GeForce RTX 4080 vs RTX 3060

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Aggregate performance score

We've compared GeForce RTX 3060 and GeForce RTX 4080, covering specs and all relevant benchmarks.

RTX 3060
2021
12 GB GDDR6, 170 Watt
44.28

RTX 4080 outperforms RTX 3060 by a whopping 103% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.

Place in the ranking813
Place by popularity4not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation71.7628.92
Power efficiency18.6120.03
ArchitectureAmpere (2020−2024)Ada Lovelace (2022−2024)
GPU code nameGA106AD103
Market segmentDesktopDesktop
Release date12 January 2021 (3 years ago)20 September 2022 (2 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$329 $1,199

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance to price ratio. The higher, the better.

RTX 3060 has 148% better value for money than RTX 4080.

Detailed specifications

General parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.

Pipelines / CUDA cores35849728
Core clock speed1320 MHz2205 MHz
Boost clock speed1777 MHz2505 MHz
Number of transistors12,000 million45,900 million
Manufacturing process technology8 nm5 nm
Power consumption (TDP)170 Watt320 Watt
Texture fill rate199.0761.5
Floating-point processing power12.74 TFLOPS48.74 TFLOPS
ROPs48112
TMUs112304
Tensor Cores112304
Ray Tracing Cores2876

Form factor & compatibility

Information on compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop graphics cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility).

InterfacePCIe 4.0 x16PCIe 4.0 x16
Length242 mm310 mm
Width2-slot3-slot
Supplementary power connectors1x 12-pin1x 16-pin

VRAM capacity and type

Parameters of VRAM installed: its type, size, bus, clock and resulting bandwidth. Integrated GPUs have no dedicated video RAM and use a shared part of system RAM.

Memory typeGDDR6GDDR6X
Maximum RAM amount12 GB16 GB
Memory bus width192 Bit256 Bit
Memory clock speed1875 MHz1400 MHz
Memory bandwidth360.0 GB/s716.8 GB/s
Shared memory--

Connectivity and outputs

Types and number of video connectors present on the reviewed GPUs. As a rule, data in this section is precise only for desktop reference ones (so-called Founders Edition for NVIDIA chips). OEM manufacturers may change the number and type of output ports, while for notebook cards availability of certain video outputs ports depends on the laptop model rather than on the card itself.

Display Connectors1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
HDMI++

API compatibility

List of supported 3D and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.

DirectX12 Ultimate (12_2)12 Ultimate (12_2)
Shader Model6.76.7
OpenGL4.64.6
OpenCL3.03.0
Vulkan1.31.3
CUDA8.68.9

Synthetic benchmark performance

Non-gaming benchmark results comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.


Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark score. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

RTX 3060 44.28
RTX 4080 89.72
+103%

Passmark

This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark. It gives the graphics card a thorough evaluation under various types of load, providing four separate benchmarks for Direct3D versions 9, 10, 11 and 12 (the last being done in 4K resolution if possible), and few more tests engaging DirectCompute capabilities.

RTX 3060 17085
RTX 4080 34622
+103%

3DMark 11 Performance GPU

3DMark 11 is an obsolete DirectX 11 benchmark by Futuremark. It used four tests based on two scenes, one being few submarines exploring the submerged wreck of a sunken ship, the other is an abandoned temple deep in the jungle. All the tests are heavy with volumetric lighting and tessellation, and despite being done in 1280x720 resolution, are relatively taxing. Discontinued in January 2020, 3DMark 11 is now superseded by Time Spy.

RTX 3060 28375
RTX 4080 86267
+204%

3DMark Vantage Performance

3DMark Vantage is an outdated DirectX 10 benchmark using 1280x1024 screen resolution. It taxes the graphics card with two scenes, one depicting a girl escaping some militarized base located within a sea cave, the other displaying a space fleet attack on a defenseless planet. It was discontinued in April 2017, and Time Spy benchmark is now recommended to be used instead.

RTX 3060 79706
RTX 4080 143194
+79.7%

3DMark Fire Strike Graphics

Fire Strike is a DirectX 11 benchmark for gaming PCs. It features two separate tests displaying a fight between a humanoid and a fiery creature made of lava. Using 1920x1080 resolution, Fire Strike shows off some realistic graphics and is quite taxing on hardware.

RTX 3060 21379
RTX 4080 57903
+171%

3DMark Cloud Gate GPU

Cloud Gate is an outdated DirectX 11 feature level 10 benchmark that was used for home PCs and basic notebooks. It displays a few scenes of some weird space teleportation device launching spaceships into unknown, using fixed resolution of 1280x720. Just like Ice Storm benchmark, it has been discontinued in January 2020 and replaced by 3DMark Night Raid.

RTX 3060 120745
RTX 4080 185431
+53.6%

3DMark Ice Storm GPU

Ice Storm Graphics is an obsolete benchmark, part of 3DMark suite. Ice Storm was used to measure entry level laptops and Windows-based tablets performance. It utilizes DirectX 11 feature level 9 to display a battle between two space fleets near a frozen planet in 1280x720 resolution. Discontinued in January 2020, it is now superseded by 3DMark Night Raid.

RTX 3060 537787
RTX 4080 769721
+43.1%

SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 maya-04

RTX 3060 175
RTX 4080 310
+76.9%

SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 sw-03

RTX 3060 67
RTX 4080 120
+79.4%

SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 snx-02

RTX 3060 9
RTX 4080 23
+156%

SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 catia-04

RTX 3060 75
RTX 4080 225
+202%

SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 creo-01

RTX 3060 50
RTX 4080 114
+128%

SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 mediacal-01

RTX 3060 41
RTX 4080 199
+387%

SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 showcase-01

RTX 3060 114
RTX 4080 319
+179%

SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 energy-01

RTX 3060 10
RTX 4080 58
+482%

SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 3dsmax-05

RTX 3060 201
RTX 4080 490
+144%

Gaming performance

Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.

Average FPS across all PC games

Here are the average frames per second in a large set of popular games across different resolutions:

Full HD124
−96%
243
+96%
1440p81
−109%
169
+109%
4K51
−114%
109
+114%

FPS performance in popular games

Full HD
Low Preset

Cyberpunk 2077 79
−192%
231
+192%

Full HD
Medium Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 90−95
−96.8%
180−190
+96.8%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 102
−157%
262
+157%
Battlefield 5 140−150
−71.8%
240−250
+71.8%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 85−90
−34.8%
120−130
+34.8%
Cyberpunk 2077 78
−196%
231
+196%
Far Cry 5 90−95
−26.9%
110−120
+26.9%
Far Cry New Dawn 100−110
−86.1%
200−210
+86.1%
Forza Horizon 4 200−210
−31.5%
260−270
+31.5%
Hitman 3 120
−7.5%
120−130
+7.5%
Horizon Zero Dawn 170−180
−76.5%
300−350
+76.5%
Metro Exodus 130−140
−14%
150−160
+14%
Red Dead Redemption 2 95−100
−25.3%
120−130
+25.3%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 160−170
−143%
400−450
+143%
Watch Dogs: Legion 130−140
−14.1%
150−160
+14.1%

Full HD
High Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 90−95
−96.8%
180−190
+96.8%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 85
−155%
217
+155%
Battlefield 5 140−150
−71.8%
240−250
+71.8%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 85−90
−34.8%
120−130
+34.8%
Cyberpunk 2077 75
−180%
210
+180%
Far Cry 5 90−95
−26.9%
110−120
+26.9%
Far Cry New Dawn 100−110
−86.1%
200−210
+86.1%
Forza Horizon 4 200−210
−31.5%
260−270
+31.5%
Hitman 3 116
−11.2%
120−130
+11.2%
Horizon Zero Dawn 170−180
−76.5%
300−350
+76.5%
Metro Exodus 130−140
−14%
150−160
+14%
Red Dead Redemption 2 95−100
−25.3%
120−130
+25.3%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 180
−184%
512
+184%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 90−95
−126%
200−210
+126%
Watch Dogs: Legion 130−140
−14.1%
150−160
+14.1%

Full HD
Ultra Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 90−95
−96.8%
180−190
+96.8%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 75
−152%
189
+152%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 85−90
−34.8%
120−130
+34.8%
Cyberpunk 2077 64
−197%
190
+197%
Far Cry 5 90−95
−26.9%
110−120
+26.9%
Forza Horizon 4 200−210
−31.5%
260−270
+31.5%
Hitman 3 101
−27.7%
120−130
+27.7%
Horizon Zero Dawn 142
−179%
396
+179%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 154
−212%
480
+212%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 73
−255%
259
+255%
Watch Dogs: Legion 59
−178%
164
+178%

Full HD
Epic Preset

Red Dead Redemption 2 95−100
−25.3%
120−130
+25.3%

1440p
High Preset

Battlefield 5 85−90
−90.8%
160−170
+90.8%
Far Cry New Dawn 65−70
−64.7%
110−120
+64.7%

1440p
Ultra Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 45−50
−127%
110−120
+127%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 60
−155%
153
+155%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 50−55
−57.7%
80−85
+57.7%
Cyberpunk 2077 39
−231%
129
+231%
Far Cry 5 50−55
−64.7%
80−85
+64.7%
Forza Horizon 4 240−250
−12.4%
270−280
+12.4%
Hitman 3 68
−92.6%
130−140
+92.6%
Horizon Zero Dawn 106
−213%
332
+213%
Metro Exodus 89
−67.4%
149
+67.4%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 115
−239%
390
+239%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 65−70
−185%
191
+185%
Watch Dogs: Legion 200−210
−17.1%
240−250
+17.1%

1440p
Epic Preset

Red Dead Redemption 2 75−80
−69.7%
120−130
+69.7%

4K
High Preset

Battlefield 5 45−50
−95.6%
85−90
+95.6%
Far Cry New Dawn 35−40
−81.6%
65−70
+81.6%
Hitman 3 45
−84.4%
80−85
+84.4%
Horizon Zero Dawn 190−200
−15.9%
220−230
+15.9%
Metro Exodus 55−60
−141%
140−150
+141%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 63
−197%
187
+197%

4K
Ultra Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 30−35
−161%
80−85
+161%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 38
−163%
100
+163%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 27−30
−79.3%
50−55
+79.3%
Cyberpunk 2077 18
−250%
63
+250%
Far Cry 5 27−30
−85.2%
50−55
+85.2%
Forza Horizon 4 60−65
−216%
190−200
+216%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 67
−191%
195
+191%
Watch Dogs: Legion 27
−222%
87
+222%

4K
Epic Preset

Red Dead Redemption 2 40−45
−178%
110−120
+178%

This is how RTX 3060 and RTX 4080 compete in popular games:

  • RTX 4080 is 96% faster in 1080p
  • RTX 4080 is 109% faster in 1440p
  • RTX 4080 is 114% faster in 4K

Here's the range of performance differences observed across popular games:

  • in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, with 1080p resolution and the Ultra Preset, the RTX 4080 is 255% faster.

All in all, in popular games:

  • Without exception, RTX 4080 surpassed RTX 3060 in all 72 of our tests.

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 44.28 89.72
Recency 12 January 2021 20 September 2022
Maximum RAM amount 12 GB 16 GB
Chip lithography 8 nm 5 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 170 Watt 320 Watt

RTX 3060 has 88.2% lower power consumption.

RTX 4080, on the other hand, has a 102.6% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 1 year, a 33.3% higher maximum VRAM amount, and a 60% more advanced lithography process.

The GeForce RTX 4080 is our recommended choice as it beats the GeForce RTX 3060 in performance tests.


Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote for your favorite

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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
GeForce RTX 3060
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080
GeForce RTX 4080

Comparisons with similar GPUs

We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.

Community ratings

Here you can see the user ratings of the compared graphics cards, as well as rate them yourself.


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Questions & comments

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