NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER scores 3075, while the RTX 4060 scores 2302. The 5080 SUPER leads by 25.1%.

Q: What are the memory specifications of each card?

A: The RTX 4060 has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 272.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5080 SUPER has 24 GB of GDDR7 on a 256-bit bus with 1.02 TB/s bandwidth.

Q: How do the transistor counts compare?

A: The RTX 4060 uses 18,900 million transistors on a 159 mm² die. The RTX 5080 SUPER uses 45,600 million transistors on a 378 mm² die.

Q: What is the thermal design power for each?

A: The RTX 4060 has a TDP of 115 W. The RTX 5080 SUPER has a TDP of 415 W.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The RTX 4060 boosts to 2460 MHz. The RTX 5080 SUPER boosts to 2617 MHz.

Q: What production status does each card hold?

A: The RTX 4060 is listed as end-of-life. The RTX 5080 SUPER is listed as active.

Architecture Differences

The RTX 4060 and RTX 5080 SUPER come from different NVIDIA generations. The RTX 4060 is built on Ada Lovelace architecture, using the AD107 chip, while the RTX 5080 SUPER uses Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB203 chip. Both are manufactured by TSMC on a 5 nm process node, but the transistor density differs slightly: 118.9M per mm² for the 4060 versus 120.6M per mm² for the 5080 SUPER.

The die size difference is substantial. The RTX 4060 measures 159 mm², while the RTX 5080 SUPER measures 378 mm². Transistor counts follow this scale: 18,900 million for the 4060 and 45,600 million for the 5080 SUPER. These physical differences translate into a much larger execution resource pool on the newer card.

Shader resources differ sharply. The RTX 4060 has 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units. The RTX 5080 SUPER has 10752 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. The newer card also carries 84 ray tracing cores and 336 tensor cores, compared to 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores on the 4060.

Memory architecture diverges by generation. The RTX 4060 uses GDDR6 memory at 2125 MHz with 17 Gbps effective speed. The RTX 5080 SUPER uses GDDR7 at 2000 MHz with 32 Gbps effective speed. The memory bus width doubles from 128 bit to 256 bit, and bandwidth jumps from 272.0 GB/s to 1.02 TB/s.

Interface and connectivity also differ. The RTX 4060 uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the RTX 5080 SUPER uses PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs are similar in count but different in standards: the 4060 has 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the 5080 SUPER has 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b. Both use dual-slot cooling, but power connectors differ: the 4060 uses a single 12-pin, the 5080 SUPER uses a single 16-pin.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records one head-to-head benchmark between these two cards: 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. In this test, the RTX 5080 SUPER scores 3075, and the RTX 4060 scores 2302. The delta is 25.1% in favor of the 5080 SUPER. The RTX 4060 records zero wins across the head-to-head set, while the RTX 5080 SUPER records one.

Looking at the broader benchmark results, the RTX 4060 has a substantial record across multiple tests. Its average benchmark score is 17639, and it sits at the 61st percentile among all GPUs in the database. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the 4060 scores 2302. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 95057. In Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 48643. Passmark scores include 19545 in G3D, 9213 in GPU compute, 236 in DirectX 9, 175 in DirectX 11, 103 in DirectX 10, 76 in DirectX 12, and 1037 in G2D.

The RTX 5080 SUPER has a much thinner benchmark record in the database, with only the single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3075. Its average benchmark score is 3075, and its percentile ranking is 19. This sparse record makes direct cross-test comparisons difficult, but the one shared test shows a clear advantage for the newer card.

The nearest rivals for each card put the performance in context. The RTX 4060 sits near AMD Radeon HD 7790 (delta -0.2%), AMD Radeon 780M (delta 0.3%), AMD Radeon Pro 560 (delta 0.5%), and AMD Radeon Pro 460 (delta 0.7%). These are all close matches, within a percentage point or less. The RTX 5080 SUPER, by contrast, sits near NVIDIA Quadro P1000 (delta -2.8%), NVIDIA GeForce 820A (delta 3.1%), Intel Arc Pro B60 (delta -3.4%), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M (delta 3.6%). The 5080 SUPER's nearest rivals are older or lower-tier parts, which underscores the size of the gap between the two cards in actual benchmark terms.

The Verdict

The data indicates that the RTX 5080 SUPER is the clear performance leader in the single measured comparison. It delivers a 25.1% higher score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its hardware resources, including 10752 shading units, 336 tensor cores, 84 RT cores, and 24 GB of GDDR7 memory, provide a structural advantage that the benchmark confirms.

The RTX 4060, however, has a much more extensive benchmark record and a higher percentile standing at 61, compared to the 5080 SUPER's 19. This percentile difference likely reflects the fact that the RTX 4060 has been measured across many more tests, while the 5080 SUPER has only one recorded result. The database shows the 4060 as end-of-life production status, while the 5080 SUPER is active. The 4060 carries a launch MSRP of 299 USD, and the 5080 SUPER carries a launch MSRP of 999 USD.

For users seeking maximum raw performance in DX12 workloads, the RTX 5080 SUPER is the choice according to the recorded data. Its higher boost clock, larger memory pool, and wider memory bus give it a decisive edge. For users needing a card with broad benchmark validation and a lower power envelope (115 W versus 415 W), the RTX 4060 offers a well-documented profile. The 4060 also fits into smaller physical dimensions: 240 mm length versus 304 mm, and 111 mm height versus 137 mm, both with 40 mm width.

The specifications show that the 5080 SUPER is designed for higher-end workloads. Its PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, 1.02 TB/s bandwidth, and 56.28 TFLOPS FP32 throughput place it in a different class than the 4060, which delivers 15.11 TFLOPS FP32 and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth. Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RTX 5080 SUPER supports newer display outputs, including DisplayPort 2.1b.

The choice depends on workload requirements. The data shows the RTX 5080 SUPER wins the only head-to-head test by a wide margin. The RTX 4060, with its extensive benchmark history and lower TDP, remains a validated option for less demanding scenarios.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER |

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

| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | Blackwell 2.0 |

| Chip | AD107 | GB203 |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 5 nm |

| Transistors | 18,900 million | 45,600 million |

| Die Size | 159 mm² | 378 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 118.9M / mm² | 120.6M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1830 MHz | 2295 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2460 MHz | 2617 MHz |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 24 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR7 |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 272.0 GB/s | 1.02 TB/s |

| Shading Units | 3072 | 10752 |

| TMUs | 96 | 336 |

| ROPs | 48 | 112 |

| RT Cores | 24 | 84 |

| Tensor Cores | 96 | 336 |

| Pixel Rate | 118.1 GPixel/s | 293.1 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 236.2 GTexel/s | 879.3 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 15.11 TFLOPS | 56.28 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 15.11 TFLOPS (1:1) | 56.28 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 115 W | 415 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 12-pin | 1x 16-pin |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 5.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | 1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1b |

| Dimensions | 240 mm x 111 mm x 40 mm | 304 mm x 137 mm x 40 mm |

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

| Release Date | 2023-05-17 | 2025-12-31 |

| Launch MSRP | 299 USD | 999 USD |

The two cards share the same process node, foundry (TSMC), slot width (dual-slot), and API support. Everything else in the specification table differs. The RTX 5080 SUPER has higher clocks across the board, more than triple the shading units, and a memory subsystem that offers triple the capacity and nearly four times the bandwidth. The RTX 4060's advantage lies in its lower power draw, smaller physical footprint, and older production status that reflects a longer market presence.