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 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $851 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $1,250 MSRP).
✅Delivers 139.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 21.3 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $1,250 MSRP).
✅Draws 200W instead of 350W, a 150W reduction.
✅Measures 242mm instead of 285mm, a 43mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3080 12GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (152 vs 280), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

2022

Why buy it

✅13.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅84.2% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (280 vs 152).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌
213.3% HIGHER MSRP
$1,250 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.3 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($1,250 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
❌75% higher power demand at 350W vs 200W.
❌17.8% longer card at 285mm vs 242mm.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $851 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $1,250 MSRP).
✅Delivers 139.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 21.3 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $1,250 MSRP).
✅Draws 200W instead of 350W, a 150W reduction.
✅Measures 242mm instead of 285mm, a 43mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅13.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅84.2% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (280 vs 152).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3080 12GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (152 vs 280), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.

Trade-offs

❌
213.3% HIGHER MSRP
$1,250 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.3 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($1,250 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
❌75% higher power demand at 350W vs 200W.
❌17.8% longer card at 285mm vs 242mm.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3080 12GB better than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 13.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data, 30.8% higher PassMark G3D performance, 280 vs 152 Tensor cores, and 12 GB vs 8 GB of VRAM. It also comes from 2022 instead of 2020, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

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

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2020, 30.8% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 8 GB, and 84.2% more ray-tracing hardware. 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 3080 12GB is about 213.3% more expensive on MSRP at $1,250 MSRP versus $399 MSRP, and you are getting 13.9% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 30.8% higher G3D Mark. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium. If you are comfortable paying the premium for the stronger gaming result, GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is the one to buy. If staying closer to budget matters more, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti still makes more sense on price alone and remains capable enough for modern gaming.

Is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is still a strong gaming GPU in 2026: it is excellent for 1080p, very strong for 1440p, and still capable at 4K with sensible settings or upscaling. This mostly comes down to price. If you want to stay closer to $399 MSRP, it remains a strong choice; if you are comfortable paying more, GeForce RTX 3080 12GB earns that extra money with a clearly stronger gaming result and a more complete overall package.

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 3060 Ti Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
1080p
low	152 FPS	165 FPS
medium	137 FPS	150 FPS
high	118 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	113 FPS
1440p
low	131 FPS	139 FPS
medium	107 FPS	115 FPS
high	91 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	85 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	80 FPS
medium	65 FPS	67 FPS
high	50 FPS	51 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	45 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
1080p
low	425 FPS	553 FPS
medium	366 FPS	473 FPS
high	296 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	248 FPS	345 FPS
1440p
low	272 FPS	415 FPS
medium	229 FPS	344 FPS
high	190 FPS	273 FPS
ultra	156 FPS	233 FPS
4K
low	133 FPS	198 FPS
medium	114 FPS	168 FPS
high	96 FPS	144 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	120 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
1080p
low	859 FPS	892 FPS
medium	693 FPS	724 FPS
high	602 FPS	631 FPS
ultra	457 FPS	551 FPS
1440p
low	658 FPS	705 FPS
medium	529 FPS	567 FPS
high	452 FPS	484 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	416 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	485 FPS
medium	346 FPS	394 FPS
high	275 FPS	331 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	275 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
1080p
low	580 FPS	456 FPS
medium	514 FPS	413 FPS
high	424 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	295 FPS
1440p
low	478 FPS	366 FPS
medium	427 FPS	334 FPS
high	335 FPS	273 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	233 FPS
4K
low	285 FPS	245 FPS
medium	266 FPS	226 FPS
high	234 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	166 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

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.

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.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 20,312 versus the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB's 26,569 — the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB leads by 30.8%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB uses Ampere, both on a 8 nm process. Shader units: 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 8,960 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB). Raw compute: 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 30.64 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 1710 MHz. Ray tracing: 38 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 70 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) with 152 Tensor cores vs 280.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
G3D Mark Score	20,312	26,569+31%
Architecture	Ampere	Ampere
Process Node	8 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	4864	8960+84%
Compute (TFLOPS)	16.2 TFLOPS	30.64 TFLOPS+89%
Boost Clock	1665 MHz	1710 MHz+3%
ROPs	80	96+20%
TMUs	152	280+84%
L1 Cache	4.8 MB	8.8 MB+83%
L2 Cache	4 MB	6 MB+50%
Ray Tracing Cores	38	70+84%
Tensor Cores	152	280+84%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
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 3060 Ti comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 912 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) — a 103.6% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB. Bus width: 256-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) — the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	12 GB+50%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth	448 GB/s	912 GB/s+104%
Bus Width	256-bit	384-bit+50%
L2 Cache	4 MB	6 MB+50%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
DirectX	12 Ultimate (12_2)	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.3	1.4+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB). Decoder: NVDEC (Ampere) vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
Encoder	NVENC (Ampere)	NVENC 7th gen
Decoder	NVDEC (Ampere)	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti draws 200W versus the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB's 350W — a 54.5% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 750W (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 285mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
TDP	200W-43%	350W
Recommended PSU	600W-20%	750W
Power Connector	8-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	242mm	285mm
Height	112mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75-6%	80°C
Perf/Watt	101.6+34%	75.9

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB launched at $1250. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti costs 68.1% less ($851 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 21.3 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 139% better value. The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2020).