NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The RTX 5080 wins every single benchmark in the direct comparison, 10 wins to 0. The largest gap appears in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where the RTX 5080 scores 8637 against 5077 for the RTX 5070, a 70.1% advantage. This is the headline result: in a modern, demanding DirectX 12 workload, the RTX 5080 is not just faster, it is in a different performance tier.

Compute-oriented tests also show a substantial separation. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 5080 records 235901 versus 172660, a 36.6% lead. The Vulkan result is even wider: 255450 against 178923, a 42.8% delta. These are not marginal wins; they indicate a consistent scaling advantage across both graphics APIs and general-purpose compute.

The PassMark suite shows a more varied picture. The smallest margin is in the 2D test, where the RTX 5080 scores 1415 against 1305, only 8.4% ahead. That result is expected, since 2D performance is rarely the bottleneck on modern GPUs. The DirectX 10 test shows a 15.6% lead (208 vs 180), and DirectX 11 shows 17% (324 vs 277). The DirectX 9 test gives the RTX 5080 a 21.6% edge (389 vs 320). DirectX 12 is a much larger 39.8% advantage (151 vs 108), reinforcing the pattern seen in 3DMark Steel Nomad.

The overall 3D gaming score, PassMark G3D, puts the RTX 5080 at 36565 against 29137, a 25.5% lead. The PassMark GPU Compute result is 21789 versus 15787, a 38% advantage. Across all ten tests, the RTX 5080's average benchmark score is 56083, while the RTX 5070 averages 40377, a 38.9% overall gap. The RTX 5080 sits at the 87th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the RTX 5070 sits at the 82nd percentile.

In the nearest rival comparison, the RTX 5080 is only 0.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon 8060S and 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, but it is 2.2% behind the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE. The RTX 5070, by contrast, is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 580, 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100, 2% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile, and 1.2% behind the AMD Radeon Pro 5300. The delta percentages for the RTX 5080's rivals are much larger in absolute terms, which reflects that the RTX 5080 competes in a higher average-score neighborhood.

Architecture Differences

Both cards are built on the same Blackwell 2.0 architecture and the same 5 nm TSMC process, so the differences come down to chip size and configuration. The RTX 5080 uses the GB203 chip, while the RTX 5070 uses the GB205 chip. The GB203 packs 45,600 million transistors on a 378 mm² die, for a transistor density of 120.6 million per mm². The GB205 has 31,100 million transistors on a 263 mm² die, with a density of 118.3 million per mm². The RTX 5080 is therefore a much larger chip, roughly 44% more transistors and a 43.7% larger die area.

The compute configuration scales accordingly. The RTX 5080 has 10752 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 112 ROPs. The RTX 5070 has 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. That is 75% more shading units, 75% more TMUs, and 40% more ROPs on the RTX 5080. The ray tracing hardware follows the same pattern: 84 RT cores on the RTX 5080 against 48 on the RTX 5070, a 75% increase. Tensor cores also scale 75%, from 192 to 336.

Clock speeds tell a slightly different story. The RTX 5070 has a higher base clock at 2325 MHz versus 2295 MHz on the RTX 5080, but the RTX 5080 has a higher boost clock at 2617 MHz versus 2512 MHz. Memory clocks also differ: the RTX 5080 runs at 1875 MHz (30 Gbps effective) while the RTX 5070 runs at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). The RTX 5080's memory interface is 256-bit versus 192-bit, and its memory bandwidth is 960.0 GB/s versus 672.0 GB/s, a 42.9% advantage. Memory capacity is 16 GB versus 12 GB, both GDDR7.

The resulting throughput numbers are decisive. The RTX 5080 reaches 56.28 TFLOPS FP32 and FP16 (1:1), while the RTX 5070 reaches 30.87 TFLOPS in both, an 82.3% difference. Pixel rate is 293.1 GPixel/s versus 201.0 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 879.3 GTexel/s versus 482.3 GTexel/s. In every architectural metric that affects rendering, the RTX 5080 holds a large lead.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5080 wins in every benchmark category recorded, so the practical question is not which card wins a given test, but by how much and in what workloads the gap matters most. The largest deltas are in DirectX 12 and Vulkan workloads. The 3DMark Steel Nomad result (70.1% lead) and the Geekbench Vulkan result (42.8% lead) show that the RTX 5080 scales especially well in modern, low-level API scenarios where the additional shading units, RT cores, and memory bandwidth are fully utilized.

Compute workloads also favor the RTX 5080 strongly. The PassMark GPU Compute test shows a 38% lead, and Geekbench OpenCL shows 36.6%. For users running GPU-accelerated rendering, simulation, or machine learning tasks, the RTX 5080 is clearly the more capable card. The RTX 5070 is not weak in these areas, but its smaller chip and lower memory bandwidth cap its performance.

The RTX 5070's best relative showing is in the PassMark 2D test, where it trails by only 8.4%. In legacy DirectX 10 and DirectX 9 tests, the gaps are 15.6% and 21.6% respectively, which are the smallest margins outside of 2D. This suggests that for older titles or less demanding workloads, the RTX 5070 comes closer to the RTX 5080, although it still loses. The RTX 5070 also has a lower TDP at 250 W versus 360 W, and a lower suggested PSU of 600 W versus 750 W, which makes it a more practical choice for smaller power budgets. Its physical dimensions are smaller as well: 245 mm long and 115 mm high versus 304 mm long and 137 mm high, both dual-slot and both 40 mm wide.

Specification Differences

The two cards share the same architecture, process node, foundry, memory type, slot width, power connector type, bus interface, display outputs, and API support. The differences are concentrated in the following fields:

• Chip: GB203 (RTX 5080) vs GB205 (RTX 5070)
• Transistors: 45,600 million vs 31,100 million
• Die size: 378 mm² vs 263 mm²
• Transistor density: 120.6M / mm² vs 118.3M / mm²
• Base clock: 2295 MHz vs 2325 MHz (RTX 5070 higher)
• Boost clock: 2617 MHz vs 2512 MHz
• Memory clock: 1875 MHz (30 Gbps effective) vs 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective)
• Memory size: 16 GB vs 12 GB
• Memory bus width: 256 bit vs 192 bit
• Memory bandwidth: 960.0 GB/s vs 672.0 GB/s
• Shading units: 10752 vs 6144
• TMUs: 336 vs 192
• ROPs: 112 vs 80
• RT cores: 84 vs 48
• Tensor cores: 336 vs 192
• Pixel rate: 293.1 GPixel/s vs 201.0 GPixel/s
• Texture rate: 879.3 GTexel/s vs 482.3 GTexel/s
• FP32 / FP16: 56.28 TFLOPS vs 30.87 TFLOPS
• TDP: 360 W vs 250 W
• Suggested PSU: 750 W vs 600 W
• Length: 304 mm vs 245 mm
• Height: 137 mm vs 115 mm
• Launch MSRP: 999 USD vs 549 USD
• Release date: 2025-01-29 vs 2025-03-03

The dimensions are identical in width at 40 mm (1.6 inches). Both cards use 1x 16-pin power connectors, both are dual-slot, and both provide 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b outputs.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The RTX 5080 has a boost clock of 2617 MHz, while the RTX 5070 boosts to 2512 MHz. The RTX 5070 has a slightly higher base clock at 2325 MHz versus 2295 MHz.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RTX 5080 delivers 960.0 GB/s over a 256-bit bus, while the RTX 5070 delivers 672.0 GB/s over a 192-bit bus. That is a 42.9% advantage for the RTX 5080.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 5080 in 3DMark Steel Nomad?

A: The RTX 5080 scores 8637 against 5077, a 70.1% lead, which is the largest margin in any recorded benchmark between the two cards.

Q: Does the RTX 5070 win any benchmark?

A: No. In the head-to-head comparison, the RTX 5080 wins all 10 recorded benchmarks. The RTX 5070's smallest deficit is 8.4% in the PassMark 2D test.

Q: Are the power requirements very different?

A: Yes. The RTX 5080 has a TDP of 360 W and a suggested PSU of 750 W, while the RTX 5070 has a TDP of 250 W and a suggested PSU of 600 W.

Q: How do the cards compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 5080 is 0.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon 8060S, 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, 2.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X, and 2.2% behind the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE. The RTX 5070 is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 580, 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100, 2% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile, and 1.2% behind the AMD Radeon Pro 5300.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The RTX 5080 outperforms the RTX 5070 in every single recorded benchmark, with an overall average score of 56083 versus 40377, a 38.9% gap. The largest win is 70.1% in 3DMark Steel Nomad, and the smallest is 8.4% in PassMark 2D. If the priority is maximum gaming and compute performance, the RTX 5080 is the correct choice.

The RTX 5070 is not without merit. Its lower TDP of 250 W, lower suggested PSU of 600 W, and smaller physical footprint (245 mm long, 115 mm high) make it easier to integrate into compact or power-limited builds. Its launch MSRP of 549 USD is also substantially lower than the RTX 5080's 999 USD. But the benchmark data shows that the RTX 5070 cannot match the RTX 5080 in any workload measured. Users who need the highest frame rates in modern DirectX 12 and Vulkan titles, or who rely on GPU compute, should choose the RTX 5080. Users who prioritize power efficiency, physical size, or a lower entry cost should consider the RTX 5070, accepting that it will be between 8% and 70% slower depending on the workload. The RTX 5080 is the definitive performance leader in this comparison.