NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile represent two distinct approaches to GPU design: a desktop behemoth from the Ampere generation and a compact Ada Lovelace laptop part. The benchmark data reveals a clear performance hierarchy, but the story is more nuanced than a simple win/loss tally. While the RTX 3080 dominates the majority of tests, the RTX 4060 Mobile’s single victory in Vulkan points to architectural strengths that could matter in specific workloads. This analysis breaks down the numbers, the architectures, and the implications for potential users.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result in the head-to-head data is the RTX 3080’s overwhelming victory in the Passmark GPU Compute test. The desktop card scores 14,397 against the mobile part’s 6,816, a delta of 111.2%. This is the largest performance gap in the entire dataset, nearly doubling the mobile GPU’s output in a raw compute workload. The margin is so substantial that it suggests the RTX 3080’s massive shading unit count and memory bandwidth are not just incremental advantages but fundamental differences in capability. The RTX 3080 also takes the OpenCL test decisively, posting 152,423 points versus 89,420 for the RTX 4060 Mobile. This 70.5% delta reinforces the pattern that in general-purpose GPU compute, the desktop part is in a different league.

For traditional DirectX gaming workloads, the RTX 3080 maintains a commanding lead, though the margins are smaller than in compute. In Passmark DirectX 12, the RTX 3080 scores 100 against 73 for the RTX 4060 Mobile, a 37% advantage. The DirectX 11 test shows a similar story: 207 versus 157, a 31.8% delta. Even in older APIs like DirectX 9, the RTX 3080 wins with 258 points against 216, a 19.4% margin. The Passmark G3D test, which often serves as a proxy for overall gaming performance, sees the RTX 3080 score 25,086 versus 17,469, a 43.6% advantage. These results indicate that the RTX 3080 is not just faster, but consistently faster across the DirectX feature levels, from legacy titles to modern 12_2 workloads.

The one bright spot for the RTX 4060 Mobile is the Geekbench Vulkan test. Here, the mobile GPU scores 89,569, utterly eclipsing the RTX 3080’s 33,620. The delta is -62.5% in favor of the RTX 4060 Mobile, meaning it is roughly 166% faster in this specific test. This is a remarkable reversal. While the RTX 3080 wins the OpenCL compute test by a huge margin, the RTX 4060 Mobile’s Vulkan score suggests its Ada Lovelace architecture has a significant advantage in this low-level API. The data implies that the newer GPU’s rendering pipeline and driver optimizations for Vulkan are far more efficient, even with significantly less raw hardware.

The 2D performance test (Passmark G2D) also goes to the RTX 3080, with a score of 1,054 versus 730, a 44.4% delta. This is likely a reflection of the desktop card’s dedicated display outputs and higher memory bandwidth, which can influence desktop composition and 2D rendering tasks. Overall, the RTX 3080 wins 8 out of 9 head-to-head tests, with only the Vulkan benchmark escaping its grasp.

Where Each One Wins

The data points to a clear split in use cases. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the definitive winner for any workload that stresses raw compute throughput. Its 111.2% lead in Passmark GPU Compute and 70.5% lead in OpenCL make it the obvious choice for tasks like 3D rendering, scientific simulation, or any GPU-accelerated application that leverages compute shaders or general-purpose processing. The Passmark G3D score and the consistent wins across DirectX 10, 11, and 12 tests also solidify its position as a superior gaming GPU for the vast majority of titles. For a desktop user with a 700 W power supply and a spacious case, the RTX 3080 is simply the faster card.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile, however, has a distinct niche. Its Vulkan victory is not a minor statistical blip; it is a massive 62.5% win. This suggests that in applications and games that are heavily optimized for the Vulkan API, the RTX 4060 Mobile could actually outperform the RTX 3080. This is significant for modern game engines and emulators that increasingly rely on Vulkan for low-overhead performance. The mobile GPU also operates at a 115 W TDP versus the RTX 3080’s 320 W, making it the only viable option for a laptop form factor. The data shows that the RTX 4060 Mobile is not a performance king, but it is an efficiency-focused part that brings a substantial chunk of modern features to a portable platform.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and manufacturing processes. The RTX 3080 uses the GA102 chip on Samsung’s 8 nm process, while the RTX 4060 Mobile uses the AD107 chip on TSMC’s 5 nm node. This is a generational leap in manufacturing, as the 5 nm process allows for a much higher transistor density. The RTX 3080’s GA102 has 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die, giving a density of 45.1M transistors per mm². In stark contrast, the RTX 4060 Mobile’s AD107 packs 18,900 million transistors into just 159 mm², achieving 118.9M per mm². This density difference means the smaller, newer chip is far more efficient per square millimeter.

The core configurations are vastly different, reflecting their target markets. The RTX 3080 boasts 8,704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs. The RTX 4060 Mobile is a much smaller chip with 3,072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The RTX 3080 also has more dedicated hardware for ray tracing and AI, with 68 RT cores and 272 tensor cores versus the 4060 Mobile’s 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores. This means the desktop GPU has more than double the raw shader throughput (29.77 TFLOPS FP32 versus 11.61 TFLOPS) and significantly higher pixel and texture rates.

Memory is another major divider. The RTX 3080 uses 10 GB of GDDR6X on a 320-bit bus, delivering 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 4060 Mobile uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, which yields only 256.0 GB/s. The RTX 3080’s memory bandwidth is nearly three times higher, which explains its dominance in bandwidth-sensitive workloads. The memory clock speeds also differ, with the RTX 3080 running at 19 Gbps effective versus 16 Gbps for the mobile part. Both support PCIe 4.0, but the RTX 3080 uses a x16 interface while the RTX 4060 Mobile is limited to x8.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous regarding raw performance: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the superior GPU. It wins 8 of 9 head-to-head tests, often by significant margins, and its average benchmark score of 23,172 is higher than the RTX 4060 Mobile’s 22,729. The RTX 3080 is the clear choice for a desktop user who demands maximum frame rates, high-resolution gaming, and heavy compute workloads. Its 43.6% lead in Passmark G3D and 37% lead in DirectX 12 are decisive.

However, the RTX 4060 Mobile is not without merit. Its 62.5% victory in Vulkan is a critical data point. This indicates that for users whose primary applications are Vulkan-based, the newer architecture offers tangible benefits. The RTX 4060 Mobile also represents a massive efficiency improvement, with a 115 W TDP that makes it feasible for laptops. It is an active product, while the RTX 3080 is end-of-life. The choice comes down to platform and workload. For a desktop gamer, the RTX 3080 is the obvious pick. For a laptop user who values portability and prioritizes Vulkan-heavy workloads, the RTX 4060 Mobile is the only relevant option in this comparison, and it holds a specific performance advantage.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 has a higher average benchmark score of 23,172, compared to 22,729 for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile.

Q: In which benchmark does the RTX 4060 Mobile outperform the RTX 3080?

A: The RTX 4060 Mobile wins the Geekbench Vulkan test, scoring 89,569 against the RTX 3080’s 33,620, a delta of -62.5% in its favor.

Q: What is the difference in FP32 performance?

A: The RTX 3080 offers 29.77 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the RTX 4060 Mobile offers 11.61 TFLOPS.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in the Passmark GPU Compute test?

A: The RTX 3080 scores 14,397, which is 111.2% higher than the RTX 4060 Mobile’s score of 6,816.

Q: What are the memory specifications for each card?

A: The RTX 3080 has 10 GB of GDDR6X on a 320-bit bus with 760.3 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 4060 Mobile has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the TDP of each GPU?

A: The RTX 3080 has a TDP of 320 W, while the RTX 4060 Mobile has a TDP of 115 W.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Architecture | Ampere | Ada Lovelace |

| Process Node | 8 nm | 5 nm |

| Foundry | Samsung | TSMC |

| Transistors | 28,300 million | 18,900 million |

| Die Size | 628 mm² | 159 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 45.1M / mm² | 118.9M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1440 MHz | 1545 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1710 MHz | 1890 MHz |

| Memory Size | 10 GB | 8 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6X | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 320 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 760.3 GB/s | 256.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 8704 | 3072 |

| TMUs | 272 | 96 |

| ROPs | 96 | 48 |

| RT Cores | 68 | 24 |

| Tensor Cores | 272 | 96 |

| Pixel Rate | 164.2 GPixel/s | 90.72 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 465.1 GTexel/s | 181.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 29.77 TFLOPS | 11.61 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 320 W | 115 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | 1x 12-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 700 W | None |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x8 |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2020-08-31 | 2023-01-02 |