GeForce RTX 3080 vs Radeon RX 7800 XT

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3080

2020Core: 1440 MHzBoost: 1710 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon RX 7800 XT

2023Core: 1295 MHzBoost: 2430 MHz

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - GPU

About G3D Mark

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

2020

Why buy it

  • 5.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 10 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
  • Weaker long-term outlook: Radeon RX 7800 XT is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
  • 40.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $699 MSRPvs$499 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 35.9 vs 48.6 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Radeon RX 7800 XT

2023

Why buy it

  • Costs $200 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
  • Delivers 35.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 48.6 vs 35.9 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
  • 60% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 10 GB).
  • More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3080 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR 3 (2023) instead.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3080 better than Radeon RX 7800 XT?
Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. GeForce RTX 3080 averages 5.7% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 25,071 vs 24,253 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce RTX 3080 is the overall package: you are getting DLSS Super Resolution.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon RX 7800 XT is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2020, more VRAM at 16 GB instead of 10 GB, better upscaling support with FSR 3 (2023) instead of DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023) 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?
GeForce RTX 3080 is still the better GPU overall, but Radeon RX 7800 XT is probably the smarter buy today for most people. GeForce RTX 3080 is about 40.1% more expensive on MSRP at $699 MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and you are getting 5.7% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 3.4% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 7800 XT still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium. Paying about 40.1% more on MSRP for only 5.7% more estimated average FPS is just a weak value trade on paper.
When does Radeon RX 7800 XT make more sense than GeForce RTX 3080?
Yes. Radeon RX 7800 XT is still a very sensible gaming buy in 2026: it is excellent for 1080p, very strong for 1440p, and still capable at 4K with sensible settings or upscaling. Around $499 MSRP, you are saving about $200 on MSRP and only giving up lower estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. Radeon RX 7800 XT 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3080Radeon RX 7800 XT
1080p
low164 FPS210 FPS
medium150 FPS193 FPS
high129 FPS166 FPS
ultra113 FPS152 FPS
1440p
low139 FPS192 FPS
medium116 FPS160 FPS
high97 FPS130 FPS
ultra88 FPS120 FPS
4K
low85 FPS127 FPS
medium72 FPS105 FPS
high56 FPS79 FPS
ultra50 FPS73 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3080Radeon RX 7800 XT
1080p
low579 FPS450 FPS
medium493 FPS393 FPS
high390 FPS319 FPS
ultra338 FPS281 FPS
1440p
low386 FPS351 FPS
medium322 FPS295 FPS
high257 FPS237 FPS
ultra219 FPS197 FPS
4K
low178 FPS169 FPS
medium153 FPS145 FPS
high131 FPS122 FPS
ultra110 FPS96 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3080Radeon RX 7800 XT
1080p
low869 FPS895 FPS
medium706 FPS727 FPS
high617 FPS631 FPS
ultra539 FPS541 FPS
1440p
low686 FPS691 FPS
medium555 FPS556 FPS
high475 FPS472 FPS
ultra408 FPS398 FPS
4K
low472 FPS481 FPS
medium386 FPS389 FPS
high325 FPS320 FPS
ultra270 FPS262 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3080Radeon RX 7800 XT
1080p
low647 FPS582 FPS
medium588 FPS514 FPS
high490 FPS453 FPS
ultra455 FPS386 FPS
1440p
low524 FPS461 FPS
medium472 FPS413 FPS
high396 FPS345 FPS
ultra358 FPS295 FPS
4K
low344 FPS322 FPS
medium314 FPS292 FPS
high289 FPS234 FPS
ultra261 FPS198 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3080 and Radeon RX 7800 XT

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3080

The GeForce RTX 3080 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1440 MHz to 1710 MHz. It has 8704 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 320W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 68 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 25,071 points. Launch price was $699.

AMD

Radeon RX 7800 XT

The Radeon RX 7800 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 25 2023. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1295 MHz to 2430 MHz. It has 3840 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 263W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 60 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 24,253 points. Launch price was $499.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 3080 scores 25,071 and the Radeon RX 7800 XT reaches 24,253 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 3080 is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 7800 XT uses RDNA 3.0, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 8,704 (GeForce RTX 3080) vs 3,840 (Radeon RX 7800 XT). Raw compute: 29.77 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3080) vs 37.32 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 7800 XT). Boost clocks: 1710 MHz vs 2430 MHz. Ray tracing: 68 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3080) vs 60 (Radeon RX 7800 XT) with 272 Tensor cores.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3080Radeon RX 7800 XT
G3D Mark Score
25,071+3%
24,253
Architecture
Ampere
RDNA 3.0
Process Node
8 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
8704+127%
3840
Compute (TFLOPS)
29.77 TFLOPS
37.32 TFLOPS+25%
Boost Clock
1710 MHz
2430 MHz+42%
ROPs
96
96
TMUs
272+13%
240
L1 Cache
8.5 MB+1033%
0.75 MB
L2 Cache
5 MB+25%
4 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
68+13%
60

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 7800 XT is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. 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 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 3080 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 7800 XT relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3080Radeon RX 7800 XT
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
FSR 3
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3080 comes with 10 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 7800 XT has 16 GB. The Radeon RX 7800 XT offers 60% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 760 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3080) vs 624 GB/s (Radeon RX 7800 XT) — a 21.8% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3080. Bus width: 320-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 5 MB (GeForce RTX 3080) vs 4 MB (Radeon RX 7800 XT) — the GeForce RTX 3080 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3080Radeon RX 7800 XT
VRAM Capacity
10 GB
16 GB+60%
Memory Type
GDDR6X
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
760 GB/s+22%
624 GB/s
Bus Width
320-bit+25%
256-bit
L2 Cache
5 MB+25%
4 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3080) vs 12 Ultimate (Radeon RX 7800 XT). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3080Radeon RX 7800 XT
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 3080) vs Dual VCN 4.0 (Radeon RX 7800 XT). Decoder: NVDEC (Ampere) vs VCN 4.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3080) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9 (Radeon RX 7800 XT).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3080Radeon RX 7800 XT
Encoder
NVENC (Ampere)
Dual VCN 4.0
Decoder
NVDEC (Ampere)
VCN 4.0
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1
H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3080 draws 320W versus the Radeon RX 7800 XT's 263W — a 19.6% difference. The Radeon RX 7800 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (GeForce RTX 3080) vs 700W (Radeon RX 7800 XT). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 285mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3080Radeon RX 7800 XT
TDP
320W
263W-18%
Recommended PSU
750W
700W-7%
Power Connector
2x 8-pin
2x 8-pin
Length
285mm
267mm
Height
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75
75°C
Perf/Watt
78.3
92.2+18%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3080 launched at $699 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 7800 XT launched at $499. The Radeon RX 7800 XT costs 28.6% less ($200 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 35.9 (GeForce RTX 3080) vs 48.6 (Radeon RX 7800 XT) — the Radeon RX 7800 XT offers 35.4% better value. The Radeon RX 7800 XT is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2020).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3080Radeon RX 7800 XT
MSRP
$699
$499-29%
Performance per Dollar
35.9
48.6+35%
Codename
GA102
Navi 32
Release
September 1 2020
August 25 2023
Ranking
#41
#46