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 GTX 1080

2016

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
100.3% HIGHER MSRP
$599 MSRPvs$299 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.1 vs 65.4 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4060

2023

Why buy it

✅17.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $300 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Delivers 150.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 65.4 vs 26.1 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

GeForce GTX 1080

2016

GeForce RTX 4060

2023

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Why buy it

✅17.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $300 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Delivers 150.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 65.4 vs 26.1 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
100.3% HIGHER MSRP
$599 MSRPvs$299 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.1 vs 65.4 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4060 better than GeForce GTX 1080?

Yes. GeForce RTX 4060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 4060 averages 17.7% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 19,548 vs 15,609 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 4060 is a 2023 card with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, while GeForce GTX 1080 is a 2016 model from an older high-end class with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

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

GeForce RTX 4060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2016, 25.2% more raw performance headroom, 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 5nm process instead of 16nm. 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 4060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 4060 is about $300 cheaper on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $599 MSRP, and you are getting 17.7% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 25.2% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 150.9%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce GTX 1080 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1080 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 $599 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 4060 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 GTX 1080 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 4060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060
1080p
low	153 FPS	167 FPS
medium	135 FPS	152 FPS
high	120 FPS	134 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	115 FPS
1440p
low	131 FPS	137 FPS
medium	106 FPS	114 FPS
high	94 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	85 FPS	90 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	86 FPS
medium	65 FPS	74 FPS
high	52 FPS	62 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	55 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 Open GeForce RTX 4060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060
1080p
low	289 FPS	392 FPS
medium	242 FPS	334 FPS
high	181 FPS	268 FPS
ultra	147 FPS	211 FPS
1440p
low	186 FPS	240 FPS
medium	158 FPS	209 FPS
high	127 FPS	169 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	106 FPS	119 FPS
medium	88 FPS	98 FPS
high	73 FPS	82 FPS
ultra	57 FPS	63 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 Open GeForce RTX 4060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060
1080p
low	702 FPS	812 FPS
medium	562 FPS	642 FPS
high	468 FPS	551 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	440 FPS
1440p
low	527 FPS	535 FPS
medium	421 FPS	443 FPS
high	351 FPS	379 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	351 FPS	365 FPS
medium	281 FPS	297 FPS
high	234 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	186 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 Open GeForce RTX 4060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060
1080p
low	399 FPS	746 FPS
medium	334 FPS	613 FPS
high	281 FPS	536 FPS
ultra	241 FPS	440 FPS
1440p
low	332 FPS	594 FPS
medium	277 FPS	486 FPS
high	220 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	330 FPS
4K
low	180 FPS	358 FPS
medium	141 FPS	308 FPS
high	129 FPS	285 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	220 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 Open GeForce RTX 4060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1080 and GeForce RTX 4060

GeForce GTX 1080

The GeForce GTX 1080 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 27 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1733 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 15,609 points. Launch price was $599.

GeForce RTX 4060

The GeForce RTX 4060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1830 MHz to 2460 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 24 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 19,548 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1080 scores 15,609 versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 19,548 — the GeForce RTX 4060 leads by 25.2%. The GeForce GTX 1080 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 4060 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 16 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 3,072 (GeForce RTX 4060). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 15.11 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 2460 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060
G3D Mark Score	15,609	19,548+25%
Architecture	Pascal	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	16 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	2560	3072+20%
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS	15.11 TFLOPS+70%
Boost Clock	1733 MHz	2460 MHz+42%
ROPs	64+33%	48
TMUs	160+67%	96
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	3 MB+219%
L2 Cache	2 MB	24 MB+1100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4060 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 GeForce GTX 1080 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1080 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 8 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 320 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 272 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4060) — a 17.6% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1080. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 24 MB (GeForce RTX 4060) — the GeForce RTX 4060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5X	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	320 GB/s+18%	272 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	24 MB+1100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.4+8%	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6th gen (GeForce GTX 1080) vs NVENC 8th gen (GeForce RTX 4060). Decoder: NVDEC 3rd gen vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060
Encoder	NVENC 6th gen	NVENC 8th gen
Decoder	NVDEC 3rd gen	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1080 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 115W — a 44.1% difference. The GeForce RTX 4060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 4060). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 73°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 4060
TDP	180W	115W-36%
Recommended PSU	500W-9%	550W
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	240mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C	73°C-3%
Perf/Watt	86.7	170.0+96%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1080 launched at $599 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 4060 launched at $299. The GeForce RTX 4060 costs 50.1% less ($300 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 26.1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 65.4 (GeForce RTX 4060) — the GeForce RTX 4060 offers 150.6% better value. The GeForce RTX 4060 is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2016).