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 with Max-Q Design

2019

Why buy it

✅100% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (368 vs 184).
✅Draws 80W instead of 220W, a 140W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 3070 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 44.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

✅51.0% more average FPS across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 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 (184 vs 368), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌175% higher power demand at 220W vs 80W.

GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design

2019

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

✅100% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (368 vs 184).
✅Draws 80W instead of 220W, a 140W reduction.

Why buy it

✅51.0% more average FPS across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 3070 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 44.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (184 vs 368), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌175% higher power demand at 220W vs 80W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3070 better than GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3070 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 51.0% more average FPS across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data and 73.7% higher PassMark G3D performance. It also comes from 2020 instead of 2019, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

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

GeForce RTX 3070 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2019, 73.7% 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 3070 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3070 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $499 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 51.0% more estimated average FPS across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data and 73.7% 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 with Max-Q Design still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce RTX 2080 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 3070 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.

GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3070 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3070
1080p
low	156 FPS	158 FPS
medium	136 FPS	140 FPS
high	110 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	125 FPS	134 FPS
medium	106 FPS	109 FPS
high	78 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	45 FPS	80 FPS
medium	40 FPS	67 FPS
high	25 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	21 FPS	45 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design Open GeForce RTX 3070

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3070
1080p
low	195 FPS	470 FPS
medium	162 FPS	405 FPS
high	137 FPS	327 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	277 FPS
1440p
low	148 FPS	294 FPS
medium	120 FPS	246 FPS
high	103 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	179 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	141 FPS
medium	67 FPS	120 FPS
high	56 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	83 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design Open GeForce RTX 3070

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3070
1080p
low	574 FPS	885 FPS
medium	460 FPS	712 FPS
high	383 FPS	619 FPS
ultra	287 FPS	499 FPS
1440p
low	431 FPS	692 FPS
medium	345 FPS	557 FPS
high	287 FPS	473 FPS
ultra	215 FPS	374 FPS
4K
low	287 FPS	479 FPS
medium	230 FPS	388 FPS
high	191 FPS	330 FPS
ultra	144 FPS	249 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design Open GeForce RTX 3070

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3070
1080p
low	245 FPS	600 FPS
medium	212 FPS	527 FPS
high	172 FPS	433 FPS
ultra	146 FPS	385 FPS
1440p
low	188 FPS	489 FPS
medium	166 FPS	433 FPS
high	131 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	108 FPS	297 FPS
4K
low	112 FPS	292 FPS
medium	94 FPS	270 FPS
high	76 FPS	238 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	200 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design Open GeForce RTX 3070

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design and GeForce RTX 3070

GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 29 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 735 MHz to 1095 MHz. It has 2944 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 80W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12,766 points.

GeForce RTX 3070

The GeForce RTX 3070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1725 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,172 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design scores 12,766 versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 22,172 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 73.7%. The GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3070 uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,944 (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070). Raw compute: 6.447 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) vs 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070). Boost clocks: 1095 MHz vs 1725 MHz. Ray tracing: 46 RT cores (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) vs 46 (GeForce RTX 3070) with 368 Tensor cores vs 184.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3070
G3D Mark Score	12,766	22,172+74%
Architecture	Turing	Ampere
Process Node	12 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2944	5888+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.447 TFLOPS	20.31 TFLOPS+215%
Boost Clock	1095 MHz	1725 MHz+58%
ROPs	64	96+50%
TMUs	184	184
L1 Cache	2.9 MB	5.8 MB+100%
L2 Cache	4 MB	4 MB
Ray Tracing Cores	46	46
Tensor Cores	368+100%	184

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3070
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: 384 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3070) — a 16.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3070. Bus width: 256-bit vs 256-bit.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3070
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	384 GB/s	448 GB/s+17%
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	4 MB	4 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3070
DirectX	12 (12_2)	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.3	1.4+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6 (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070). Decoder: NVDEC 4 vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070).

Feature	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3070
Encoder	NVENC 6	NVENC 7th gen
Decoder	NVDEC 4	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design draws 80W versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 220W — a 93.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 0W (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 3070). Power connectors: None vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 242mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 75°C.