 3080 Mobile (at a 1:1 ratio) and 18.12 TFLOPS for the RTX 2070 SUPER (at a 2:1 ratio).

The bus interface also differs. The RTX 3080 Mobile uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the RTX 2070 SUPER uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API feature support is matched. The RTX 2070 SUPER is a desktop card with a dual-slot design, a 267 mm length, and display outputs including 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C. The RTX 3080 Mobile is a mobile part with portable device dependent display outputs.

Specification Differences

The most visible difference is form factor. The RTX 3080 Mobile is a mobile GPU, end-of-life, released on 2021-01-11, with no slot width and no power connectors. The RTX 2070 SUPER is a desktop GPU, also end-of-life, released on 2019-07-08, with a dual-slot design, 267 mm length, 116 mm height, and 35 mm width. It has a launch MSRP of 499 USD.

The power profiles are dramatically different. The RTX 3080 Mobile has a 115 W TDP with no power connectors. The RTX 2070 SUPER has a 215 W TDP, requires 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connectors, and has a suggested PSU of 550 W. The RTX 3080 Mobile achieves higher performance at nearly half the power draw.

Clock speeds tell a different story. The RTX 2070 SUPER has higher base and boost clocks at 1605 MHz and 1770 MHz respectively. The RTX 3080 Mobile runs at 1110 MHz base and 1545 MHz boost. The RTX 3080 Mobile compensates with far more shading units and higher architectural efficiency. Both cards run memory at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective speed.

The chip designs differ: the RTX 3080 Mobile uses GA104, while the RTX 2070 SUPER uses TU104. The RTX 3080 Mobile has a higher pixel rate (148.3 GPixel/s vs 113.3 GPixel/s) and a slightly higher texture rate (296.6 GTexel/s vs 283.2 GTexel/s). The RTX 2070 SUPER is the predecessor's successor, being part of the GeForce 20 generation, while the RTX 3080 Mobile belongs to the GeForce 30 Mobile generation and lists the GeForce 20 Mobile as its predecessor.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test is the most decisive result. The RTX 3080 Mobile scores 2644 against 1651 for the RTX 2070 SUPER, a 60.1% advantage. This is the kind of gap that defines a generational upgrade, and it indicates the Ampere architecture's superior handling of modern DirectX 12 workloads.

Geekbench results follow the same pattern. In OpenCL, the RTX 3080 Mobile scores 104831 versus 83358, a 25.8% lead. In Vulkan, the RTX 3080 Mobile scores 104066 versus 90637, a 14.8% lead. These are substantial margins in compute and cross-platform graphics APIs.

The Passmark suite paints a more complex picture. The RTX 2070 SUPER wins DirectX 9 by 23.8% (223 vs 170), DirectX 10 by 9.1% (132 vs 120), DirectX 11 by 3.3% (151 vs 146), and G2D by 27.4% (878 vs 637). The RTX 3080 Mobile wins DirectX 12 by 7.5% (72 vs 67). In Passmark G3D, the RTX 2070 SUPER scores 18169 versus 16321, a 10.2% lead. In Passmark GPU Compute, the RTX 2070 SUPER scores 7557 versus 7276, a 3.7% lead.

There is a clear pattern: the RTX 3080 Mobile wins in modern APIs and compute benchmarks, while the RTX 2070 SUPER wins in legacy APIs and 2D performance. The RTX 2070 SUPER's G3D victory is noteworthy, as this is a broad gaming metric, but it does not offset the massive 3DMark Steel Nomad gap. The data shows the RTX 3080 Mobile is the better card for current and future workloads, while the RTX 2070 SUPER remains competitive in older software environments.

The Verdict

The RTX 3080 Mobile is the stronger GPU for modern use. Its 60.1% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 25.8% lead in Geekbench OpenCL, and 14.8% lead in Geekbench Vulkan demonstrate clear superiority in DirectX 12 gaming and compute tasks. It achieves this while drawing 115 W, far below the RTX 2070 SUPER's 215 W, and without requiring external power connectors. The higher average benchmark score (23628 vs 20282) and better percentile ranking (69th vs 65th) confirm its overall advantage.

The RTX 2070 SUPER still has a role. Its wins in DirectX 9 (23.8% ahead), DirectX 10 (9.1% ahead), DirectX 11 (3.3% ahead), and G2D (27.4% ahead) make it the better choice for users running older games or 2D applications. Its 10.2% lead in Passmark G3D and 3.7% lead in GPU Compute also show it is not obsolete, particularly in less demanding scenarios. The RTX 2070 SUPER is a desktop card with a 499 USD launch MSRP, whereas the RTX 3080 Mobile is a mobile part, so the choice may also depend on form factor.

Pick the RTX 3080 Mobile for modern DirectX 12 titles, Vulkan applications, and compute-heavy workloads. Pick the RTX 2070 SUPER for legacy DirectX 9/10/11 games, 2D performance, or if a desktop form factor with a dual-slot design is required. The data favors the RTX 3080 Mobile for future-proofing, but the RTX 2070 SUPER remains a viable option for older software ecosystems.