NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive sweep: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 wins all 10 head-to-head benchmark comparisons against the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The largest margin appears in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where the RTX 5080 scores 8,637 versus 5,077 for the RTX 3080 Ti, a 70.1% advantage. This is the single biggest performance gap in the dataset, suggesting the newer architecture scales particularly well in modern DirectX 12 workloads that stress ray tracing and asynchronous compute.

Compute-oriented tests also favor the RTX 5080 heavily. In Geekbench OpenCL, it records 235,901 points against 170,037, a 38.7% lead. The Vulkan result follows a similar pattern: 255,450 versus 192,697, a 32.6% difference. These are not marginal wins; the RTX 5080 consistently delivers roughly a third more performance in API-level compute tasks, which matters for workloads that rely on general-purpose GPU processing rather than just rasterization.

The PassMark suite tells a more nuanced story across different DirectX versions. In DirectX 9, the RTX 5080 scores 389 versus 274, a 42% advantage. DirectX 10 shows the narrowest gap of any test: 208 versus 184, just 13%. DirectX 11 swings back to 45.3% (324 versus 223), and DirectX 12 lands at 37.3% (151 versus 110). The near-tie in DirectX 10 is curious, perhaps indicating that legacy API paths are not the primary optimization target for Blackwell 2.0, while more modern API versions show the expected generational jump.

The 2D and 3D split is informative. PassMark G2D (2D graphics) shows 1,415 versus 1,091, a 29.7% lead, while PassMark G3D (3D graphics) shows 36,565 versus 26,896, a 35.9% advantage. The G3D result is particularly relevant for gaming, as it aggregates many DirectX and OpenGL workloads into a single composite score. The GPU compute test, PassMark Gpu Compute, records 21,789 versus 15,282, a 42.6% lead, reinforcing the compute-heavy strengths of the RTX 5080.

It is importantly the RTX 5080's average benchmark score sits at 56,083, while the RTX 3080 Ti averages 41,187. That is a 36.2% overall gap when averaging across all recorded tests, closely mirroring the per-test deltas. The percentile rankings also differ: the RTX 5080 sits at the 87th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the RTX 3080 Ti is at the 83rd percentile. Neither card is near the top of the database, but the RTX 5080 occupies a clearly higher tier.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the benchmark data, the RTX 5080 wins in every single category measured. There is no test where the RTX 3080 Ti comes out ahead, so the use-case split is largely about degree rather than direction. The RTX 5080 is the clear choice for modern DirectX 12 gaming, as evidenced by its 70.1% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad and 37.3% lead in PassMark DirectX 12. These tests are the closest proxies for current-generation game engines, and the gap is substantial.

For compute-heavy tasks such as GPU-accelerated rendering, scientific simulation, or machine learning inference, the RTX 5080's 38.7% lead in OpenCL and 42.6% lead in PassMark GPU Compute make it the stronger candidate. The Vulkan advantage of 32.6% also matters for cross-platform graphics workloads and modern game engines that adopt Vulkan as their primary API.

The RTX 3080 Ti does retain relevance in one specific sense: its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory with a 384-bit bus and 912.4 GB/s bandwidth is only 4.8% behind the RTX 5080's 960.0 GB/s, despite the newer card having 16 GB of GDDR7. In memory-bandwidth-bound scenarios, the older card is not hopelessly outmatched. However, the benchmark data does not include any memory-specific tests, so this remains an inference from the specification sheet rather than a measured result.

For users on older software stacks, the RTX 3080 Ti's DirectX 10 result (184 versus 208, a 13% gap) is the closest contest. If a workload is locked to DirectX 10, the RTX 5080 still wins, but the margin is small enough that other factors such as driver maturity or system configuration could close the gap. That is the only scenario in the data where the two cards are nearly comparable.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is decisively faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti across every benchmark in the database. With 10 wins out of 10 head-to-head tests, there is no recorded scenario where the older card takes the lead. The smallest margin is 13% in PassMark DirectX 10, and the largest is 70.1% in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The average benchmark score difference of 36.2% places the RTX 5080 in a higher performance tier, backed by its 87th percentile ranking versus the RTX 3080 Ti's 83rd percentile.

Users who prioritize modern gaming should choose the RTX 5080 without hesitation. The 3DMark Steel Nomad result alone justifies that pick, as it represents the most demanding DirectX 12 workload in the dataset. Users who need compute throughput for professional or semi-professional tasks should also favor the RTX 5080, given its substantial leads in OpenCL, Vulkan, and PassMark GPU Compute.

The RTX 3080 Ti is now end-of-life per the database, while the RTX 5080 is active. That status difference aligns with the performance data: the older card is outclassed across the board. There is no benchmark-based reason to select the RTX 3080 Ti over the RTX 5080, unless a specific software environment is locked to an API version where the gap is smallest, such as DirectX 10. Even then, the RTX 5080 still wins.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the RTX 5080 than the RTX 3080 Ti in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12?

A: The RTX 5080 scores 8,637 versus 5,077, giving it a 70.1% advantage in that test.

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 5080 averages 56,083 across all recorded tests, while the RTX 3080 Ti averages 41,187, a 36.2% overall difference.

Q: Is there any benchmark where the RTX 3080 Ti wins?

A: No. The RTX 5080 wins all 10 head-to-head comparisons. The closest result is PassMark DirectX 10, where the RTX 5080 leads by only 13%.

Q: How do the memory bandwidths compare?

A: The RTX 5080 has 960.0 GB/s bandwidth from 16 GB of GDDR7 on a 256-bit bus. The RTX 3080 Ti has 912.4 GB/s from 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus. The difference is only 4.8%.

Q: What are the percentile rankings for each card?

A: The RTX 5080 is at the 87th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the RTX 3080 Ti is at the 83rd percentile.

Q: Which card has more shading units and tensor cores?

A: The RTX 5080 has 10,752 shading units and 336 tensor cores. The RTX 3080 Ti has 10,240 shading units and 320 tensor cores.

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent different architectural generations from NVIDIA. The RTX 5080 uses the GB203 chip built on Blackwell 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The RTX 3080 Ti uses the GA102 chip on Ampere architecture, fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung. The process node difference is significant: 5 nm versus 8 nm, which directly affects transistor density. The RTX 5080 packs 45,600 million transistors into a 378 mm² die, yielding 120.6 million transistors per square millimeter. The RTX 3080 Ti contains 28,300 million transistors on a much larger 628 mm² die, with a density of 45.1 million per square millimeter. The newer card achieves nearly three times the transistor density on a smaller die.

The RTX 5080 has 10,752 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 112 ROPs. The RTX 3080 Ti has 10,240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. The RTX 5080 also carries 84 ray tracing cores and 336 tensor cores, versus 80 and 320 respectively on the RTX 3080 Ti. The shading unit count is only 5% higher, but the clock speeds are substantially different: the RTX 5080 boosts to 2,617 MHz from a 2,295 MHz base, while the RTX 3080 Ti boosts to 1,665 MHz from a 1,365 MHz base. That clock advantage, combined with the architectural improvements, explains much of the measured performance delta.

Memory architecture differs as well. The RTX 5080 uses 16 GB of GDDR7 on a 256-bit bus, while the RTX 3080 Ti uses 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus. The newer card has more capacity but a narrower bus, yet still achieves slightly higher bandwidth (960.0 GB/s versus 912.4 GB/s) thanks to faster memory clocks: 1,875 MHz (30 Gbps effective) versus 1,188 MHz (19 Gbps effective).

The RTX 5080 also supports PCIe 5.0 x16, whereas the RTX 3080 Ti uses PCIe 4.0 x16. Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API compatibility is identical. The RTX 5080 uses a 1x 16-pin power connector, while the RTX 3080 Ti uses a 1x 12-pin connector. Both suggest a 750 W power supply and occupy dual-slot widths.

Specification Differences

The RTX 5080 and RTX 3080 Ti differ across nearly every specification in the database. Starting with the chip: GB203 versus GA102, Blackwell 2.0 versus Ampere. The process node is 5 nm TSMC versus 8 nm Samsung. Transistor count is 45,600 million versus 28,300 million, and die size is 378 mm² versus 628 mm², with transistor density at 120.6M / mm² versus 45.1M / mm².

Clock speeds differ substantially. The RTX 5080 has a 2,295 MHz base and 2,617 MHz boost. The RTX 3080 Ti has a 1,365 MHz base and 1,665 MHz boost. Memory clocks are 1,875 MHz (30 Gbps effective) versus 1,188 MHz (19 Gbps effective).

Memory configuration: 16 GB GDDR7 on a 256-bit bus versus 12 GB GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus. Bandwidth is 960.0 GB/s versus 912.4 GB/s. Shading units: 10,752 versus 10,240. TMUs: 336 versus 320. ROPs are identical at 112. RT cores: 84 versus 80. Tensor cores: 336 versus 320.

Pixel rate is 293.1 GPixel/s versus 186.5 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 879.3 GTexel/s versus 532.8 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 performance are both 56.28 TFLOPS on the RTX 5080, versus 34.10 TFLOPS on the RTX 3080 Ti. TDP is 360 W versus 350 W.

Power connectors: 1x 16-pin versus 1x 12-pin. Bus interface: PCIe 5.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x16. Display outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b versus 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. Dimensions: 304 mm x 137 mm x 40 mm versus 285 mm x 112 mm x 40 mm.

Production status is Active for the RTX 5080 and End-of-life for the RTX 3080 Ti. Release dates are 2025-01-29 versus 2021-05-30. The launch MSRP is 999 USD for the RTX 5080 and 1,199 USD for the RTX 3080 Ti.