GeForce RTX 5080 vs Radeon RX 7900 XTX

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 5080

2025Core: 2295 MHzBoost: 2617 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon RX 7900 XTX

2022Core: 1929 MHzBoost: 2498 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 5080

2025

Why buy it

  • +14.8% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Delivers 14.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 36.0 vs 31.3 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • Newer upscaling generation: DLSS 4 Super Resolution (2025) vs FSR 3 (2023).
  • More future proof: Blackwell 2.0 (2025−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 16 GB vs 24 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Radeon RX 7900 XTX

2022

Why buy it

  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 16 GB).

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (31,285 vs 35,924).
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR 3 (2023) instead.
  • Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 5080 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 31.3 vs 36.0 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 5080 better than Radeon RX 7900 XTX?
Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 35,924 vs 31,285 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce RTX 5080 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, DLSS 4 + Multi Frame Gen.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 5080 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2025 generation instead of 2022, 14.8% more raw performance headroom, and better upscaling support with DLSS 4 Super Resolution (2025) instead of FSR 3 (2023). 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 5080 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 5080 is in basically the same MSRP band at $999 MSRP versus $999 MSRP, and you are getting 14.8% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 14.8%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is Radeon RX 7900 XTX still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. Radeon RX 7900 XTX is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is excellent for 1080p and 1440p maxed-out gaming, and still very capable for 4K in many titles. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $999 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 5080 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce RTX 5080Radeon RX 7900 XTX
1080p
low350 FPS325 FPS
medium334 FPS310 FPS
high280 FPS265 FPS
ultra221 FPS209 FPS
1440p
low326 FPS307 FPS
medium274 FPS258 FPS
high215 FPS208 FPS
ultra173 FPS168 FPS
4K
low194 FPS188 FPS
medium160 FPS156 FPS
high121 FPS119 FPS
ultra108 FPS106 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 5080Radeon RX 7900 XTX
1080p
low822 FPS881 FPS
medium651 FPS690 FPS
high511 FPS534 FPS
ultra447 FPS472 FPS
1440p
low651 FPS678 FPS
medium536 FPS545 FPS
high434 FPS432 FPS
ultra360 FPS362 FPS
4K
low360 FPS375 FPS
medium306 FPS308 FPS
high277 FPS276 FPS
ultra234 FPS237 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 5080Radeon RX 7900 XTX
1080p
low944 FPS999 FPS
medium772 FPS999 FPS
high699 FPS939 FPS
ultra604 FPS704 FPS
1440p
low731 FPS964 FPS
medium598 FPS845 FPS
high529 FPS704 FPS
ultra452 FPS528 FPS
4K
low506 FPS580 FPS
medium419 FPS504 FPS
high377 FPS438 FPS
ultra317 FPS352 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 5080Radeon RX 7900 XTX
1080p
low999 FPS999 FPS
medium999 FPS884 FPS
high901 FPS779 FPS
ultra795 FPS672 FPS
1440p
low861 FPS772 FPS
medium754 FPS655 FPS
high656 FPS563 FPS
ultra563 FPS483 FPS
4K
low626 FPS547 FPS
medium555 FPS475 FPS
high488 FPS415 FPS
ultra404 FPS352 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 5080 and Radeon RX 7900 XTX

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 5080

The GeForce RTX 5080 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 30 2025. It features the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2295 MHz to 2617 MHz. It has 10752 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 360W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 84 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 35,924 points. Launch price was $999.

AMD

Radeon RX 7900 XTX

The Radeon RX 7900 XTX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 3 2022. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1929 MHz to 2498 MHz. It has 6144 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 355W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 96 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 31,285 points. Launch price was $999.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 5080 scores 35,924 versus the Radeon RX 7900 XTX's 31,285 — the GeForce RTX 5080 leads by 14.8%. The GeForce RTX 5080 is built on Blackwell 2.0 while the Radeon RX 7900 XTX uses RDNA 3.0, both on a 5 nm process. Shader units: 10,752 (GeForce RTX 5080) vs 6,144 (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Raw compute: 56.28 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 5080) vs 61.39 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Boost clocks: 2617 MHz vs 2498 MHz. Ray tracing: 84 RT cores (GeForce RTX 5080) vs 96 (Radeon RX 7900 XTX) with 336 Tensor cores.

FeatureGeForce RTX 5080Radeon RX 7900 XTX
G3D Mark Score
35,924+15%
31,285
Architecture
Blackwell 2.0
RDNA 3.0
Process Node
5 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
10752+75%
6144
Compute (TFLOPS)
56.28 TFLOPS
61.39 TFLOPS+9%
Boost Clock
2617 MHz+5%
2498 MHz
ROPs
112
192+71%
TMUs
336
384+14%
L1 Cache
10.5 MB+250%
3 MB
L2 Cache
64 MB+967%
6 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
84
96+14%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Both GPUs support Frame Generation technologies, but they achieve it differently. The GeForce RTX 5080 uses DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation, while the Radeon RX 7900 XTX relies on FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. Both can significantly boost FPS in supported titles, but they are not on the same feature stack.The GeForce RTX 5080 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 7900 XTX relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 5080Radeon RX 7900 XTX
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 4 Super Resolution
FSR 3
Frame Generation
DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation
FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction
Yes (DLSS 4)
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 5080 comes with 16 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 7900 XTX has 24 GB. The Radeon RX 7900 XTX offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 1024 GB/s (GeForce RTX 5080) vs 960 GB/s (Radeon RX 7900 XTX) — a 6.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 5080. Bus width: 256-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 64 MB (GeForce RTX 5080) vs 6 MB (Radeon RX 7900 XTX) — the GeForce RTX 5080 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 5080Radeon RX 7900 XTX
VRAM Capacity
16 GB
24 GB+50%
Memory Type
GDDR7
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
1024 GB/s+7%
960 GB/s
Bus Width
256-bit
384-bit+50%
L2 Cache
64 MB+967%
6 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 5080) vs 12 Ultimate (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 5080Radeon RX 7900 XTX
DirectX
12.2+2%
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.4
1.4
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 9th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 5080) vs AMD Dual Media Engine (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Decoder: 6th Gen NVDEC vs AMD Dual Media Engine. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 5080) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (Radeon RX 7900 XTX).

FeatureGeForce RTX 5080Radeon RX 7900 XTX
Encoder
9th Gen NVENC (2x)
AMD Dual Media Engine
Decoder
6th Gen NVDEC
AMD Dual Media Engine
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 5080 draws 360W versus the Radeon RX 7900 XTX's 355W — a 1.4% difference. The Radeon RX 7900 XTX is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 850W (GeForce RTX 5080) vs 800W (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Power connectors: 16-pin (12VHPWR) vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 304mm vs 287mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 68°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 5080Radeon RX 7900 XTX
TDP
360W
355W-1%
Recommended PSU
850W
800W-6%
Power Connector
16-pin (12VHPWR)
2x 8-pin
Length
304mm
287mm
Height
137mm
110mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
80°C
68°C-15%
Perf/Watt
99.8+13%
88.1
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 5080 launched at $999 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 7900 XTX launched at $999. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 36.0 (GeForce RTX 5080) vs 31.3 (Radeon RX 7900 XTX) — the GeForce RTX 5080 offers 15% better value. The GeForce RTX 5080 is the newer GPU (2025 vs 2022).

FeatureGeForce RTX 5080Radeon RX 7900 XTX
MSRP
$999
$999
Performance per Dollar
36.0+15%
31.3
Codename
GB203
Navi 31
Release
January 30 2025
November 3 2022
Ranking
#5
#12