G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 1080

2016

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
50.1% HIGHER MSRP
$599 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.1 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅34.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $200 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Delivers 95.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 26.1 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

GeForce GTX 1080

2016

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Why buy it

✅34.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $200 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Delivers 95.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 26.1 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
50.1% HIGHER MSRP
$599 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.1 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti better than GeForce GTX 1080?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti averages 34.3% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 20,312 vs 15,609 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 1080 is a 2016 model from an older high-end class with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2016, 30.1% more raw performance headroom, better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 8nm process instead of 16nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is about $200 cheaper on MSRP at $399 MSRP versus $599 MSRP, and you are getting 34.3% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 30.1% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 95.4%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce GTX 1080 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1080 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $599 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 1080 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	153 FPS	152 FPS
medium	135 FPS	137 FPS
high	120 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	131 FPS	131 FPS
medium	106 FPS	107 FPS
high	94 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	85 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	77 FPS
medium	65 FPS	65 FPS
high	52 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	43 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	289 FPS	425 FPS
medium	242 FPS	366 FPS
high	181 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	147 FPS	248 FPS
1440p
low	186 FPS	272 FPS
medium	158 FPS	229 FPS
high	127 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	156 FPS
4K
low	106 FPS	133 FPS
medium	88 FPS	114 FPS
high	73 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	57 FPS	73 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	702 FPS	859 FPS
medium	562 FPS	693 FPS
high	468 FPS	602 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	457 FPS
1440p
low	527 FPS	658 FPS
medium	421 FPS	529 FPS
high	351 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	343 FPS
4K
low	351 FPS	434 FPS
medium	281 FPS	346 FPS
high	234 FPS	275 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	221 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	399 FPS	580 FPS
medium	334 FPS	514 FPS
high	281 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	241 FPS	373 FPS
1440p
low	332 FPS	478 FPS
medium	277 FPS	427 FPS
high	220 FPS	335 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	290 FPS
4K
low	180 FPS	285 FPS
medium	141 FPS	266 FPS
high	129 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	195 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1080 and GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

GeForce GTX 1080

The GeForce GTX 1080 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 27 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1733 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 15,609 points. Launch price was $599.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 4864 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 38 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,312 points. Launch price was $399.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1080 scores 15,609 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 30.1%. The GeForce GTX 1080 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1665 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score	15,609	20,312+30%
Architecture	Pascal	Ampere
Process Node	16 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2560	4864+90%
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS	16.2 TFLOPS+83%
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+4%	1665 MHz
ROPs	64	80+25%
TMUs	160+5%	152
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	4.8 MB+411%
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1080 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 8 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 320 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — a 40% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Bus width: 256-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5X	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	320 GB/s	448 GB/s+40%
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan	1.4+8%	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6th gen (GeForce GTX 1080) vs NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: NVDEC 3rd gen vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder	NVENC 6th gen	NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder	NVDEC 3rd gen	NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1080 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 10.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 1080 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
TDP	180W-10%	200W
Recommended PSU	500W-17%	600W
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	242mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C	75
Perf/Watt	86.7	101.6+17%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1080 launched at $599 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti costs 33.4% less ($200 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 26.1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 95% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2016).