NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 5070 represent two distinct generations of NVIDIA graphics hardware, separated by nearly four years of architectural evolution. In aggregate benchmark performance, the RTX 5070 holds a slim lead: its average score is 41,687 against the 3080 Ti's 41,224, a 1.1% gap. Both cards sit at the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. But the overall average conceals a split personality: the 3080 Ti wins in OpenCL and legacy DirectX 10/12 tests, while the 5070 dominates in Vulkan, DirectX 11, DirectX 9, 2D, 3D, and compute workloads. This is a story of architectural priorities, not raw power alone. The 3080 Ti launched with a launch MSRP of 1,199 USD, while the 5070 carries a launch MSRP of 549 USD.

Where Each One Wins

The head-to-head benchmark suite splits 4–6 in favor of the RTX 5070. The 3080 Ti claims wins in Geekbench OpenCL (191,309 vs. 185,269, a 3.3% margin), Passmark DirectX 10 (184 vs. 180, 2.2%), Passmark DirectX 12 (110 vs. 108, 1.9%), and a dead tie in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (both 5,077). The 5070 takes the remaining six tests, often by wider margins: Passmark DirectX 11 (277 vs. 223, 19.5% ahead), Passmark DirectX 9 (320 vs. 274, 14.4%), Passmark G2D (1,305 vs. 1,091, 16.4%), Passmark G3D (29,137 vs. 26,896, 7.7%), Passmark GPU Compute (15,787 vs. 15,282, 3.2%), and Geekbench Vulkan (179,413 vs. 171,798, 4.2%). The pattern is clear: the 3080 Ti holds narrow advantages in older DirectX paths and OpenCL, while the 5070 is decisively faster in modern API workloads and general-purpose compute. The 5070's largest wins—DirectX 11 and G2D—are more than double the magnitude of any 3080 Ti advantage, indicating that the newer card's architectural efficiency outweighs its lower core count in most real-world scenarios.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs diverge fundamentally at the silicon level. The 3080 Ti uses the GA102 chip built on Samsung's 8 nm process, packing 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die with a transistor density of 45.1 million per mm². The 5070 employs the GB205 chip fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm node, with 31,100 million transistors squeezed into a 263 mm² die—a density of 118.3 million per mm². That density advantage translates into radically different clock behavior: the 3080 Ti runs at a base of 1,365 MHz and boost of 1,665 MHz, while the 5070 boosts to 2,512 MHz from a 2,325 MHz base. Despite having fewer shading units (6,144 vs. 10,240), TMUs (192 vs. 320), ROPs (80 vs. 112), RT cores (48 vs. 80), and tensor cores (192 vs. 320), the 5070's higher clocks allow it to reach a pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s versus 186.5 GPixel/s for the 3080 Ti. Texture rate tells a different story: the 3080 Ti outputs 532.8 GTexel/s against 482.3 GTexel/s for the 5070. Floating-point performance favors the 3080 Ti at 34.10 TFLOPS FP32 (and FP16 at the same 1:1 ratio), while the 5070 delivers 30.87 TFLOPS in both. Memory configurations also contrast sharply: the 3080 Ti uses 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, achieving 912.4 GB/s bandwidth, whereas the 5070 pairs 12 GB of GDDR7 with a 192-bit bus for 672.0 GB/s—lower bandwidth but a newer memory type with 28 Gbps effective speed. Power envelopes differ significantly: the 3080 Ti draws 350 W TDP with a 750 W suggested PSU, while the 5070 sips 250 W and recommends a 600 W PSU. The 3080 Ti uses a 1x 12-pin connector; the 5070 uses 1x 16-pin. Both are dual-slot, but the 3080 Ti is longer at 285 mm (11.2 inches) versus 245 mm (9.6 inches) for the 5070. Interface and display outputs also evolve: the 3080 Ti runs PCIe 4.0 x16 with 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a; the 5070 moves to PCIe 5.0 x16 with 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The 3080 Ti is end-of-life and released on 2021-05-30, while the 5070 is active and launched on 2025-03-03.

The Verdict

The benchmark data points decisively to the RTX 5070 as the stronger overall performer. Its average score is 1.1% higher, it wins six of ten head-to-head tests, and its victories come with larger margins—most notably 19.5% in DirectX 11 and 16.4% in G2D. The 3080 Ti's wins are confined to narrow 1.9–3.3% advantages in OpenCL, DirectX 10, and DirectX 12, plus a tie in Steel Nomad. For users prioritizing modern API efficiency, compute throughput, and lower power draw, the 5070 is the clear choice: it delivers higher performance per watt (250 W vs. 350 W TDP) and a more compact physical footprint. The 3080 Ti retains a niche for legacy DirectX 10/12 workloads and OpenCL compute, but those gains are marginal and unlikely to outweigh the 5070's broader strengths. The 5070 also offers a newer feature set with PCIe 5.0 and DisplayPort 2.1b, while the 3080 Ti is end-of-life. Given the data, the RTX 5070 is the more balanced and future-proof option for most buyers.

FAQ

Q: Which card has higher FP32 performance?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti, with 34.10 TFLOPS vs. 30.87 TFLOPS for the RTX 5070.

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti, at 912.4 GB/s compared to 672.0 GB/s for the RTX 5070.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The RTX 5070, boosting to 2,512 MHz versus 1,665 MHz for the RTX 3080 Ti.

Q: Which card consumes less power?

A: The RTX 5070, with a 250 W TDP against the 3080 Ti's 350 W TDP.

Q: Which card has more RT cores?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti, with 80 RT cores versus 48 RT cores on the RTX 5070.

Q: Which card has a larger die?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti, at 628 mm² compared to 263 mm² for the RTX 5070.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single win in the comparison belongs to the RTX 5070 in Passmark DirectX 11, where it scores 277 against the 3080 Ti's 223—a 19.5% advantage. That gap is nearly six times the size of the 3080 Ti's best victory. The 5070 also dominates Passmark DirectX 9 (320 vs. 274, 14.4% ahead) and Passmark G2D (1,305 vs. 1,091, 16.4%). In Passmark G3D, the 5070 posts 29,137 versus 26,896, a 7.7% lead. Compute workloads favor the 5070 as well: Passmark GPU Compute gives it 15,787 against 15,282 (3.2%), and Geekbench Vulkan shows 179,413 vs. 171,798 (4.2%). On the 3080 Ti side, the most notable win is Geekbench OpenCL at 191,309 vs. 185,269 (3.3%), followed by Passmark DirectX 10 (184 vs. 180, 2.2%) and Passmark DirectX 12 (110 vs. 108, 1.9%). The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test is a perfect tie at 5,077 points each. While the 3080 Ti's wins are real, they are all within a 3.3% band; the 5070's victories span from 3.2% to nearly 20%, making its overall dominance more substantial. The data indicates that the RTX 5070's architectural efficiency—higher clocks, denser transistor layout, and newer memory—translates into superior performance in the majority of measured workloads, despite having fewer cores and lower raw FP32 throughput.