AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT represent two distinct generations of flagship-class GPUs, with the data showing a decisive performance gap. Across all ten head-to-head benchmarks, the RTX 4080 SUPER wins every single test, securing a 10-0 sweep. The average benchmark scores tell a similar story: the RTX 4080 SUPER posts a 54209 average, while the RX 6800 XT trails at 48477. The largest single margin is a 90% lead in Geekbench Vulkan, while the smallest is a 14% advantage in Passmark DirectX 11. The RTX 4080 SUPER also holds a slight edge in percentile ranking, sitting at the 86th percentile versus the RX 6800 XT's 85th. For any buyer comparing these two, the data is unambiguous about which card offers superior raw performance, though the architectural and feature differences warrant a closer look.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear verdict: the RTX 4080 SUPER is the superior performer by a substantial margin. Its average benchmark score of 54209 is 11.8% higher than the RX 6800 XT's 48477. In the head-to-head 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 6600 against 3689, a 78.9% advantage that highlights the generational leap. The RTX 4080 SUPER also leads in compute workloads, with a 49.7% higher Passmark GPU Compute score (19822 vs 13245). If the priority is maximum frame rates and compute throughput, the RTX 4080 SUPER is the only choice.

However, the RX 6800 XT is not without context. It achieves a respectable 85th percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rival list includes the RTX 5070 Ti at a -3% delta, showing it still competes with newer cards. Yet, against the RTX 4080 SUPER specifically, it loses every benchmark. The RX 6800 XT's 16 GB of VRAM matches the RTX 4080 SUPER, but its slower GDDR6 memory and lower bandwidth (512.0 GB/s vs 736.3 GB/s) contribute to its deficits. For users who already own an RX 6800 XT, the upgrade path is clear; for new buyers, the RTX 4080 SUPER offers a more future-proof investment based on benchmark results.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the RTX 4080 SUPER wins in every single category. There are no test results where the RX 6800 XT manages to take a victory. The closest contest is in Passmark DirectX 11, where the RTX 4080 SUPER leads by 14% (301 vs 264), suggesting that older DX11 titles show the smallest gap. The widest margins appear in modern and API-heavy workloads: Geekbench Vulkan shows a 90% lead (260075 vs 136875), and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 shows a 78.9% lead (6600 vs 3689).

The synthetic DirectX 9 test shows a 43.8% lead for the RTX 4080 SUPER (381 vs 265), while DirectX 10 and DirectX 12 tests show 24.5% and 34% leads respectively. In compute-heavy tasks, the RTX 4080 SUPER's Passmark GPU Compute score of 19822 is 49.7% higher than the RX 6800 XT's 13245. Even in 2D performance, the RTX 4080 SUPER leads with a Passmark G2D score of 1270 versus 1030, a 23.3% difference. The data implies the RX 6800 XT has no niche where it can claim superiority over the RTX 4080 SUPER.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two cards is significant and explains the benchmark results. The RTX 4080 SUPER uses the AD103 chip built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, while the RX 6800 XT uses the Navi 21 chip on a 7 nm process. The RTX 4080 SUPER packs 45,900 million transistors into a 379 mm² die, yielding a density of 121.1M/mm². In contrast, the RX 6800 XT has 26,800 million transistors spread across a larger 520 mm² die, resulting in a much lower density of 51.5M/mm². This process advantage gives the RTX 4080 SUPER a massive efficiency and complexity edge.

The compute resources differ dramatically. The RTX 4080 SUPER features 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, while the RX 6800 XT has 4608 shading units, 288 TMUs, and 128 ROPs. The RTX 4080 SUPER also includes 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores, whereas the RX 6800 XT has 72 RT cores and no tensor cores. This explains the FP32 throughput: 52.22 TFLOPS for the RTX 4080 SUPER versus 20.74 TFLOPS for the RX 6800 XT. The FP16 performance is also telling—the RTX 4080 SUPER maintains a 1:1 ratio at 52.22 TFLOPS, while the RX 6800 XT achieves 41.47 TFLOPS via a 2:1 ratio, indicating different execution strategies.

Memory architecture also differs. Both cards have 16 GB and a 256-bit bus, but the RTX 4080 SUPER uses faster GDDR6X at 23 Gbps effective, delivering 736.3 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 6800 XT uses GDDR6 at 16 Gbps effective, yielding 512.0 GB/s. Clock speeds show the RTX 4080 SUPER boosting to 2550 MHz versus 2250 MHz for the RX 6800 XT. The RTX 4080 SUPER also has a higher TDP of 320 W versus 300 W, and requires a triple-slot cooler with a 16-pin connector, while the RX 6800 XT is dual-slot with dual 8-pin connectors.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54209, which is 11.8% higher than the RX 6800 XT's 48477.

Q: Does the RX 6800 XT win any benchmarks against the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: No. In the head-to-head results, the RTX 4080 SUPER wins all ten tests, with the RX 6800 XT recording zero wins.

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

A: The largest gap is in Geekbench Vulkan, where the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 260075 versus 136875, a 90% advantage.

Q: How do their memory bandwidths compare?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER offers 736.3 GB/s bandwidth with GDDR6X memory, while the RX 6800 XT provides 512.0 GB/s with GDDR6.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has 10240 shading units, more than double the RX 6800 XT's 4608.

Q: Are both cards the same physical size?

A: No. The RTX 4080 SUPER measures 310 mm in length and is triple-slot, while the RX 6800 XT is 267 mm long and dual-slot.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test reveals the starkest difference: the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 6600, a 78.9% improvement over the RX 6800 XT's 3689. This test likely stresses modern rendering features where the Ada Lovelace architecture excels. The Geekbench Vulkan result is even more lopsided, with the RTX 4080 SUPER at 260075 versus 136875, a 90% lead that suggests superior driver optimization and hardware acceleration for Vulkan workloads.

In compute, the Passmark GPU Compute test shows the RTX 4080 SUPER at 19822, beating the RX 6800 XT's 13245 by 49.7%. This aligns with the FP32 throughput difference, where the RTX 4080 SUPER's 52.22 TFLOPS dwarfs the RX 6800 XT's 20.74 TFLOPS. The Geekbench OpenCL test mirrors this, with a 27.9% lead (219065 vs 171304).

The DirectX legacy tests show narrower but consistent wins. Passmark DirectX 9 gives the RTX 4080 SUPER a 43.8% lead (381 vs 265), while DirectX 10 shows a 24.5% margin (193 vs 155). DirectX 11 is the closest at 14% (301 vs 264), and DirectX 12 shows a 34% gap (134 vs 100). The Passmark G3D score, a general gaming metric, favors the RTX 4080 SUPER by 37.1% (34245 vs 24980). Even the 2D test (G2D) shows a 23.3% lead for the RTX 4080 SUPER (1270 vs 1030).

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every core specification. The RTX 4080 SUPER uses a 5 nm process, while the RX 6800 XT uses 7 nm. Transistor counts are 45,900 million for the RTX 4080 SUPER versus 26,800 million for the RX 6800 XT. Die sizes are 379 mm² and 520 mm², respectively. The RTX 4080 SUPER has a base clock of 2295 MHz and boost of 2550 MHz, while the RX 6800 XT has a base of 1825 MHz, boost of 2250 MHz, and a game clock of 2015 MHz.

Memory specifications differ in type and speed: the RTX 4080 SUPER uses GDDR6X at 23 Gbps effective, while the RX 6800 XT uses GDDR6 at 16 Gbps effective. Bandwidth is 736.3 GB/s versus 512.0 GB/s. The shading unit count is 10240 for the RTX 4080 SUPER versus 4608 for the RX 6800 XT. TMUs are 320 versus 288, and ROPs are 112 versus 128. RT cores number 80 versus 72, and only the RTX 4080 SUPER has tensor cores, with 320.

Pixel rates are nearly identical at 285.6 GPixel/s for the RTX 4080 SUPER and 288.0 GPixel/s for the RX 6800 XT. Texture rates differ: 816.0 GTexel/s versus 648.0 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 52.22 TFLOPS versus 20.74 TFLOPS. The TDP is 320 W versus 300 W. Physical dimensions vary, with the RTX 4080 SUPER at 310 mm length and triple-slot width, while the RX 6800 XT is 267 mm and dual-slot. Power connectors are 1x 16-pin versus 2x 8-pin, though both suggest a 700 W PSU. Display outputs also differ, with the RTX 4080 SUPER offering 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the RX 6800 XT offers 1x HDMI 2.1, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C.