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 PassMark G3D performance (15,609 vs 22,651).
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌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$399 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.1 vs 56.8 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

2023

Why buy it

✅+45.1% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $200 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Delivers 117.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 56.8 vs 26.1 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm 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 4060 Ti

2023

Why buy it

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

Why buy it

✅+45.1% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $200 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Delivers 117.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 56.8 vs 26.1 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (15,609 vs 22,651).
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌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$399 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.1 vs 56.8 G3D/$ ($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 4060 Ti better than GeForce GTX 1080?

Yes. GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 22,651 vs 15,609 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is a 2023 card with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, 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 4060 Ti is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2016, 45.1% more raw performance headroom, better upscaling support with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 5nm 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 4060 Ti is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is about $200 cheaper on MSRP at $399 MSRP versus $599 MSRP, and you are getting 45.1% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 117.9%. 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 4060 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 4060 Ti Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti
1080p
low	153 FPS	177 FPS
medium	135 FPS	162 FPS
high	120 FPS	142 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	124 FPS
1440p
low	131 FPS	143 FPS
medium	106 FPS	118 FPS
high	94 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	85 FPS	93 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	93 FPS
medium	65 FPS	79 FPS
high	52 FPS	66 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	59 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 Open GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti
1080p
low	300 FPS	425 FPS
medium	251 FPS	359 FPS
high	187 FPS	292 FPS
ultra	151 FPS	237 FPS
1440p
low	188 FPS	270 FPS
medium	158 FPS	229 FPS
high	126 FPS	186 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	154 FPS
4K
low	106 FPS	117 FPS
medium	87 FPS	95 FPS
high	71 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	60 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 Open GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti
1080p
low	702 FPS	855 FPS
medium	562 FPS	693 FPS
high	468 FPS	609 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	510 FPS
1440p
low	527 FPS	660 FPS
medium	421 FPS	527 FPS
high	351 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	382 FPS
4K
low	351 FPS	447 FPS
medium	281 FPS	355 FPS
high	234 FPS	308 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	255 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 Open GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti
1080p
low	433 FPS	775 FPS
medium	364 FPS	639 FPS
high	303 FPS	558 FPS
ultra	258 FPS	492 FPS
1440p
low	356 FPS	613 FPS
medium	298 FPS	503 FPS
high	235 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	378 FPS
4K
low	193 FPS	375 FPS
medium	151 FPS	322 FPS
high	137 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	255 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 Open GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1080 and GeForce RTX 4060 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 4060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2310 MHz to 2535 MHz. It has 4352 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 34 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,651 points. Launch price was $399.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1080 scores 15,609 versus the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti's 22,651 — the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti leads by 45.1%. The GeForce GTX 1080 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti uses Ada Lovelace, both on 16 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 4,352 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 22.06 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 2535 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti
G3D Mark Score	15,609	22,651+45%
Architecture	Pascal	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	16 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	2560	4352+70%
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS	22.06 TFLOPS+149%
Boost Clock	1733 MHz	2535 MHz+46%
ROPs	64+33%	48
TMUs	160+18%	136
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	4.3 MB+357%
L2 Cache	2 MB	32 MB+1500%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce GTX 1080 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1080 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	Yes (DLSS 3.5)
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 288 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) — a 11.1% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1080. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 32 MB (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5X	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	320 GB/s+11%	288 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	32 MB+1500%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4060 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 4060 Ti
DirectX	12.1	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 8th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti). Decoder: NVDEC 3rd gen vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti
Encoder	NVENC 6th gen	8th Gen NVENC
Decoder	NVDEC 3rd gen	5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1080 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti's 160W — a 11.8% difference. The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 70°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti
TDP	180W	160W-11%
Recommended PSU	500W-9%	550W
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	240mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C	70°C-7%
Perf/Watt	86.7	141.6+63%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1080 launched at $599 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti launched at $399. The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti costs 33.4% less ($200 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 26.1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 56.8 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti offers 117.6% better value. The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2016).