NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark database positions the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 as the clear performance leader, winning all 10 recorded head-to-head comparisons against the RTX 4070 SUPER. The data shows a decisive tier separation: the RTX 4080 delivers an average benchmark score of 54,247 across all recorded tests, while the RTX 4070 SUPER averages 43,223. That gap of roughly 11,000 points places the two cards in different performance strata, with the RTX 4080 sitting at the 86th percentile of all GPUs in the database, versus the 83rd percentile for the RTX 4070 SUPER.

For users who prioritize maximum frame rates and compute throughput, the RTX 4080 is the unambiguous choice. Its largest single win comes in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where it scores 6,567 versus 4,627, a 41.9% advantage. That kind of margin is not incremental; it represents a fundamentally higher level of rendering capability. The RTX 4070 SUPER, however, is the more compact and power-efficient option, with a 220 W TDP and dual-slot design, making it suitable for smaller builds where the RTX 4080's 320 W TDP and triple-slot cooler would not fit.

The verdict from the recorded measurements is simple: the RTX 4080 is for those who want the highest performance in the 40-series hierarchy without stepping up to the SUPER variant, while the RTX 4070 SUPER serves as a strong mid-range option that still outperforms its nearest rivals in the database. Neither card is currently in production, but the performance data remains relevant for second-hand and legacy builds.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the Ada Lovelace architecture and are fabricated on TSMC's 5 nm process, but they use different chips. The RTX 4080 is built on the AD103 die, while the RTX 4070 SUPER uses the AD104. This difference explains much of the performance gap. The AD103 packs 45,900 million transistors across a 379 mm² die, whereas the AD104 contains 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die. Transistor density is nearly identical: 121.1M per mm² for the AD103 and 121.8M per mm² for the AD104, so the advantage comes from sheer die size rather than density improvements.

The RTX 4080 also carries more of every compute resource. It has 9,728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units, compared to 7,168 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 80 ROPs on the RTX 4070 SUPER. Ray tracing hardware follows the same pattern: 76 RT cores on the RTX 4080 versus 56 on the RTX 4070 SUPER. Tensor cores, used for AI and DLSS workloads, number 304 on the RTX 4080 and 224 on the RTX 4070 SUPER.

Clock speeds also favor the RTX 4080. Its base clock is 2,205 MHz and boost clock 2,505 MHz, while the RTX 4070 SUPER runs at 1,980 MHz base and 2,475 MHz boost. The combination of more cores and higher clocks yields peak FP32 performance of 48.74 TFLOPS for the RTX 4080, compared to 35.48 TFLOPS for the RTX 4070 SUPER. FP16 performance is identical in ratio: both deliver 1:1 FP16 to FP32, but the absolute figures differ accordingly.

Memory architecture diverges as well. The RTX 4080 uses a 256-bit bus with 16 GB of GDDR6X, achieving 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 4070 SUPER uses a narrower 192-bit bus with 12 GB of GDDR6X, delivering 504.2 GB/s. Effective memory speed is 22.4 Gbps on the RTX 4080 versus 21 Gbps on the RTX 4070 SUPER.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test shows the largest delta: the RTX 4080 scores 6,567 against 4,627 for the RTX 4070 SUPER, a 41.9% lead. This is a modern DX12 workload, and the margin indicates that the RTX 4080's additional shading units and memory bandwidth translate directly into rendering headroom.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX 4080 scores 263,779 versus 205,624, a 28.3% advantage. The OpenCL test shows 214,739 for the RTX 4080 and 172,795 for the RTX 4070 SUPER, a 24.3% lead. These compute-oriented benchmarks reflect the raw throughput advantage of the larger AD103 die.

PassMark tests reveal a consistent pattern of smaller but still meaningful wins. In PassMark G3D, the RTX 4080 scores 34,457 against 29,995, a 14.9% lead. PassMark GPU Compute shows 20,671 versus 17,108, a 20.8% edge. The DX11 test gives 314 versus 273, a 15% difference, while DX12 gives 132 versus 110, a 20% gap. DX10 shows 204 versus 167, a 22.2% lead, and DX9 shows 370 versus 344, the smallest win at 7.6%. Even the 2D test favors the RTX 4080: 1,239 versus 1,184, a 4.6% edge.

Across all ten tests, the RTX 4080 wins every single comparison. The smallest margin is 4.6% in PassMark G2D, and the largest is 41.9% in 3DMark Steel Nomad. No test in the database shows the RTX 4070 SUPER ahead.

Specification Differences

The RTX 4080 uses the AD103 chip with 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. The RTX 4070 SUPER uses AD104 with 35,800 million transistors on 294 mm².

The RTX 4080 has a base clock of 2,205 MHz and boost clock of 2,505 MHz. The RTX 4070 SUPER runs at 1,980 MHz base and 2,475 MHz boost.

Memory capacity: 16 GB on the RTX 4080, 12 GB on the RTX 4070 SUPER. Bus width: 256-bit versus 192-bit. Bandwidth: 716.8 GB/s versus 504.2 GB/s. Effective memory speed: 22.4 Gbps versus 21 Gbps.

Compute resources: 9,728 shading units, 304 TMUs, 112 ROPs, 76 RT cores, 304 tensor cores on the RTX 4080. The RTX 4070 SUPER has 7,168 shading units, 224 TMUs, 80 ROPs, 56 RT cores, 224 tensor cores.

Pixel rate: 280.6 GPixel/s on the RTX 4080 versus 198.0 GPixel/s on the RTX 4070 SUPER. Texture rate: 761.5 GTexel/s versus 554.4 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16: 48.74 TFLOPS versus 35.48 TFLOPS.

Power and physical design: TDP is 320 W on the RTX 4080, 220 W on the RTX 4070 SUPER. Suggested PSU is 700 W versus 550 W. The RTX 4080 is triple-slot, 310 mm long, 140 mm tall, 61 mm wide. The RTX 4070 SUPER is dual-slot, 267 mm long, 112 mm tall, 42 mm wide.

Release dates differ: the RTX 4080 launched on 2022-09-19, the RTX 4070 SUPER on 2024-01-16. The launch MSRP for the RTX 4080 is 1,199 USD, and for the RTX 4070 SUPER it is 599 USD.

Both use PCIe 4.0 x16, a single 16-pin power connector, and the same display outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 4080 averages 54,247 across all recorded benchmarks, while the RTX 4070 SUPER averages 43,223.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two cards?

A: The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test shows the RTX 4080 scoring 6,567 versus 4,627 for the RTX 4070 SUPER, a 41.9% advantage.

Q: How much memory bandwidth does each card provide?

A: The RTX 4080 provides 716.8 GB/s over a 256-bit bus, while the RTX 4070 SUPER provides 504.2 GB/s over a 192-bit bus.

Q: What are the TDP requirements?

A: The RTX 4080 has a 320 W TDP and requires a 700 W suggested PSU. The RTX 4070 SUPER has a 220 W TDP and requires a 550 W suggested PSU.

Q: Which card has more ray tracing cores?

A: The RTX 4080 has 76 RT cores, compared to 56 RT cores on the RTX 4070 SUPER.

Q: What is the transistor density of each chip?

A: The RTX 4080's AD103 has 121.1M transistors per mm², and the RTX 4070 SUPER's AD104 has 121.8M transistors per mm², nearly identical.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4080 wins in every benchmark category recorded. Its strongest advantages appear in modern DX12 workloads, where the 41.9% Steel Nomad lead demonstrates that the extra shading units and memory bandwidth matter most in current-generation rendering. Compute-heavy tasks also favor the RTX 4080, with 28.3% and 24.3% leads in Vulkan and OpenCL respectively. Users running GPU-accelerated compute, high-resolution ray tracing, or demanding DX12 titles should choose the RTX 4080 without hesitation.

The RTX 4070 SUPER, despite losing all head-to-head tests, still holds its own against its own nearest rivals. The database shows it outperforming the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB by 0.1%, the RTX 5050 Mobile by 0.1%, the Quadro M6000 by 0.2%, and the RTX 4090 Mobile by 1%. This places it in a competitive position for a dual-slot, 220 W card. Its smaller footprint and lower power draw make it the better fit for compact cases or systems with limited PSU capacity, even though its absolute performance is lower.

The RTX 4080 also compares favorably to its own nearest rivals, sitting within 0.1% of the RTX 4080 SUPER, 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X, 2.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, and 2.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon 8060S. That positioning means the RTX 4080 is not just faster than the RTX 4070 SUPER; it is essentially at the top of its immediate performance band.

For legacy DX9 workloads, the RTX 4080's lead shrinks to 7.6%, and the 2D test shows only a 4.6% gap. These are the areas where the RTX 4070 SUPER comes closest, though it still does not win. The practical takeaway: the RTX 4080 is the superior card for all recorded workloads, while the RTX 4070 SUPER offers a more efficient, smaller alternative that remains competitive against its direct peers.