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 3080 12GB

2022

Why buy it

✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1 (2025).
❌Weaker long-term outlook: Radeon RX 9070 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌
127.7% HIGHER MSRP
$1,250 MSRPvs$549 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.3 vs 46.2 G3D/$ ($1,250 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Radeon RX 9070

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $701 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $1,250 MSRP).
✅Delivers 117.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 46.2 vs 21.3 G3D/$ ($549 MSRP vs $1,250 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1 (2025).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 12 GB).
✅More future proof: RDNA 4.0 (2025) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

2022

Radeon RX 9070

2025

Why buy it

✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).

Why buy it

✅Costs $701 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $1,250 MSRP).
✅Delivers 117.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 46.2 vs 21.3 G3D/$ ($549 MSRP vs $1,250 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1 (2025).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 12 GB).
✅More future proof: RDNA 4.0 (2025) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1 (2025).
❌Weaker long-term outlook: Radeon RX 9070 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌
127.7% HIGHER MSRP
$1,250 MSRPvs$549 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.3 vs 46.2 G3D/$ ($1,250 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3080 12GB better than Radeon RX 9070?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 26,569 vs 25,380 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is the overall package: you are getting DLSS Super Resolution.

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

Radeon RX 9070 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2025 generation instead of 2022, more VRAM at 16 GB instead of 12 GB, better upscaling support with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1 (2025) instead of DLSS Super Resolution, and a 5nm process instead of 8nm. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

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

Radeon RX 9070 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $549 MSRP. GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is about 127.7% more expensive on MSRP at $1,250 MSRP versus $549 MSRP, and you are getting 4.7% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 9070 is the newer 2025 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture, lower power draw (220W vs 350W), and future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does Radeon RX 9070 make more sense than GeForce RTX 3080 12GB?

Yes. Radeon RX 9070 is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is excellent for 1080p, very strong for 1440p, and still capable at 4K with sensible settings or upscaling. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (220W vs 350W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $549 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce RTX 3080 12GB. The trade-off is that GeForce RTX 3080 12GB currently gives you 4.7% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 9070 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

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 3080 12GB Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 9070 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	Radeon RX 9070
1080p
low	212 FPS	211 FPS
medium	198 FPS	196 FPS
high	174 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	132 FPS	153 FPS
1440p
low	176 FPS	193 FPS
medium	147 FPS	163 FPS
high	123 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	121 FPS
4K
low	88 FPS	128 FPS
medium	74 FPS	106 FPS
high	56 FPS	82 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	75 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3080 12GB Open Radeon RX 9070

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	Radeon RX 9070
1080p
low	593 FPS	450 FPS
medium	505 FPS	378 FPS
high	409 FPS	294 FPS
ultra	372 FPS	241 FPS
1440p
low	432 FPS	322 FPS
medium	353 FPS	267 FPS
high	280 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	173 FPS
4K
low	205 FPS	145 FPS
medium	172 FPS	124 FPS
high	147 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	124 FPS	77 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3080 12GB Open Radeon RX 9070

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	Radeon RX 9070
1080p
low	999 FPS	900 FPS
medium	956 FPS	745 FPS
high	797 FPS	661 FPS
ultra	598 FPS	562 FPS
1440p
low	897 FPS	693 FPS
medium	717 FPS	568 FPS
high	598 FPS	493 FPS
ultra	448 FPS	412 FPS
4K
low	564 FPS	481 FPS
medium	478 FPS	397 FPS
high	399 FPS	334 FPS
ultra	299 FPS	271 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3080 12GB Open Radeon RX 9070

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	Radeon RX 9070
1080p
low	543 FPS	809 FPS
medium	488 FPS	703 FPS
high	409 FPS	633 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	558 FPS
1440p
low	421 FPS	641 FPS
medium	383 FPS	558 FPS
high	319 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	252 FPS	428 FPS
4K
low	279 FPS	429 FPS
medium	256 FPS	381 FPS
high	226 FPS	344 FPS
ultra	189 FPS	286 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3080 12GB Open Radeon RX 9070

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3080 12GB and Radeon RX 9070

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 11 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1260 MHz to 1710 MHz. It has 8960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 70 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,569 points. Launch price was $799.

Radeon RX 9070

The Radeon RX 9070 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 6 2025. It features the RDNA 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1330 MHz to 2520 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 56 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 25,380 points. Launch price was $549.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB scores 26,569 and the Radeon RX 9070 reaches 25,380 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 9070 uses RDNA 4.0, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 8,960 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 3,584 (Radeon RX 9070). Raw compute: 30.64 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 36.13 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 9070). Boost clocks: 1710 MHz vs 2520 MHz. Ray tracing: 70 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 56 (Radeon RX 9070) with 280 Tensor cores vs 112.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	Radeon RX 9070
G3D Mark Score	26,569+5%	25,380
Architecture	Ampere	RDNA 4.0
Process Node	8 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	8960+150%	3584
Compute (TFLOPS)	30.64 TFLOPS	36.13 TFLOPS+18%
Boost Clock	1710 MHz	2520 MHz+47%
ROPs	96	128+33%
TMUs	280+25%	224
L2 Cache	6 MB	8 MB+33%
Ray Tracing Cores	70+25%	56
Tensor Cores	280+150%	112

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 9070 is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1. 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 RTX 3080 12GB lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 9070 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	Radeon RX 9070
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 9070 has 16 GB. The Radeon RX 9070 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 912 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 640 GB/s (Radeon RX 9070) — a 42.5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB. Bus width: 384-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 8 MB (Radeon RX 9070) — the Radeon RX 9070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	Radeon RX 9070
VRAM Capacity	12 GB	16 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR6X	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	912 GB/s+43%	640 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+50%	256-bit
L2 Cache	6 MB	8 MB+33%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 12 Ultimate (Radeon RX 9070). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	Radeon RX 9070
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.4	1.4
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs Dual Media Engine (Radeon RX 9070). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs Dual Media Engine. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs H.264,H.265,AV1 (Radeon RX 9070).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	Radeon RX 9070
Encoder	NVENC 7th gen	Dual Media Engine
Decoder	NVDEC 5th gen	Dual Media Engine
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1	H.264,H.265,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB draws 350W versus the Radeon RX 9070's 220W — a 45.6% difference. The Radeon RX 9070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 650W (Radeon RX 9070). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 285mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 85.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB	Radeon RX 9070
TDP	350W	220W-37%
Recommended PSU	750W	650W-13%
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	285mm	267mm
Height	112mm	110mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C-6%	85
Perf/Watt	75.9	115.4+52%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB launched at $1250 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 9070 launched at $549. The Radeon RX 9070 costs 56.1% less ($701 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.3 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) vs 46.2 (Radeon RX 9070) — the Radeon RX 9070 offers 116.9% better value. The Radeon RX 9070 is the newer GPU (2025 vs 2022).