RTX 3070 Ti vs RTX 2080 Ti: Which Is Better In 2023?

When upgrading your PC, there’s a lot to think about, from the motherboard to all the components installed on top of it. But one thing most people pay attention to the most is the graphics card. Among various GPUs manufactured by NVIDIA, you might’ve heard of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Ti and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti.

These two high-end graphics cards are built for gaming at high resolutions and settings, but how well do they fair against one another? In this NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti comparison, we’ll answer that question and others surrounding it to find the best GPU for gaming in 2023.  

Also read: RTX 3060 vs. RTX 3070

WHAT THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS

• We’ll compare the specifications of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti.
• Compare the performance of both GPUs in games to find the overall performance difference. 
• Answer the question of whether to upgrade from the RTX 2080 Ti to the RTX 3070 Ti or not.

RTX 3070 Ti Specifications

General 

• Release Date: May 31st, 2021 
• Generation: GeForce 30 
• Outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a 
• Power Connectors: 1x 12-pin 
• Power Consumption: 290 W 

Performance 

• Base Clock Speed: 1575 MHz 
• Boost Clock Speed: 1770 MHz 
• Memory Clock Speed: 1188 MHz 
• Pixel Fillrate: 169.9 GPixel/s 
• Texture Fillrate: 339.8 GTexel/s 

Memory 

• Memory Size: 8 GB 
• Memory Type: GDDR6X 
• Memory Bus: 256-bit 
• Memory Bandwidth: 608.3 GB/s 

RTX 2080 Ti Specifications

General  

• Release Date: Sep 20th, 2018 
• Generation: GeForce 20 
• Outputs: 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort, 1x USB Type-C 
• Power Connectors: 2x 8-pin 
• Power Consumption: 250 W 

Performance  

• Base Clock Speed: 1350 MHz 
• Boost Clock Speed: 1545 MHz 
• Memory Clock Speed: 1750 MHz 
• Pixel Fillrate: 136 GPixel/s 
• Texture Fillrate: 420.2 GTexel/s 

Memory 

• Memory Size: 11 GB 
• Memory Type: GDDR6 
• Memory Bus: 352-bit 
• Memory Bandwidth: 616 GB/s 

Differences In Specification

Before benchmarking the two GPUs on different games, we should first compare their specifications to see how much performance difference we can expect from them.  

To begin with, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti being a part of the RTX 3000 series, was released recently In May 2021, whereas the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti was released in September 2018 as part of the RTX 2000 generation, making it 3 years older than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti. But still, both GPUs have support for the late DirectX 12 Ultimate version, which allows them to play all modern games and upcoming ones easily.   

Moreover, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is built on the 8nm Ampere architecture, which is the latest one to come out of NVIDIA, whereas the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is built on its predecessor, the 12nm Turing architecture. This means the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti can hold a larger number of transistors; however, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti covers close to 2x the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti’s surface area, which ultimately allows it to have more transistors.  

When talking about its memory, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti comes with 8GB GDDR6X VRAM and is operating on a memory bus of 256 bits. On the other hand, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti comes with 11GB GDDR6 VRAM, which is larger but slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti. Moreover, it has a fairly larger memory bus of 352 bits.  

Furthermore, the rendering capabilities of both GPUs are extremely powerful, allowing them to easily render high-resolution textures and graphics. Firstly, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti comes with 6144 CUDA cores, 192 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. Moreover, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti also comes with 192 Tensor cores and 48 RT cores which allows it to run DLSS and raytracing technologies.

On the other hand, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti has 4352 CUDA cores, 272 TMUs, and 88 ROPs. Alongside this, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti comes with 544 Tensor cores and 68 RT cores which is much more than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti.  

In the end, there are two things we can take into consideration that’ll affect the differences in performance between the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti from the specifications. These are the large difference in VRAM, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti having a much larger VRAM and the CUDA core count with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti coming out ahead.

We can’t say that either card has a huge advantage over the other, which makes this comparison so interesting. With that said, let’s get into the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti gaming benchmarks to see how each card holds up on modern game titles.  

Gaming Benchmarks 

With the specifications out of the way, let’s take a look at the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti gaming benchmarks. You should know that these benchmarks were referenced from YT/Testing Games channel.  

Test PC 

• OS: Windows 10 Pro  
• CPU: Intel i9 10900K 3.7GHz  
• Motherboard: MSI MPG Z490 GAMING PLUS   
• CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 
• GPU: GeForce RTX NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8GB / GeForce RTX NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11GB 
• RAM: 32Gb RAM DDR4 3800Mhz 
• SSD: 2x SAMSUNG 970 EVO M.2 2280 1TB  
• Power Supply: CORSAIR RM850i 850W  

Days Gone

Starting off the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti comparison with the Days Gone benchmark, we have the zombie action game tested at the highest settings at 4K UHD resolution.

Days Gone is known to be a very visually pleasing game which means it requires high GPU and CPU power. It does fall more towards being GPU intensive rather than CPU, though. However, it is very well optimized and can run well even on low-end PCs.  

In the Days Gone benchmark, we can observe that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti was reaching 58 FPS compared to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti which was reaching 65 FPS, which means that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti was 10% faster at rendering frames than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti.

There’s no difference worth mentioning in the temperatures or usage between both GPUs as both were much similar.

Also, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti was also dropping to higher frames with regards to 1% lows and 0.1% low FPS drops as compared to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. 

Microsoft Flight Simulator

The second game on our list is Microsoft Flight Simulator, one of the most realistic amateur flight simulators out there that’s available to the general populace. As is the case with all games on the list,

Microsoft Flight Simulator was also benchmarked at the highest settings at 4K resolution. Moreover, it’s worth noting that the game is CPU and GPU intensive, so it’s important to have a high-end gaming rig to play it with smooth FPS.  

For Microsoft Flight Simulator, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti reached 32 FPS on average, whereas the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti was outputting an average of 34 FPS. To put it simply, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti was rendering 6% higher frame rate than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti on the same graphic settings.

Lastly, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti was ahead in case of 1% and 0.1% low FPS drops over the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti and never saw any huge drops. 

Death Stranding

Released in 2019, Death Stranding is another popular title many gamers would be familiar with for being one of the most gorgeous action games out there. Also, Death Stranding was tested at 4K UHD resolution with all settings maxed out and DLSS set to ‘quality’ preset.

Moreover, the game is one of the most well-optimized games of 2020 as it can run on a wide range of systems across different configurations to give an average 60 FPS frame output. It’s neither GPU nor CPU intensive, making it a great title for PC gaming.    

From the benchmark, we can see that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti was reaching 100 FPS on average, whereas the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti was at a slightly higher frame rate of 109 FPS.

So this means that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti was approximately 8% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, providing a smoother frame rate. Moreover, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti was behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti when it comes to the lowest 1% and 0.1% low FPS drops.  

Cyberpunk 2077

Moving on to Cyberpunk 2077, an action RPG game set in the future which comes packed with breathtaking visuals albeit with a lot of glitches at launch. Graphics-wise, the game is absolutely breathtaking.

However, it does require a very powerful GPU to render everything smoothly. It’s worth mentioning that the game isn’t very demanding when it comes to CPU and would do well on any 6-8 core processor. Like the other games on this list, Cyberpunk 2077 was also tested at 4K resolution with raytracing turned on and DLSS set to ‘quality’ preset.   

As for the Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark, it can be observed that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti vs. reaching 27 FPS on average, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti reached 32 FPS.

This puts the difference of 15% between the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti leading.

With regards to the 1% and 0.1% low FPS drops, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti was ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. 

Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn was released in 2017 and quickly became a hit title in the action RPG genre in gaming. Overall, Horizon Zero Dawn still looks incredible for being 5 years old and remains one of the highest-rated games of all time. Moreover, the game is optimized quite well to run on mid-tier hardware. Finally, it was also benchmarked at 4K resolution on the highest settings. 

For the Horizon Zero Dawn benchmark, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti was reaching 57 FPS on average while reaching similar temperatures as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti. On the other hand, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti reached 62 FPS on average while running the game.

This means the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti runs 8% faster at outputting frames in Horizon Zero Dawn than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. Moreover, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti was ahead in 1% and 0.1% low FPS drops over the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti.  

Related: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 vs. AMD Radeon RX Vega 56

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Coming to Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, we can expect a dip in FPS for both GPUs as Ubisoft games are often badly optimized for PC. Overall, the game looks great with high-resolution textures and interactive foliage but fails to compete with its other current-gen competitors like Horizon Zero Dawn.

In Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, we can see that Ubisoft has improved optimization for CPU by a lot if we compare it to the previous entry. However, the game is still very demanding for the GPU. As is the case with other games, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was also tested at 4K resolution on the highest settings.  

From the benchmark, we can see that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti was reaching 42 FPS on average. On the other hand, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti reached 47 FPS.

With that said, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti was performing 10% better than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti for rendering frames. Finally, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti was also ahead in terms of the lowest 1% and 0.1% low FPS drops. 

Control

Control is another action-adventure game released in 2019 and received praise from the general audience and critics alike. It’s a beautiful game with great graphics that give the gameplay a nice sense of mood.

Also, the good news is that it’s not very CPU intensive but instead relies more on the power of the GPU, and it is quite GPU intensive. Control was also tested at 4K settings with DLSS and raytracing turned on at high preset.  

Regarding the Control benchmark, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti can be seen outputting 45 FPS on average. On the other hand, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti reached a slightly higher average frame rate of 52 FPS.

This puts the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti frame rate at approximately 13% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. As for the lowest 1% and 0.1%, FPS drops, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti was ahead with a more stable frame rate over the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti.  

Red Dead Redemption 2

Moving on to Red Dead Redemption 2, we know the Rockstar title to have one of the most detailed open worlds in gaming. With its magnificent visuals and amazing attention to detail, Rockstar truly created a modern masterpiece that still holds up after 4 years.

You’ll be glad to know that Red Dead Redemption 2 doesn’t need a high-end CPU and is much more GPU intensive compared to other games. It was benchmarked at 4K resolution on the highest settings.   

With the Red Dead Redemption 2 benchmark, we can see that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti was outputting 54 FPS on average. With a difference of just 4 FPS, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti was performing 6% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, with an average frame rate of 58 FPS.

Like all other games that were tested, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti was also ahead here in terms of 1% low and 0.1% low FPS drops. 

Forza Horizon 4

Released in 2018, Forza Horizon 4 prides itself on being one of the best racing games to ever come to PC gaming. It has beautiful car models, detailed environments to drive them, and engaging gameplay.

It’s also worth noting that Forza Horizon 4 isn’t very CPU intensive and can run on a wide spectrum of CPUs from mid-tier to high-end ones. It’s similar to the GPU as the game is optimized well to run on a PC. Lastly, it was tested at 4K resolution at ultra-preset settings.  

From the Forza Horizon 4 benchmark, we can see that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti were again providing a very similar frame rate. With the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, we can observe an average frame rate of 107 FPS, whereas the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti outputted 114 FPS.

This means the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti was performing 8% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti for outputting frames in Forza Horizon 4. It’s also worth mentioning that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti didn’t experience any significant FPS drops during the benchmark and stayed ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. 

Hitman 3 

Last one on our NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti comparison we have the stealth game Hitman 3, released in 2021, which serves as a sequel to Hitman 2, which was released in 2018.

It’s a very nice-looking game that requires a large amount of computational power to render scenes at high resolutions and deliver smooth FPS. It’s also a less CPU-intensive game compared to previous titles. However, it does require a good GPU to render everything smoothly. It was also tested on 4K resolution at the highest settings.  

With the last benchmark of Hitman 3, it can be observed that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti reached 61 FPS on average, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti reached 66 FPS.

This means there was a difference of 7% between the average frame rates of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. Lastly, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti was ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti when it came to 1% and 0.1% low FPS drops. 

Final Thoughts 

To sum it up, in this NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti GPU comparison, we’ve come to know that there’s really not a huge difference between the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti if we talk about FPS in games that were benchmarked. We’ve gathered a few points that should be kept in mind when deciding to buy either GPU or upgrade from the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti.  

Firstly, in the games that were benchmarked, between the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, there was a difference ranging from 6-15% in favor of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti.

There’s nothing worth mentioning with regards to temperatures and use, as both were quite similar for both GPUs. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti’s huge VRAM and its higher RT and tensor core count allow it to keep up with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti in games that support these features. 

It’s also worth mentioning that out of 10 games, only 4 games had a playable 60 FPS or above frame rate at 4K resolution. So, it’s clear that they’re not made for playing games at 4K resolution on high settings all games, so if it’s 4K gaming you’re looking for, then you would want to increase your budget unless you want to downgrade other graphic options. But on lower resolutions such as 1080p and 1440p, both are incredibly powerful GPUs that can easily provide a high frame rate. 

So, one thing clears: you don’t need to upgrade to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti if you’re already running an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti inside your PC, as the performance difference isn’t worth spending more money on.

Unless you can care about those few extra frames and have the cash to spare, we wouldn’t recommend upgrading from the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti.

Checking the cost per frame ratio before buying either GPU is also important as you don’t want to buy the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti with 5-10 frames difference with a price difference of 500 USD over the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080

Also read: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super vs. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060