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 4080 Mobile

2023

Why buy it

✅19.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 22.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($1,130 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).

Trade-offs

❌30.4% higher power demand at 150W vs 115W.

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

2023

Why buy it

✅Draws 115W instead of 150W, a 35W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 22.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $1,130 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile

2023

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

2023

Why buy it

✅19.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 22.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($1,130 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).

Why buy it

✅Draws 115W instead of 150W, a 35W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌30.4% higher power demand at 150W vs 115W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 22.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $1,130 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile better than RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU?

Yes. GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 19.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data, 1.9% higher PassMark G3D performance, DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, and 232 vs 160 Tensor cores.

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

GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting better upscaling support with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and a 4nm process instead of 5nm. 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 4080 Mobile is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $1,130 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 19.0% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and a lower G3D Mark (24,805 vs 25,267). 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 RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is excellent for 1080p, very strong for 1440p, and still capable at 4K with sensible settings or upscaling. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around an unclear MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile 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 4080 Mobile Benchmark Check

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
1080p
low	174 FPS	141 FPS
medium	158 FPS	122 FPS
high	140 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	73 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	113 FPS
medium	120 FPS	94 FPS
high	104 FPS	73 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	51 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	50 FPS
medium	73 FPS	44 FPS
high	58 FPS	32 FPS
ultra	51 FPS	27 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile Open RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
1080p
low	422 FPS	370 FPS
medium	365 FPS	316 FPS
high	295 FPS	250 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	213 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	277 FPS
medium	272 FPS	230 FPS
high	222 FPS	182 FPS
ultra	186 FPS	146 FPS
4K
low	179 FPS	130 FPS
medium	155 FPS	111 FPS
high	132 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	108 FPS	68 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile Open RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
1080p
low	885 FPS	826 FPS
medium	722 FPS	679 FPS
high	634 FPS	612 FPS
ultra	550 FPS	538 FPS
1440p
low	696 FPS	628 FPS
medium	564 FPS	510 FPS
high	483 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	413 FPS	391 FPS
4K
low	474 FPS	405 FPS
medium	385 FPS	323 FPS
high	329 FPS	264 FPS
ultra	267 FPS	209 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile Open RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
1080p
low	467 FPS	287 FPS
medium	410 FPS	248 FPS
high	345 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	303 FPS	179 FPS
1440p
low	387 FPS	228 FPS
medium	342 FPS	200 FPS
high	285 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	142 FPS
4K
low	245 FPS	140 FPS
medium	221 FPS	118 FPS
high	188 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	163 FPS	78 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile Open RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile and RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile

The GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 3 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1290 MHz to 2010 MHz. It has 7424 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 58 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 24,805 points.

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

The RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 21 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 975 MHz to 1500 MHz. It has 5120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 40 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 25,267 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 24,805 and the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU reaches 25,267 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is built on Ada Lovelace while the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU uses Ada Lovelace, both on 4 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 7,424 (GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile) vs 5,120 (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU). Raw compute: 24.72 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile) vs 15.82 TFLOPS (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU). Boost clocks: 2010 MHz vs 1500 MHz. Ray tracing: 58 RT cores (GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile) vs 40 (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU) with 232 Tensor cores vs 160.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
G3D Mark Score	24,805	25,267+2%
Architecture	Ada Lovelace	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	4 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	7424+45%	5120
Compute (TFLOPS)	24.72 TFLOPS+56%	15.82 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	2010 MHz+34%	1500 MHz
ROPs	80+25%	64
TMUs	232+45%	160
L1 Cache	7.3 MB+46%	5 MB
L2 Cache	48 MB	48 MB
Ray Tracing Cores	58+45%	40
Tensor Cores	232+45%	160

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. 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 RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU supports the newer Upscaling support, whereas the GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is capped at DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	Yes (DLSS 3.5)	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 12 GB of GDDR6. Bus width: 192-bit vs 192-bit.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
VRAM Capacity	12 GB	12 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	432 GB/s	432 GB/s
Bus Width	192-bit	192-bit
L2 Cache	48 MB	48 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
DirectX	12.2+2%	12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	1	4+300%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 8th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile) vs NVENC 8th Gen (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile) vs H.264,H.265,AV1 (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU).

Feature	GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
Encoder	8th Gen NVENC	NVENC 8th Gen
Decoder	5th Gen NVDEC	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1	H.264,H.265,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile draws 150W versus the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU's 115W — a 26.4% difference. The RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile) vs 650W (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU). Power connectors: Mobile vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 0mm vs 105mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 85.