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 RTX 2080

2018

Why buy it

✅142.1% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (368 vs 152).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌
75.2% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.7 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
❌10.3% longer card at 267mm vs 242mm.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅9.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $300 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Delivers 90.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 26.7 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Measures 242mm instead of 267mm, a 25mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (152 vs 368), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.

GeForce RTX 2080

2018

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅142.1% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (368 vs 152).

Why buy it

✅9.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $300 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Delivers 90.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 26.7 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Measures 242mm instead of 267mm, a 25mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌
75.2% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.7 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
❌10.3% longer card at 267mm vs 242mm.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (152 vs 368), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti better than GeForce RTX 2080?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 9.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 8.8% higher PassMark G3D performance. It also comes from 2020 instead of 2018, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

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 2018, 8.8% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 8 GB, and a 8nm process instead of 12nm. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

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 $300 cheaper on MSRP at $399 MSRP versus $699 MSRP, and you are getting 9.8% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 8.8% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 90.5%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce RTX 2080 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce RTX 2080 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 $699 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 RTX 2080 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 2080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	159 FPS	152 FPS
medium	141 FPS	137 FPS
high	123 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	135 FPS	131 FPS
medium	109 FPS	107 FPS
high	96 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	77 FPS
medium	68 FPS	65 FPS
high	54 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	43 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2080 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 2080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	413 FPS	425 FPS
medium	347 FPS	366 FPS
high	282 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	248 FPS
1440p
low	262 FPS	272 FPS
medium	221 FPS	229 FPS
high	192 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	161 FPS	156 FPS
4K
low	126 FPS	133 FPS
medium	108 FPS	114 FPS
high	91 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	73 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2080 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 2080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	783 FPS	859 FPS
medium	634 FPS	693 FPS
high	560 FPS	602 FPS
ultra	420 FPS	457 FPS
1440p
low	606 FPS	658 FPS
medium	492 FPS	529 FPS
high	420 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	315 FPS	343 FPS
4K
low	409 FPS	434 FPS
medium	331 FPS	346 FPS
high	277 FPS	275 FPS
ultra	210 FPS	221 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2080 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 2080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	529 FPS	580 FPS
medium	460 FPS	514 FPS
high	395 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	327 FPS	373 FPS
1440p
low	431 FPS	478 FPS
medium	376 FPS	427 FPS
high	307 FPS	335 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	290 FPS
4K
low	272 FPS	285 FPS
medium	257 FPS	266 FPS
high	224 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	185 FPS	195 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2080 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 2080 and GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

GeForce RTX 2080

The GeForce RTX 2080 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 20 2018. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1515 MHz to 1710 MHz. It has 2944 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 215W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 18,676 points. Launch price was $699.

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 RTX 2080 scores 18,676 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 8.8%. The GeForce RTX 2080 is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,944 (GeForce RTX 2080) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Raw compute: 10.07 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2080) vs 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Boost clocks: 1710 MHz vs 1665 MHz. Ray tracing: 46 RT cores (GeForce RTX 2080) vs 38 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) with 368 Tensor cores vs 152.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score	18,676	20,312+9%
Architecture	Turing	Ampere
Process Node	12 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2944	4864+65%
Compute (TFLOPS)	10.07 TFLOPS	16.2 TFLOPS+61%
Boost Clock	1710 MHz+3%	1665 MHz
ROPs	64	80+25%
TMUs	184+21%	152
L1 Cache	2.9 MB	4.8 MB+66%
L2 Cache	4 MB	4 MB
Ray Tracing Cores	46+21%	38
Tensor Cores	368+142%	152

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce RTX 2080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 2080 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 1.2% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 256-bit.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
VRAM Capacity	7.906 GB	8 GB+1%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	448 GB/s	448 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	4 MB	4 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce RTX 2080) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan	1.2	1.3+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 6th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 2080) vs NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: 4th Gen NVDEC vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce RTX 2080) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

Feature	GeForce RTX 2080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder	6th Gen NVENC	NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder	4th Gen NVDEC	NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2080 draws 215W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 7.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 2080) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2080	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
TDP	215W	200W-7%
Recommended PSU	650W	600W-8%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	242mm
Height	116mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	75-6%
Perf/Watt	86.9	101.6+17%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 2080 launched at $699 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti costs 42.9% less ($300 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 26.7 (GeForce RTX 2080) vs 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 90.6% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2018).