NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 vs NVIDIA TITAN Xp Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive overall victory for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, which wins 9 of the 10 head-to-head benchmark comparisons. The only exception is the Geekbench Vulkan test, where the NVIDIA TITAN Xp posts a score of 87,180 against the RTX 3080's 33,620, a delta of -61.4% in favor of the older card. This single win is substantial but isolated, and it does not offset the breadth of the RTX 3080's dominance across other workloads.

In compute-oriented tests, the RTX 3080's advantage is massive. The Geekbench OpenCL result shows a score of 152,423 versus 72,585 for the TITAN Xp, translating to a 110% improvement. Similarly, the Passmark GPU Compute test favors the RTX 3080 with 14,397 points against 9,430, a 52.7% lead. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, which stresses modern rendering paths, shows the RTX 3080 scoring 4,407 against 2,372, a 85.8% advantage. This pattern indicates that the RTX 3080 is not just faster in raw throughput but also in API-specific workloads that rely on newer hardware features.

DirectX legacy and modern tests both lean heavily toward the RTX 3080. In Passmark DirectX 10, the scores are 170 versus 119, a 42.9% delta. DirectX 11 shows 207 versus 152, a 36.2% lead. DirectX 12 results are 100 versus 69, a 44.9% gap. Even DirectX 9, an older API, shows a 14.2% advantage for the RTX 3080 with scores of 258 versus 226. The overall Passmark G3D score, which aggregates gaming performance, gives the RTX 3080 a 33.8% lead (25,086 versus 18,750). The 2D performance metric also favors the RTX 3080, with 1,054 points against 883, a 19.4% delta.

Benchmark results indicate that the RTX 3080's average score across all tests is 23,172, placing it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. The TITAN Xp averages 19,177, which is in the 64th percentile. While both cards sit in similar percentile ranges, the absolute score difference is substantial. The RTX 3080's nearest rivals in the database, such as the NVIDIA P106-100 and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, post average scores around 23,249 and 23,250 respectively, with delta percentages of -0.3% relative to the RTX 3080. The TITAN Xp's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780, averages 19,164, a delta of 0.1% relative to the TITAN Xp. This context suggests that the RTX 3080 competes in a higher performance tier, while the TITAN Xp sits closer to older or lower-end modern parts.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different architectural generations, which explains the benchmark gaps. The RTX 3080 is built on the Ampere architecture using the GA102 chip, manufactured on an 8 nm process at Samsung. It packs 28,300 million transistors into a 628 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 45.1M per mm². In contrast, the TITAN Xp uses the Pascal architecture with the GP102 chip, fabricated on a 16 nm process at TSMC. It contains 11,800 million transistors on a 471 mm² die, with a density of 25.1M per mm². The newer process node allows the RTX 3080 to nearly double the transistor count while using a larger but still manageable die.

The core configurations differ dramatically. The RTX 3080 features 8,704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs. It also includes dedicated ray tracing cores (68) and tensor cores (272), which are absent on the TITAN Xp. The TITAN Xp has 3,840 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, but no RT or tensor cores. This hardware difference directly impacts workload types: the RTX 3080 can accelerate ray-traced effects and AI-driven tasks, while the TITAN Xp relies solely on traditional shader processing. The FP32 compute output reflects this: the RTX 3080 delivers 29.77 TFLOPS, while the TITAN Xp manages 12.15 TFLOPS. For FP16, the RTX 3080 achieves 29.77 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, whereas the TITAN Xp only reaches 189.8 GFLOPS at a 1:64 ratio, meaning its half-precision performance is severely limited.

Memory subsystems also separate the two. The RTX 3080 has 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, yielding 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The TITAN Xp offers 12 GB of GDDR5X on a wider 384-bit bus, but its memory clock is lower, resulting in 547.6 GB/s. The RTX 3080's memory runs at an effective 19 Gbps, while the TITAN Xp's runs at 11.4 Gbps. The higher bandwidth of the RTX 3080, despite the smaller bus width and capacity, gives it an edge in memory-intensive scenarios. The pixel rate is 164.2 GPixel/s for the RTX 3080 versus 151.9 GPixel/s for the TITAN Xp, and texture rate is 465.1 GTexel/s versus 379.7 GTexel/s, both favoring the newer card.

The bus interface differs as well: the RTX 3080 uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the TITAN Xp uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The API support also reflects the generational gap. The RTX 3080 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the TITAN Xp supports DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4, but the DirectX feature level difference can affect compatibility with newer games. The TDP is 320 W for the RTX 3080 and 250 W for the TITAN Xp, with the RTX 3080 requiring a 700 W suggested PSU versus 600 W for the TITAN Xp. Power connectors differ: the RTX 3080 uses a single 12-pin, while the TITAN Xp uses a 6-pin plus an 8-pin.

FAQ

Q: Which card has more raw compute power?

A: The RTX 3080 has 29.77 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, more than double the TITAN Xp's 12.15 TFLOPS. This is reflected in the 110% lead in Geekbench OpenCL and the 52.7% lead in Passmark GPU Compute.

Q: Does the TITAN Xp win any benchmark?

A: Yes, in the Geekbench Vulkan test, the TITAN Xp scores 87,180 compared to the RTX 3080's 33,620, a -61.4% delta. This is the only head-to-head test the TITAN Xp wins out of 10 comparisons.

Q: Why does the TITAN Xp have more memory?

A: The TITAN Xp has 12 GB of GDDR5X on a 384-bit bus, while the RTX 3080 has 10 GB of GDDR6X on a 320-bit bus. However, the RTX 3080's memory bandwidth is higher at 760.3 GB/s versus 547.6 GB/s due to faster memory clocks.

Q: Which card supports ray tracing?

A: Only the RTX 3080 has dedicated ray tracing cores (68) and tensor cores (272). The TITAN Xp has no RT or tensor cores, so it cannot accelerate these workloads.

Q: How do the average scores compare?

A: The RTX 3080's average benchmark score is 23,172, placing it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. The TITAN Xp averages 19,177, in the 64th percentile. The RTX 3080's score is about 21% higher in absolute terms.

Q: What are the power requirements?

A: The RTX 3080 has a TDP of 320 W and requires a 700 W suggested PSU. The TITAN Xp has a TDP of 250 W and a 600 W suggested PSU.

The Verdict

Based on the recorded data, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the superior choice for virtually all modern workloads. It wins 9 of 10 benchmark comparisons, with leads ranging from 14.2% in DirectX 9 to 110% in OpenCL. Its architecture includes hardware support for ray tracing and tensor operations, which the TITAN Xp completely lacks. The RTX 3080 also delivers more than double the FP32 compute throughput and significantly higher memory bandwidth, making it the clear pick for gaming, compute, and any application that can leverage DirectX 12 Ultimate or newer APIs.

The TITAN Xp's only meaningful victory is in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where it outperforms the RTX 3080 by 61.4%. This could be relevant for specific Vulkan-based applications that are optimized for Pascal's architecture, but it is a narrow niche. The TITAN Xp also has 2 GB more memory, which could be an advantage in memory-constrained scenarios, but its lower bandwidth and older architecture limit its overall utility. For a user prioritizing a single Vulkan workload, the TITAN Xp might be considered, but for everything else, the RTX 3080 is the definitive winner.

The percentile data reinforces this verdict. The RTX 3080 sits in the 68th percentile of all GPUs, while the TITAN Xp is in the 64th. The average score gap of approximately 4,000 points (23,172 versus 19,177) is significant. The RTX 3080's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 6600M, have average scores around 23,273, showing that the RTX 3080 is competitive with modern mid-range parts. The TITAN Xp's nearest rivals, like the GTX 780, are much older, highlighting that the TITAN Xp has fallen behind the performance curve.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 | NVIDIA TITAN Xp |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | Ampere | Pascal |

| Process Node | 8 nm | 16 nm |

| Foundry | Samsung | TSMC |

| Transistors | 28,300 million | 11,800 million |

| Die Size | 628 mm² | 471 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 45.1M / mm² | 25.1M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1440 MHz | 1405 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1710 MHz | 1582 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 19 Gbps effective | 11.4 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 10 GB | 12 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6X | GDDR5X |

| Memory Bus Width | 320 bit | 384 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 760.3 GB/s | 547.6 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 8704 | 3840 |

| TMUs | 272 | 240 |

| ROPs | 96 | 96 |

| RT Cores | 68 | null |

| Tensor Cores | 272 | null |

| Pixel Rate | 164.2 GPixel/s | 151.9 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 465.1 GTexel/s | 379.7 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 29.77 TFLOPS | 12.15 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 29.77 TFLOPS (1:1) | 189.8 GFLOPS (1:64) |

| TDP | 320 W | 250 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 12-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 700 W | 600 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| DirectX | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (12_1) |

| Length | 285 mm (11.2 inches) | 267 mm (10.5 inches) |

| Height | 112 mm (4.4 inches) | 112 mm (4.4 inches) |

| Width | 40 mm (1.6 inches) | 40 mm (1.6 inches) |

| Launch MSRP | 699 USD | 1,199 USD |

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3080 wins in every head-to-head test except one. Its strengths are most pronounced in compute workloads: OpenCL (110% lead), GPU Compute (52.7%), and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (85.8%). It is also significantly faster in DirectX 10, 11, and 12 tests, with leads of 42.9%, 36.2%, and 44.9% respectively. The Passmark G3D score, representing overall gaming performance, favors the RTX 3080 by 33.8%. For users running modern games, ray tracing, AI inference, or general-purpose GPU compute, the RTX 3080 is the obvious choice.

The TITAN Xp's single win is the Geekbench Vulkan test, where it scores 87,180 versus 33,620. This suggests that for Vulkan-based applications that are not heavily optimized for Ampere's architecture, the TITAN Xp might offer unexpectedly strong performance. Additionally, the TITAN Xp has 12 GB of memory compared to 10 GB, which could be useful for workloads that need more capacity but do not require high bandwidth. Its lower TDP of 250 W also means it draws less power, but the RTX 3080's higher power draw is justified by its performance gains. For most users, the RTX 3080's advantages far outweigh the TITAN Xp's narrow Vulkan niche.