NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 wins all ten recorded head-to-head tests against the RTX 3080. The most dramatic margin appears in Geekbench Vulkan, where the RTX 3090 scores 53,927 versus 33,620 for the RTX 3080, a 60.4% advantage. That is the single largest delta between the two cards in the entire suite, and it dwarfs every other test result.

In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, a modern rasterization workload, the RTX 3090 posts 5,118 points against 4,407 for the RTX 3080, a 16.1% lead. This is a substantial gap, indicating that the RTX 3090 holds a clear performance edge in demanding DX12 gaming scenarios. Geekbench OpenCL shows a similar pattern: the RTX 3090 scores 172,758 versus 152,423, a 13.3% improvement.

The legacy DirectX tests tell a more measured story. In PassMark DirectX 9, the RTX 3090 scores 268 versus 258 for the RTX 3080, a modest 3.9% advantage. DirectX 10 yields a 7.1% lead (182 versus 170), and DirectX 11 shows a 6.3% gap (220 versus 207). DirectX 12 results are closer to the middle of the pack: the RTX 3090 scores 110 against 100, a 10% difference.

Compute workloads also favor the RTX 3090, though not by the margins seen in Vulkan. PassMark GPU Compute gives the RTX 3090 a score of 15,356 versus 14,397 for the RTX 3080, a 6.7% lead. PassMark G3D, which aggregates general 3D performance, shows the RTX 3090 at 26,645 against 25,086, a 6.2% advantage. The narrowest win is in PassMark G2D, where the RTX 3090 scores 1,063 and the RTX 3080 scores 1,054, a barely perceptible 0.9% difference.

The average benchmark score reinforces the hierarchy. The RTX 3090 averages 27,565 across the suite, while the RTX 3080 averages 23,172. That represents roughly an 19% overall advantage for the RTX 3090, consistent with the head-to-head deltas. The RTX 3090 also ranks in the 73rd percentile among all GPUs in the database, versus the 68th percentile for the RTX 3080.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3090 wins every recorded benchmark, so the question is not which card wins but by how much, and in which workload types. The largest deltas appear in API-specific tests. Vulkan performance is the standout: a 60.4% lead suggests the RTX 3090's additional hardware resources translate disproportionately well to that API's low-level overhead model. DX12 also shows a strong 16.1% advantage in 3DMark Steel Nomad, reinforcing that the RTX 3090 is particularly potent in modern, graphics-intensive scenarios.

Compute workloads show a moderate but consistent lead. Geekbench OpenCL at 13.3% and PassMark GPU Compute at 6.7% both favor the RTX 3090, indicating that its extra shading units and tensor cores deliver meaningful gains in general-purpose processing. For users running GPU-accelerated applications beyond gaming, the RTX 3090 is the better choice by a clear margin.

The legacy DirectX tests (9, 10, 11) all show single-digit percentage leads for the RTX 3090, ranging from 3.9% to 7.1%. These older APIs are less sensitive to the RTX 3090's additional hardware, so the performance gap narrows. The PassMark G2D test, which measures 2D desktop operations, shows almost no difference (0.9%), meaning the RTX 3090 offers no practical benefit for basic desktop workloads.

The RTX 3080, while never winning, remains competitive in specific areas. Its PassMark DirectX 12 score of 100 is only 10% behind the RTX 3090's 110, and its PassMark G3D score of 25,086 is within 6.2% of the RTX 3090. For users on a strict performance-per-slot budget, the RTX 3080 delivers most of the RTX 3090's gaming capability at a smaller physical footprint and lower power draw.

Architecture Differences

Both cards are built on the same fundamental architecture: NVIDIA's Ampere design, fabricated on Samsung's 8 nm process node. They share the same GA102 chip, the same 28,300 million transistors, and the same 628 mm² die size. The transistor density is identical at 45.1M per mm². This means the architectural DNA is the same; the differences come from how much of that chip is enabled and how it is configured.

The RTX 3090 enables more of the GA102 die. It features 10,496 shading units, 328 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units. In comparison, the RTX 3080 has 8,704 shading units, 272 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. This is a 20.6% increase in shading units, a 20.6% increase in TMUs, and a 16.7% increase in ROPs for the RTX 3090. Ray tracing hardware follows the same pattern: the RTX 3090 has 82 RT cores versus 68 on the RTX 3080, a 20.6% increase. Tensor cores also scale to 328 versus 272, again a 20.6% difference.

Clock speeds are slightly different. The RTX 3090 has a base clock of 1395 MHz and a boost clock of 1695 MHz. The RTX 3080 has a higher base clock of 1440 MHz but a slightly lower boost clock of 1710 MHz. The memory clocks are nearly identical: the RTX 3090 runs at 1219 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective) while the RTX 3080 runs at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The RTX 3090's higher boost clock, combined with more hardware, yields higher pixel and texture rates: 189.8 GPixel/s and 556.0 GTexel/s versus 164.2 GPixel/s and 465.1 GTexel/s for the RTX 3080. FP32 compute is rated at 35.58 TFLOPS for the RTX 3090 versus 29.77 TFLOPS for the RTX 3080.

Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Both use a PCIe 4.0 x16 bus interface and feature the same display outputs: one HDMI 2.1 and three DisplayPort 1.4a connectors. The RTX 3090 is a triple-slot card, while the RTX 3080 is dual-slot, reflecting the RTX 3090's larger cooler and higher power envelope.

Specification Differences

The most significant specification gap is memory capacity. The RTX 3090 offers 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, yielding 936.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 3080 offers 10 GB of GDDR6X on a 320-bit bus, yielding 760.3 GB/s. That is a 140% capacity increase and a 23.1% bandwidth advantage for the RTX 3090. For workloads with large working sets, such as high-resolution textures or AI model training, this difference is decisive.

Power consumption also differs. The RTX 3090 has a TDP of 350 W, while the RTX 3080 is rated at 320 W. The suggested power supply is 750 W for the RTX 3090 and 700 W for the RTX 3080. Both cards use a single 12-pin power connector. The physical dimensions reflect the cooling requirements: the RTX 3090 measures 336 mm in length, 140 mm in height, and 61 mm in width, while the RTX 3080 measures 285 mm, 112 mm, and 40 mm respectively. The RTX 3090 is substantially larger in every dimension.

The launch MSRP is 1,499 USD for the RTX 3090 and 699 USD for the RTX 3080. Both cards are end-of-life, released on the same date and succeeded by the GeForce 40-series. The predecessor for both is the GeForce 20-series.

FAQ

Q: Which card has higher raw compute performance?

A: The RTX 3090 has an FP32 rating of 35.58 TFLOPS, which is 19.5% higher than the RTX 3080's 29.77 TFLOPS. This advantage appears in compute benchmarks: PassMark GPU Compute shows a 6.7% lead for the RTX 3090.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 3090 in Vulkan workloads?

A: In Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX 3090 scores 53,927 versus 33,620 for the RTX 3080, a 60.4% advantage. This is the largest performance gap between the two cards in any recorded benchmark.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RTX 3090 provides 936.2 GB/s of bandwidth, while the RTX 3080 provides 760.3 GB/s. The RTX 3090 also has more than double the memory capacity: 24 GB versus 10 GB.

Q: Are the cards the same physical size?

A: No. The RTX 3090 is a triple-slot card measuring 336 mm by 140 mm by 61 mm, while the RTX 3080 is a dual-slot card measuring 285 mm by 112 mm by 40 mm.

Q: Which card is better for DX12 gaming?

A: The RTX 3090 wins in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 with a score of 5,118 versus 4,407 for the RTX 3080, a 16.1% advantage. PassMark DirectX 12 also favors the RTX 3090 by 10%.

Q: Does the RTX 3080 win any benchmark?

A: No. Across all ten recorded head-to-head tests, the RTX 3090 wins every single one. The RTX 3080's closest result is in PassMark G2D, where it trails by only 0.9%.