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 $800 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $1,199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 127.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 22.4 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $1,199 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 Ti 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 320), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.

GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

2021

Why buy it

✅22.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅110.5% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (320 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

❌
200.5% HIGHER MSRP
$1,199 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 22.4 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($1,199 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 Ti

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $800 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $1,199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 127.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 22.4 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $1,199 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

✅22.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅110.5% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (320 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 Ti 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 320), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.

Trade-offs

❌
200.5% HIGHER MSRP
$1,199 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 22.4 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($1,199 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 Ti better than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 22.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data, 32.2% higher PassMark G3D performance, 320 vs 152 Tensor cores, and 12 GB vs 8 GB of VRAM. It also comes from 2021 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 Ti is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2020, 32.2% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 8 GB, and 110.5% 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 Ti is about 200.5% more expensive on MSRP at $1,199 MSRP versus $399 MSRP, and you are getting 22.7% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 32.2% 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 Ti 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 Ti 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 Ti Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
1080p
low	152 FPS	200 FPS
medium	137 FPS	183 FPS
high	118 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	129 FPS
1440p
low	131 FPS	176 FPS
medium	107 FPS	145 FPS
high	91 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	103 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	108 FPS
medium	65 FPS	91 FPS
high	50 FPS	66 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	56 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
1080p
low	425 FPS	636 FPS
medium	366 FPS	551 FPS
high	296 FPS	438 FPS
ultra	248 FPS	382 FPS
1440p
low	272 FPS	464 FPS
medium	229 FPS	399 FPS
high	190 FPS	316 FPS
ultra	156 FPS	263 FPS
4K
low	133 FPS	222 FPS
medium	114 FPS	188 FPS
high	96 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	133 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
1080p
low	859 FPS	903 FPS
medium	693 FPS	739 FPS
high	602 FPS	659 FPS
ultra	457 FPS	573 FPS
1440p
low	658 FPS	710 FPS
medium	529 FPS	581 FPS
high	452 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	434 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	489 FPS
medium	346 FPS	404 FPS
high	275 FPS	348 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	289 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
1080p
low	580 FPS	821 FPS
medium	514 FPS	763 FPS
high	424 FPS	673 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	604 FPS
1440p
low	478 FPS	656 FPS
medium	427 FPS	606 FPS
high	335 FPS	532 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	453 FPS
4K
low	285 FPS	475 FPS
medium	266 FPS	441 FPS
high	234 FPS	395 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	302 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 31 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1365 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 10240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 80 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,861 points. Launch price was $1,199.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 20,312 versus the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti's 26,861 — the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti leads by 32.2%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti uses Ampere, both on a 8 nm process. Shader units: 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 10,240 (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti). Raw compute: 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 34.1 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 1665 MHz. Ray tracing: 38 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 80 (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti) with 152 Tensor cores vs 320.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
G3D Mark Score	20,312	26,861+32%
Architecture	Ampere	Ampere
Process Node	8 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	4864	10240+111%
Compute (TFLOPS)	16.2 TFLOPS	34.1 TFLOPS+110%
Boost Clock	1665 MHz	1665 MHz
ROPs	80	112+40%
TMUs	152	320+111%
L1 Cache	4.8 MB	10 MB+108%
L2 Cache	4 MB	6 MB+50%
Ray Tracing Cores	38	80+111%
Tensor Cores	152	320+111%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 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)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 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 Ti) — a 103.6% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. Bus width: 256-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
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 Ti). 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 Ti
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 Ti). 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 Ti).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
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 Ti'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 Ti). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 285mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
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)	75-12%	85°C
Perf/Watt	101.6+32%	76.7

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti launched at $1199. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti costs 66.7% less ($800 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 22.4 (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 127.2% better value. The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2020).