Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 vs. RTX 3080: Which must quiet you choose?

Image: Thiago Trevisan

When the Nvidia RTX 3080 10GB modified into as soon as launched, there modified into as soon as indispensable excitement for this $699 powerhouse. When it modified into as soon as “reborn” as the RTX 3080 12GB, with a titanic soar in label, the ardour modified into as soon as dampened. The $1,499 RTX 3090 had many questioning whether its label modified into as soon as “worth it,” nonetheless it offered neatly enough all over that time because of its “easiest at school” web site. 

In 2022, the Nvidia RTX 4080 arrived at $1,199. But the times of improper GPU shortages dangle handed. That generation propelled the RTX 3000 GPUs to sell in extensive portions at absurd prices. Can the RTX 4080 succeed with in a similar model absurd pricing? 

Let’s dig a miniature of bit deeper, and study the RTX 4080 to its predecessor, the RTX 3080. We’ll stare upon the provision and pricing of every and every within the context of its time, performance for the dollar, and within the end strive to “figure out” the attach the RTX 4080 at the moment stands.

Nvidia RTX 4080 vs. RTX 3080: Label and availability

$699 for an RTX 3080 is indispensable, perfection even. Factual success finding that ninety 9.9 percent of the time all over 2020 to 2022, alternatively. The RTX 3080’s total legacy is tarnished by being born in this uncomfortable time of the “Mountainous GPU Shortage” or regardless of you’d admire to call it. It modified into as soon as extra more likely to fee two to three times its MSRP on the secondhand marketplace for most of its manufacturing. 

It modified into as soon as refreshed as the RTX 3080 with 12GB of VRAM and about a upgraded specs, nonetheless it additionally saw retail pricing over $1,200 originally. The minor spec bump undoubtedly did now not elaborate its astronomical label magnify, which modified into as soon as precipitated by all the things from lockdowns, to manufacturing delays, crypto-mining build a question to, and gamer build a question to. 

How has the RTX 4080 fared when put next? It picked up the attach the 12GB 3080 left off—with high pricing. The swiftly cancelled RTX 4080 12GB came in at $899, which would dangle been closer to the long-established RTX 3080—had it now not been a vastly prick-down mannequin unfit of the RTX 4080 moniker. 

In Brad Chacos’ astonishing overview, he at the moment pinpoints the grief: It is waaaaaay too expensive. Is it an spectacular GPU? Particular. At $1,199 alternatively, it disappoints and scores an “delight in procedure.” 

How does this dangle an affect on availability? The right info is that you just’re worthy extra more likely to search out an MSRP retail model of the RTX 4080 across various retail channels in stock. The detrimental info is that it is thanks to its unhappy perceived label, that methodology you almost undoubtedly shouldn’t opt it. 

Where does the RTX 4080 versus 3080 stack up in our debate as much as now? It’s a plan, and here’s why: The $699 RTX 3080 by no methodology realistically came to ship on its superior label-to-performance proposition, by being with out end “out of stock.” Likewise, the RTX 4080 comes “out of the box” at a worthy increased label than avid gamers are willing to pay, relegating each and every to the same destiny.

Nvidia RTX 4080 vs RTX 3080: Performance

OK, label and availability apart, how does the performance of the RTX 4080 fare in opposition to the RTX 3080? It’s a miniature lukewarm, eclipsed by the ridiculous beneficial properties showcased by the RTX 4090. (Now we’re playing with energy!)

We’d must study the RTX 4080 to the extra sensible RTX 3080 12GB that had a equal street retail label, moderately than the lofty $699 RTX 3080, which modified into as soon as unobtanium. With the long-established RTX 3080 10GB, in a sport admire Name of Responsibility Accepted Battle 2, you’d salvage a glorious bump from 64fps to 98fps at 4K. Non-ray traced Cyberpunk 2077 goes from 43fps to a extra playable 59fps.

Very modest, expected generational beneficial properties whereas sticking to a equal label bracket as the 12GB 3080. When in contrast to the aforementioned $699 RTX 3080, these results for the $500 label magnify are disappointing. 

Let’s consume a step extra and play to the RTX 4080’s strengths. It has the chops (most stylish Ai Tensor cores) to address ray tracing and applied sciences much like Nvidia’s DLSS 3.0 with aplomb—is it enough? 

The RTX 3080 managed an unplayable 15fps with ray tracing Extremely at 4K. The RTX 4080 bumps that as much as a quiet somewhat unplayable 29fps, successfully doubling the performance. DLSS brings the RTX 3080 to 42fps, and the RTX 4080 to a critically better 66fps. 

While the RTX 4080 is now playable at these intense settings, the performance beneficial properties are quiet the minimal we’d build a question to of for these prices and generational beneficial properties. Alas, the ideal better possibility is the beefier RTX 4090—nonetheless that will additionally label a right deal extra. 

Brad Chacos facets out that the RTX 40 sequence average succeed in is 30fps, bigger than the RTX 3000’s 20fps beneficial properties with DLSS, due to better effectivity. Quiet, these are expected enhancements and quiet make the worth of the RTX 4080 piquant to utterly rationalize.

The RTX 4080 is additionally in a position to DLSS 3.0, with Ai Physique generation, a truly thrilling bit of expertise. In supported games much like Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, it’s likely you’ll presumably presumably presumably look extensive beneficial properties that commence to edge the RTX 4080 out in opposition to every other GPU attach for the RTX 4090.    

I tested Flight Simulator on a 5120x1440p ultrawide display screen, on Extremely settings the RTX 4080 bought 69fps. When the utilization of DLSS 3.0 with Ai Physique generation, this went as much as a whopping 151 with DLSS balanced! That is an spectacular enchancment, and the future appears to be like shining for DLSS 3.0—with extra maturity, it’ll commence to substitute the fable on the RTX 4080 performance, too. 

Let’s now not forget affirm introduction. In Adam Taylor’s overview, we can look that the RTX 4080 gets a gargantuan lead versus the RTX 3080 in Davinci Unravel. While your mileage can even fluctuate relying on the draw you’re the utilization of, the arithmetic could be diversified for non-avid gamers when having a analysis at spectacular performance beneficial properties on the RTX 4080 in some consume cases. 

Nvidia RTX 4080 vs. RTX 3080: Vitality and other things to know

The RTX 4080 has some spectacular effectivity for the performance that it’s striking out, handily beating the RTX 3080 with out compromise. Both fragment the same TDP of 320 watts, demonstrating how spectacular the RTX 4080 is when eager about it is in total double or extra the performance metrics versus the RTX 3080. 

Yes, it does dangle that unfamiliar energy adapter, and it generally shares the titanic cooler designs from the RTX 4090. While it’s likely you’ll presumably presumably presumably also dangle worthy extra concern becoming it in most PC cases, one profit is that on average the thermals and noise performance on the RTX 4080 are additionally spectacular.

While the RTX 3080 by no methodology ran as hot as the RTX 3090, it quiet had GDDR6X VRAM that continually performed poorly thermally because of inconsistent thermal pad capabilities. That grief looks admire passe history with the RTX 4080, which has an overkill cooler for its TDP. 

Nvidia RTX 4080 vs. RTX 3080: The verdict

More moderen GPUs admire the RTX 4080 are repeatedly “better” objectively than their predecessors. Larger rasterization, ray tracing, DLSS 3.0, effectivity, the checklist goes on. 

Where we are going to be found in in is in deciding if these technical enhancements advantage the pricing and right right-world results.

The RTX 4080 falls short when considered in its total assemble. The $1,199 label pushes it too some distance out of doors of any cheap “label-to-performance” expectations for an 80-class GPU, and there are many components at play here. The GPU shortages of most stylish times precipitated quite a lot of issues, along side a surplus of RTX 3000 GPUs all over this yr. DLSS 3.0 and ray tracing are getting extra spectacular as they ragged, so the RTX 4080 has room for enchancment here as new drivers launch, to be intellectual. 

The RTX 3080 is now not any prince charming, either. It’s $699 MSRP modified into as soon as merely a teaser that just about by no methodology saw the mild of day, and its extra expensive 12GB refresh had minimal enhancements to elaborate the uptick in label. 

What’s the verdict? It’s a plan, the 80-class of GPUs dangle too many shaded points surrounding their existence to make either generation an glaring favorite. The prefer looks to dangle jumped to GPUs much just like the GeForce RTX 4090, which dangle unparalleled performance regardless of their increased pricing. Whether or now not we’ll salvage a sub-$1,000 “darling” GPU that hits label-to-performance piquant this yr is someone’s wager, nonetheless we undoubtedly need it!