Nvidia launched the RTX 3000 series on 1st September 2020. RTX 3080 vs RTX 3070. The flagship RTX 3080, the titan replacement which is now called the RTX 3090 and the RTX 3070 where launched. The new series of Nvidia graphics cards is based on the new Ampere architecture which is manufactured on the 8nm process.
Compared to the last generation, nvidia was able to pack in a lot more transistors per inch. This makes the new architecture more power efficient. The new graphic cards are manufactured by Samsung on their 8nm process. Due to this Nvidia was able to achieve higher yields of the silicon wafers this time. Due to the higher yield nvidia was able to price the RTX 3000 series aggressively this time.
Nvidia says that the new RTX 3080 and the RTX 3070 are almost twice more powerful than the RTX 2070 super and the RTX 2080 super. They also claimed that the RTX 3070 is on power with the RTX 2080 Ti which was the flagship graphics card of the previous generation.
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RTX 3080 vs RTX 3070 – Specifications
| Specifications | RTX 3080 | RTX 3070 |
| CUDA Cores | 8704 Cores | 5888 Cores |
| Boost Clock | 1.71 GHz | 1.73 GHz |
| Base Clock | 1.44 GHz | 1.50 GHz |
| Memory Interface Width | 256-bit | 320-bit |
| Video Memory | 10GB DDR6X | 8GB DDR6 |
| Architecture | Ampere | Ampere |
| Process | 8nm | 8nm |
More detailed specs can be found in the Nvidia Website – RTX 3080
The RTX 3070 is priced at $499 and the RTX 3080 is priced at $699. These are really good pricing for the performance improvement they offer. They also have new features such as improved Nvidia broadcast, Nvidia Reflex which aims to reduce the frametime by upto 50%. The RTX 3080 comes with 10GB DDR6X video memory which is almost 2 times faster than DDR6 video memory. The RTX 3070 comes with the standard 8GB DDR6 video memory. Here is a detailed table comparing the specs of the RTX 3080 vs RTX 3070.
RTX 3080 vs RTX 3070 – Performance difference
| Games | RTX 3080 | RTX 3070 |
| Far Cry 5 – 4K | Maxed out at 99% usage – 65% faster than RTX 2080 Super | Maxed out at 100% usage – 17% faster than RTX 2080 Super |
| Assassin’s Creed Odyssey -4K | 50% Faster than RTX 2080 Super | 11% Faster than RTX 2080 Super |
| Forza horizon 4 – 4K | 52%Faster than RTX 2080 Super f | 13% Faster than RTX 2080 Super |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider- 4k , DLSS ON | 99FPS with 99% usage | 49FPSwith 99% usage |
| Death Stranding – 4K, DLSS ON | 180FPS with 99% usage | 87FPS with 99% usage |
| Control – 4K, DLSS ON | 113FPS with 99% usage | 39FPS with 99% usage |
While Nvidia claims that the RTX 3080 is twice more powerful than the RTX 2080 Ti and RTX 2080 super. The RTX 2080 Ti was able to manage 4K ultra graphics gaming at about 60FPS maxed out in graphically demanding games such as Red dead redemption 2. Nvidia also claims the RTX 3070 to offer the same power as the RTX 2080 Ti and RTX 2080 super which were also really good graphics cards. So according to this statement RTX 3070 can handle 4K gaming and will excel in 1440p gaming churning out above 120FPS + in almost all games.
So the answer to RTX 3080 vs RTX 3070?. It depends on your gaming setup. Especially your monitor. They aren’t many great 4K gaming monitors that support 144Hz or 240Hz. So most monitors are 1440p in resolution.
To sum it up, if you already have a great 4k gaming monitor or have the money to buy one. Then go for the RTX 3080. But if you have a 1080p or 1440p monitor that supports 144Hz or you don’t have the budget for the expensive 4K gaming monitors then go for the RTX 3080. you might not notice any difference while playing the game for most of the time.
If you are a streamer or someone who needs a workstation graphics card take a good look at the RTX 3090 which offers 24GB of DDR6X video memory. The RTX 3090 can also be used for workstation tasks which require high GPU and CPU power such as video editing, photo editing etc.
