The RTX 3070 Ti and the RTX 3080 are two of the most popular GPUs that you can get your hands on in the market. While they are not attainable for everyone. Anyone who is looking for an upgrade can invest in these without running into any issues regarding the performance because these are absolutely powerful GPUs.
However, the one thing about the RTX 3070 Ti and the RTX 3080 is that they look a lot more similar than one might want to know, and that can easily cause confusion for a lot of people.
This is not entirely true because when you are getting your hands on a GPU, the performance is one thing that should be the most important to you, and that is exactly what the point here is.
In this post, you are going to see what the 3070 Ti vs 3080 is all about and get to the bottom of finding out the best GPU that you can buy for your money.
Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti vs 3080: General Specifications
The first step is the obvious one, as we are going to go ahead and explore the general specifications of both the RTX 3070 Ti and the RTX 3080, and when I say that they are a lot more identical than one might believe, it is true, to be honest. Still, for those who are confused, let’s pay attention to what you are getting your hands on
| GPU Names | GeForce RTX 3070 Ti | GeForce RTX 3080 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Check Price | Check Price |
| CUDA Cores | 6144 Units | 8704 Units |
| Base Clock | 1575 MHz | 1440 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1770 MHz | 1710 MHz |
| V-RAM | 8GB GDDR6X | 12GB GDDR6X / 10GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Interface | 256-bit | 384-bit / 320-bit |
| Power Consumption | 290W | 350W / 320W |
| Required PSU | 600W | 750W |
| Dimensions | 10.5 x 4.4 x 2.2 Inch | 11.2 x 4.4 x 2.2 Inch |
3070 Ti vs 3080: Clock Speeds And VRAM
We are all aware of the fact that clock speeds and VRAM matter a lot, to be honest. Now, for the most part, people have an issue with these things, and it certainly is a good thing. Thankfully, both the RTX 3080 and the RTX 3070 Ti are excellent when you are talking about the specs.
The RTX 3070 Ti comes with 8 gigs of GDDR6X VRAM and has 1575 MHz base and 1770MHz boost clock. The card is more than enough for 1440p gaming and can even run games on 4K, provided you are ready to let go off some settings. On the other side, you have the RTX 3080, which delivers 10 gigs of GDDR6X VRAM, 1440 MHz base, and 1710 MHz boost clock.
Now, it is safe to say that the advertised boost clock is not always correct as the real boost clock is always higher thanks to GPU Boost, which is an excellent technology.
So, in case you are worried about not getting good scores, you will not have to worry. Both GPUs are excellent; however, the RTX 3080 is faster, as you will find out when we go further.
More comparisons:
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3080 vs 3080 ti GPUs in 2023
Reasons To Consider GeForce RTX 3080
I normally avoid anything that leads up to me listing down the reasons as to why you should go for a particular GPU, but the situation calls for it, and therefore, I am mentioning the reasons that you should keep in mind below. This will only help you decide everything.
- Class leading performance.
- Great for 4K and 1440p at a higher refresh rate.
- DLSS and Raytracing are amazing.
- Available in a lot of variants.
- Price is finally coming down.
- Lots of VRAM.
- Great power efficiency.
Now, looking at the pointers above, one might think that it is not enough for everyone, but if you have been searching for a good performance GPU, then this is something that you should be invested in because you will not let down in any case.
Sure, spending money on an RTX 3080 is not something that everyone is willing to do, but it is a one time cost that will easily help your game or do other productive work for years to come.
Reasons To Consider Geforce RTX 3070 Ti
Now that we are done looking at the RTX 3080 and the reasons to consider that, we also have to look at the RTX 3070 Ti. To be honest, for the most part, one would think that both GPUs are very identical in almost every way, but there are differences there, and these differences have an impact in the end. That’s why I’m going to take a look at all these factors.
- Close performance to RTX 3080.
- Cheaper than RTX 3080.
- Remains very power efficient.
- Excellent 1440p performance with acceptable 4K performance.
- 8GB VRAM is still enough.
- DLSS and Raytracing can work wonders in most of the games.
Now, I would not blame you if you decide to go ahead and pick up the RTX 3070 Ti over the RTX 3080, but honestly, making a decision like this is not going to help anyone, and we should always work towards investing things further, and that is what we are going to do here.
The article also explores the benchmarks that highlight the difference that you are going to get between both of these GPUs.
3070 Ti vs 3080: Features And Ports
Wanting your GPU to have all the necessary features is something that should not really come as a surprise to anyone. Thankfully, both the RTX 3080 and the RTX 3070 Ti are packed with features that will ensure that the performance remains good and you are not running into any problems, either. Sure, this is not for everyone, but hey, the option is there for you to look into, and that will ensure everything is perfect for your preference.
With that said, the RTX 3080 comes with a single HDMI 2.1 and three DisplayPort 1.4a. The same ports can be found on the RTX 3070 Ti. However, the one differentiating factor here is that with custom variants, you might get additional ports. Some might have another HDMI port, while others might have an extra DisplayPort.
As far as the features are concerned, both the RTX 3080 and the RTX 3070 Ti bring features such as Raytracing, DLSS, machine learning, and more. The feature set on both GPUs is identical.
Sure, you might get RGB lighting or additional fans, but that is entirely dependent on the OEM, and it is not something that will happen in reference models. Nvidia has ensured that you are looking at the same treatment across the board for a fairer result.
3070 Ti vs 3080: Power And Temperatures
Power consumption and temperatures are two of the things that a lot of people are always concerned about, and to be honest, when Nvidia announced the RTX 3000 series, a lot of people spent a significant time wondering what the situation would be like and to be honest, the results were rather impressive, to say the least.
The RTX 3070 Ti requires a 600W power supply, and while that might sound like a lot, but the TDP is around 290W. The performance you are getting in this is much, much better. The RTX 3080, on the other hand, requires a 700W+ PSU and has a TDP of 320W.
Both GPUs are also really good with their temperatures, and while there have been instances of heating but nothing has reached a situation where you are running in thermal throttling. The power consumption is increased, but the increase in performance more than justifies it.
3070 Ti vs 3080: Price Comparison
Honestly, it should not really surprise anyone but over the past couple of years. Pricing is one thing that has become just as important to anyone who is looking to get their hands on a good GPU.
After all, if you are not getting good performance out of the GPU that you are spending money on, then what’s the point. However, this extends to almost every other component, too.
The RTX 3070 Ti is priced at $599, and the RTX 3080 is priced at $699. However, you must keep in mind that this is the price for reference cards, which means that AIB variants are likely going to cost you more money, and you cannot just overlook that.
Testing Setup:
Now that I’m done telling you about the differences between both the GPUs, the next step is to start looking at the testing setup, so people have a better understanding of what they are getting into. Below, I have shared the testing setup used.
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
- Motherboard: MSI B550 Tomahawk
- RAM: G.Skill Flare X Memory 32GB.
- GPU: RTX 3070 Ti and RTX 3080
Now that you are done looking at the specs of the testing system, the next step is to start exploring the benchmarks because they are amongst the most important aspect of testing. Let’s get started.
3070 Ti vs 3080: Gaming Benchmarks In 2023
#1- Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p)
Starting the comparison with Cyberpunk 2077, we have seen a lot of games in the past, but none delivered the shock that Cyberpunk 2077 managed to deliver. The game was unoptimized at the start but even after being optimized is not something that you should be taking lightly, considering how it is very demanding.
With that said, for those wondering, the RTX 3070 Ti delivers an average of 111 frames, and the RTX 3080 manages an average of 131 frames on 1080p. It is worth noting that these scores are with Raytracing turned off.
- GeForce RTX 3070 Ti: 111 Average FPS
- GeForce RTX 3080: 131 Average FPS
#1.1- Cyberpunk 2077 (1440p)
Moving onto 1440p, a more demanding resolution, I see scores coming down, but not enough to turn on DLSS. This means that you can enjoy the game and do it really well in these situations, too.
The RTX 3070 Ti is going to deliver 72 frames on average, and the RTX 3080 is going to deliver 90 frames. The gameplay experience on this frame rate is going to be just as smooth, and you will be able to enjoy Night City the way you want to.
- GeForce RTX 3070 Ti: 72 Average FPS
- GeForce RTX 3080: 90 Average FPS
#1.2- Cyberpunk 2077 (4k)
4K is perhaps when things start to get really demanding because this time around, the game is going to take the most resources from the GPU, which means that while your CPU is going to perform properly, it will only draw a lot more resources.
Before you look at the scores, I would highly advise that you are now need of turning on DLSS for the proper performance. With that said, the RTX 3070 Ti is going to deliver 36 frames per second, and the RTX 3080 will manage 45 frames per second.
Thankfully, DLSS will help you get the best experience in every game.
- GeForce RTX 3070 Ti: 36 Average FPS
- GeForce RTX 3080: 45 Average FPS
#2- Red Dead Redemption 2 (1080p)
Red Dead Redemption 2 was the first game that made me change my GPU because my GTX 1080 at that time simply could not handle the game the way I thought it would. The game is amazing in every aspect, and good graphics are just one of many things about this game that will keep you coming back for more.
With that out of the way, the RTX 3070 Ti delivers 149 frames on average, with the RTX 3080 going as high as 166 frames per second. The tests were conducted using the highest settings with DLSS turned off.
- GeForce RTX 3070 Ti: 149 Average FPS
- GeForce RTX 3080: 166 Average FPS
#2.1- Red Dead Redemption 2 (1440p)
Even as I move over to 1440p, I do not see a massive drop in performance as the frame rate still manages to remain in the triple digit territory, and honestly, I am impressed by how well both GPUs managed to perform on this resolution as well.
The RTX 3070 Ti gets 121 frames on average, with the RTX 3080 going as high as 144 frames per second. The scores are more than satisfactory, and that is one thing that I can guarantee about these GPUs. I can assure you that you will not be disappointed.
- GeForce RTX 3070 Ti: 121 Average FPS
- GeForce RTX 3080: 144 Average FPS
#2.2- Red Dead Redemption 2 (4k)
4K is, of course, the best resolution for anyone who truly wants to enjoy the game, and while I cannot really say that other games would play nicely but Red Dead Redemption 2 does and does so in the classic fashion. If you have been looking for good performance, this is the way to go as you will not be let down.
The RTX 3070 Ti flies around with 78 frames per second, and the RTX 3080 manages 95 frames on average, which is more than adequate for a slow-burn game like Red Dead Redemption 2.
- GeForce RTX 3070 Ti: 78 Average FPS
- GeForce RTX 3080: 95 Average FPS
#3- Microsoft Flight Simulator (1080p)
Microsoft Flight Simulator is undoubtedly one of the most taxing games that you can look into, and well, you clearly are in need of a GPU that is good enough to deliver the performance you want. Thankfully, with the RTX 3070 Ti and the RTX 3080, you are getting good scores all around.
So, on 1080p, the RTX 3070 Ti is going to deliver 60 frames per second, and the RTX 3080 is going to go as high as 60 frames per second. The performance is more than acceptable.
- GeForce RTX 3070 Ti: 60 Average FPS
- GeForce RTX 3080: 60 Average FPS
#3.1- Microsoft Flight Simulator (1440p)
Moving further, we are going to 1440p, which should be more than acceptable for a lot of people. For those who are looking to play Flight Simulator, you are going to get 55 frames per second on the RTX 3070 Ti, and the RTX 3080 is going to deliver around 55 frames per second.
Again, your mileage may vary, so it is better that you are keeping this in mind.
- GeForce RTX 3070 Ti: 55 Average FPS
- GeForce RTX 3080: 55 Average FPS
#3.2- Microsoft Flight Simulator (4k)
4K is where things tend to get really taxing for almost all the GPUs. This is not because the game is unoptimized. It simply is taxing, so if you have been wondering that you want to get a good experience, this is the time to know.
The RTX 3070 Ti is going to deliver you 40 frames per second, and the RTX 3080 is going to deliver you 49 frames per second.
Now, I do understand that this might not be enough, but this game is taxing on the GPUs, so these numbers are normal.
- GeForce RTX 3070 Ti: 40 Average FPS
- GeForce RTX 3080: 49 Average FPS
#4- Fortnite (1080p)
Even after all the years, Fortnite manages to remain one of the most relevant games out there, and well, for all the right reasons. It actually is excellent on so many levels, and for anyone who wants to have a good battle royale experience, this is a good call.
The RTX 3070 Ti gets a staggering 272 frame average, with the RTX 3080 getting around 321 frames on average. It is more than safe to say that you are not going to run into any hiccups with this game.
- GeForce RTX 3070 Ti: 272 Average FPS
- GeForce RTX 3080: 321 Average FPS
#4.1- Fortnite (1440p)
The story does not change all that much when you bump the resolution up to 1440p. For those interested, the RTX 3070 Ti is going to give you around 178 frames per second, and the RTX 3080 is going to manage 215 frames per second on average. Another milestone achievement for both GPUs.
- GeForce RTX 3070 Ti: 178 Average FPS
- GeForce RTX 3080: 215 Average FPS
#4.2- Fortnite (4k)
One would think that 4K is something that will bring the GPUs down to their knees, but that is not the case with Fortnite as both GPUs pass with flying colors, and the results you are getting are excellent, as well.
On 4K, the RTX 3070 Ti delivers 90 frames per second, and the RTX 3080 is going to deliver 110 frames per second. Proving once again that it is one of the most powerful GPUs.
- GeForce RTX 3070 Ti: 90 Average FPS
- GeForce RTX 3080: 110 Average FPS
#5- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (1080p)
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is another game that you are going to enjoy, especially if you are looking for graphically superior games. Thankfully, you are not going to run into any issues.
With that out of the way, the RTX 3070 Ti is going to deliver 96 frames per second, and the RTX 3080 is going to deliver 104 frames per second. So, if you have been looking to enjoy the game at 1080p, this resolution is perfect.
- GeForce RTX 3070 Ti: 96 Average FPS
- GeForce RTX 3080: 104 Average FPS
#5.1- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (1440p)
For 1440p, you are not really going to run into any problems with the games that you are playing. Thankfully, both GPUs are more than adequate, even on 1440p.
The RTX 3070 Ti nicely performs at 79 frames per second, whereas the RTX 3080 leads with an 87 frame average. Again, very good scores.
- GeForce RTX 3070 Ti: 79 Average FPS
- GeForce RTX 3080: 87 Average FPS
#5.2- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (4k)
Things are not really all that different when you are going over to 4K, to be honest. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a demanding game, and that is something that I have established from the get-go. So, there is no point in wondering if there is something wrong with the GPUs because that is not the case.
For those who are looking for performance, the RTX 3070 Ti is going to give you around 52 frames on average, and the RTX 3080 will be giving you 60 frames on average, which is an acceptable result for this game.
- GeForce RTX 3070 Ti: 52 Average FPS
- GeForce RTX 3080: 60 Average FPS
Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti vs RTX 3080: Which One Should You Buy?
I understand that making the right decision when it comes to choosing a GPU can often be difficult, but the point here is that if you are being careful enough, you would be able to pick up the right offering and that too, without any issues. Just be certain that the GPU that you do decide to pick is good enough.
Thankfully, the RTX 3080 is the right choice here as it delivers almost everything that one could want from a good and solid GPU. The performance is excellent, the value for money is great, and you have everything that you could want in a good GPU. Rest assured, you do not have to stress over going wrong with this GPU.
My Final Thoughts On It!
The GPU market is confusing at best, especially if you are not sure about the GPU that you are looking to get your hands on. Thankfully, the whole point of this post is to make things easier for everyone who is looking to get the best deal.
Now, the GPUs that I have up for comparison are nothing new, they have been around for as long as I can remember, but the one thing that is for sure about them is that they do deliver great performance.
The RTX 3080 is the clear winner here, and you will be happy to know that if you have been searching for something that works wonderfully, this guide is for you.
