GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design

2020Core: 735 MHzBoost: 1080 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 3060 Ti
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020Core: 1410 MHzBoost: 1665 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 2080 Super with Max-Q Design

2020

Why buy it

  • 152.6% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (384 vs 152).
  • Draws 80W instead of 200W, a 120W reduction.

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.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 50.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

  • 36.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (152 vs 384), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
  • 150% higher power demand at 200W vs 80W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti better than GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 36.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 50.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
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 50.3% more raw performance headroom and a 8nm process instead of 12nm. That extra performance headroom should help it hold higher settings and newer game demands for longer.
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 priced in an unclear MSRP range at $399 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 36.2% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 50.3% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design 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 an unclear 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low122 FPS152 FPS
medium105 FPS137 FPS
high85 FPS118 FPS
ultra58 FPS100 FPS
1440p
low98 FPS131 FPS
medium83 FPS107 FPS
high62 FPS91 FPS
ultra42 FPS82 FPS
4K
low40 FPS77 FPS
medium36 FPS65 FPS
high22 FPS50 FPS
ultra19 FPS43 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low195 FPS425 FPS
medium162 FPS366 FPS
high137 FPS296 FPS
ultra119 FPS248 FPS
1440p
low148 FPS272 FPS
medium120 FPS229 FPS
high103 FPS190 FPS
ultra84 FPS156 FPS
4K
low81 FPS133 FPS
medium67 FPS114 FPS
high56 FPS96 FPS
ultra43 FPS73 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low608 FPS859 FPS
medium486 FPS693 FPS
high405 FPS602 FPS
ultra304 FPS457 FPS
1440p
low456 FPS658 FPS
medium365 FPS529 FPS
high304 FPS452 FPS
ultra228 FPS343 FPS
4K
low304 FPS434 FPS
medium243 FPS346 FPS
high203 FPS275 FPS
ultra152 FPS221 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low245 FPS580 FPS
medium212 FPS514 FPS
high172 FPS424 FPS
ultra146 FPS373 FPS
1440p
low188 FPS478 FPS
medium166 FPS427 FPS
high131 FPS335 FPS
ultra108 FPS290 FPS
4K
low112 FPS285 FPS
medium94 FPS266 FPS
high76 FPS234 FPS
ultra58 FPS195 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design and GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design

The GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 2 2020. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 735 MHz to 1080 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 80W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 48 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,513 points.

NVIDIA

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 Super with Max-Q Design scores 13,513 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 50.3%. The GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Raw compute: 6.636 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design) vs 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Boost clocks: 1080 MHz vs 1665 MHz. Ray tracing: 48 RT cores (GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design) vs 38 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) with 384 Tensor cores vs 152.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score
13,513
20,312+50%
Architecture
Turing
Ampere
Process Node
12 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
3072
4864+58%
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.636 TFLOPS
16.2 TFLOPS+144%
Boost Clock
1080 MHz
1665 MHz+54%
ROPs
64
80+25%
TMUs
192+26%
152
L1 Cache
3 MB
4.8 MB+60%
L2 Cache
4 MB
4 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
48+26%
38
Tensor Cores
384+153%
152

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q DesignGeForce 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)

Both cards feature 8 GB of GDDR6. Memory bandwidth: 352 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — a 27.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Bus width: 256-bit vs 256-bit.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
352 GB/s
448 GB/s+27%
Bus Width
256-bit
256-bit
L2 Cache
4 MB
4 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
DirectX
12.2+2%
12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 7th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design) vs NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder
7th Gen NVENC
NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder
5th Gen NVDEC
NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design draws 80W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 85.7% difference. The GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 242mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
TDP
80W-60%
200W
Recommended PSU
500W-17%
600W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
8-pin
Length
0mm
242mm
Height
0mm
112mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
80°C
75-6%
Perf/Watt
168.9+66%
101.6