RTX 3080 Vs RX 6800 XT [Gaming Benchmarks]

The RTX 3080 is a solid card from NVIDIA, while the RX 6800 XT from AMD is no less. In this RTX 3080 vs RX 6800 XT comparison, we are going to compare them in detail so you can decide which one suits your needs the most.

Key Takeaways

• On paper, the RTX 3080 has more cores. However, the RX 6800 XT has higher clock speeds, more VRAM, and lower TDP.
• At 1080p, the RX 6800 XT outperformed the RTX 3080 with ~4.1% more FPS. Similarly, at 1440p, Team Red won again by a small ~2.6% margin.
• In terms of power consumption and thermal efficiency, the RTX 3080 is quite power-hungry when put next to the RX 6800 XT. On average, the GPU consumed ~37.3% more power at 1080p and ~31.9% more power at 1440p. However, both GPUs performed equally well in thermal efficiency.

RTX 3080 Vs RX 6800 XT: Differences 

Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS)

The RTX 3080 comes with DLSS, an innovative video rendering technique that can result in considerably higher FPS. Let’s go over a simple example to understand how DLSS works.

Also Read: RTX 3080 Vs 3080 Ti

Suppose you want to play Red Dead Redemption at like 1440p or even 4K. Now, it is no surprise that the framerates will take a hit as you crank up the resolution from 1080p to 1440p or 4K. But, with DLSS enabled, your graphics card will do the labor to render the game at 1080p, and after that, the deep learning algorithms of DLSS will predict the next pixels and upscale the final resolution. So, you will be getting the framerates of running RDDR2 at 1080p, but you will be enjoying the visuals at a much higher resolution.

While the RTX 4000 series GPUs support DLSS 3.0, their predecessor, the RTX 3000 series GPUs, at the moment only support DLSS 2.0. NVIDIA claims that DLSS 2.0 combined with the RTX 3080’s 3rd-gen Tensor cores can increase performance figures by up to 3x.

FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.0 (FSR 2.0)

FSR is AMD’s answer to NVIDIA’s DLSS. While FSR 1.0 had a rocky start, as it was nowhere near as good as DLSS, FSR 2.0 came with many changes that made a significant difference.

To overview, FidelityFX Super Resolution is an open-source technology, meaning that you can run it on both AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards. The primary goal of FSR is the same as that of DLSS, to upscale the gaming resolution to provide higher-quality and sharper visuals at much better framerates.

One particularly bad thing about FSR 1.0 was that the anti-aliasing was done by the game before the upscaling, leading to poor image quality. However, with FSR 2.0, Temporal Anti-Aliasing (TAA) is performed after the upscaling without the need for traditional anti-aliasing.

While FSR 2.0 has improved a lot, it is still not as good as DLSS. Other than the support for games, the overall performance difference and the visuals are just subpar.

G-Sync And FreeSync

Fundamentally, both G-Sync and FreeSync serve the same purpose, to reduce stuttering and remove screen tearing caused by the misalignment of framerates and the display’s refresh rate.

How do they achieve this? By dynamically synchronizing your display’s refresh rate with your GPU’s framerates, this way you will get a much smoother gaming experience. However, NVIDIA’s G-Sync and AMD’s FreeSync work quite differently.

For starters, FreeSync is free to use, giving display manufacturers a better incentive to incorporate the FreeSync technology. Not only that, but NVIDIA GPUs can work with FreeSync displays as well.

On the other hand, display manufacturers need a license and certification from NVIDIA to integrate the G-Sync technology into their displays. Additionally, G-Sync can only work with NVIDIA GPUs.

However, when put side-by-side, G-Sync pulls ahead of FreeSync in terms of overall performance, reliability, and seamlessness. That’s mainly because, due to all the licensing and certifications, display manufacturers need to meet certain standards set by NVIDIA itself to make G-Sync displays, which results in better quality.

Additional Features

There is a plethora of other features that both NVIDIA and AMD offer and depending on their use-case, any one of the two GPUs can come on top.

For example, NVIDIA announced Reflex alongside the RTX 30-series GPUs. Reflex aims to achieve the same goal as AMD Anti-Lag, that is, to reduce system latency. What it does is it basically combines the G-Sync displays with a bunch of software technologies to reduce rendering lag by up to 80%.

Also Check: RTX 3080 Vs RX 6800 XT

Overall, NVIDIA Reflex does the job better than AMD Anti-Lag as it is more elaborate, complex, and refined.

RTX 3080 Vs RX 6800 XT Gaming Benchmarks: 1080p

Now comes the most important section of our RTX 3080 vs RX 6800 XT comparison, the gaming benchmarks analysis. We will be reviewing the gaming benchmarks of the two GPUs in 10 games at both 1080p and 1440p to find out which graphics card comes out on top.

Random Benchmark has put the RTX 3080 and the RX 6800 XT in the following rig to test them against each other:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X @ Stock
• Motherboard: ASUS TUF GAMING X570-PLUS
• RAM: 4x8GB G.Skill Trident Z 3466MHz CL16 @ 3800 MHz CL16-17-16-34-324
• GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 3080 SUPRIM X – Stock performance BIOS
• GPU: Powercolor Radeon RX 6900 XT Red Devil – Stock performance BIOS
• CPU Cooler: Corsair iCUE H150i PRO XT RGB
• Power Supply: Corsair HX1000 – 1000W Platinum
• AMD Driver: Adrenalin 2020 Edition 21.2.1
• NVIDIA Driver: 461.40

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X will provide more than enough processing power to work alongside the two GPUs. Additionally, even though both GPUs have a suggested PSU of 750W, the Corsair HX1000 has plenty of power to run everything without any issues.

Hitman 3

To start off, we will be analyzing the gaming benchmarks of Hitman 3 running at 1080p.

On average, the RTX 3080 is running at 185 FPS, and the RX 6800 XT is running at 208 FPS. Overall, the RX 6800 XT is about 12% ahead of the RTX 3080.

The 1% lows are almost the same as well, with the RX 6800 XT leading with 165 FPS while the RTX 3080 drops to about 151 FPS on average.

Looking at the temperatures, the RX 6800 XT’s performance win gets even more impressive as the GPU is running just ~1.5% hotter than its rival. While the RTX 3080 is at 64°C, the RX 6800 XT is hovering at 65°C.

That’s not it, the RX 6800 XT is also consuming significantly less power at just 220W. On the other hand, Team Green’s RTX 3080 is quite a power-hungry beast, as it is taking up about 40.9% more power at 310W. Overall, the RX 6800 XT is a winner from every angle when running Hitman 3 at 1080p.

Cyberpunk 2077

Next up we have Cyberpunk 2077 running at 1080p.

It looks like the RTX 3080 has finally managed to land a punch to its AMD rival as the GPU is now performing at 106 average FPS whereas the RX 6800 XT falls behind by just ~4.9% at 101 average FPS. Even though the RTX 3080 is ahead by just 5 framerates, it’s a win for Team Green.

Also Read: RX 5700 XT Vs RTX 3080

The 1% lows work out in favor of the RTX 3080 even more as the GPU dropped to about 84 FPS only while the RX 6800 XT dropped to 74 FPS.

Just as we saw in Hitman 3, the difference in temperature between the RTX 3080 and the RX 6800 XT is negligible here as well, with both GPUs running at 67°C.

However, the same cannot be said for the power efficiency, as the RTX 3080 is consuming a whopping 349W. On the other hand, the RX 6800 XT is consuming about 41% less power at 247W. So, while the RTX 3080 wins the performance battle when running Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p, it is nowhere near as power efficient as the RX 6800 XT.

Call Of Duty: Warzone

In Call of Duty: Warzone at 1080p, both GPUs seem to perform exactly the same.

Throughout the entire gameplay, the RX 6800 XT ran Warzone with 175 average FPS. Similarly, the RTX 3080 ran with 177 average FPS. Overall, the RTX 3080 stayed ahead with just ~1.14% more FPS, which is basically negligible.

The same story is repeated in the 1% lows. But, this time, the RX 6800 XT is performing slightly better as it dropped to 127 FPS and the RTX 3080 to 124 FPS.

What’s surprisingly different is the thermal efficiency of the two GPUs, as the RTX 3080 is now running ~4.9% cooler at 61°C while the RX 6800 XT is at 64°C.

You might think that the RTX 3080 will consume less or, at the very least, an equal amount of power as it is running cooler. But, the RTX 3080 is again consuming about 41.9% more power at 257W, whereas the RX 6800 XT is consuming just 181W. Overall, both GPUs are performing the same when running Warzone at 1080p, with the RTX 3080 being significantly less power efficient.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Going through the Red Dead Redemption 2 benchmarks at 1080p, the difference in gaming performance seems negligible yet again.

On average, the RTX 3080 is running at 101 FPS, and the RX 6800 XT is running at 98 FPS. With about 3% more FPS, which is almost negligible, the gaming performance win still goes to the RTX 3080.

Similarly, the RTX 3080 is leading with a tiny margin in the 1% lows as well with its 79 FPS. In comparison, the RX 6800 XT has an average 1% low of 77 FPS.

Both the RTX 3080 and the RX 6800 XT perform head-to-head against each other, and it is true for their temperature figures as well. That’s because Team Red is running at 65°C and Team Green is running at 66°C.

Similar Comparisons: Radeon RX 6700 XT Vs GeForce RTX 3080

The RTX 3080’s slightly better performance is tainted by its considerably higher power consumption. While the RX 6800 XT is taking in around 243W, the RTX 3080 is consuming about 41.9% more power at 345W.

Watch Dogs: Legion

The performance figures have changed slightly in Watch Dogs: Legion in favor of the RX 6800 XT.

With the RTX 3080 running at 104 average FPS, the RX 6800 XT pulls ahead by about 11.5% at 116 average FPS. Overall, the AMD GPU is performing much better at running Watch Dogs: Legion at 1080p than its NVIDIA rival.

The 1% lows are somewhat the same as well, with the RX 6800 XT performing better at 92 FPS and the RTX 3080 at 83 FPS.

So far, we have noticed that both GPUs are equally thermal efficient. Well, nothing has changed this time either, as the RTX 3080 and the RX 6800 XT are running at 64°C and 65°C, respectively.

As you can guess, the RTX 3080 is again consuming more power, and here the difference has dropped a bit to ~32.8%. With the RX 6800 XT staying going easy on the power consumption at 225W, the RTX 3080 is consuming 299W.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Coming up next is Assassin’s Creed Valhalla running at 1080p, and this is the first game we have seen so far where the difference in sheer gaming performance has increased by a considerable margin.

On average, the RX 6800 XT is running at a solid 125 FPS. On the other hand, the RTX 3080 could manage to only run at 94 FPS, giving the gaming performance win to the RX 6800 XT with an impressive ~32.9% lead.

Not only that, but Team Red seems to be killing it in the 1% lows as well as the RX 6800 XT only dropped to 87 FPS, whereas the RTX 3080 went down to 68 FPS.

Looking at the temperature figures, the difference between the two GPUs stays negligible. But, it is worth mentioning that the RX 6800 XT is the slightly cooler one at 60°C. In contrast, the RTX 3080 is running at 61°C.

Despite its much better FPS figures, the RX 6800 XT is consuming about 32.7% less power. Yes, you read that correctly; Team Red is performing with ~32.9% more FPS while staying ~32.7% more power-efficient. While the RTX 3080 is consuming 243W, the RX 6800 XT is consuming just 183W. Overall, when running Assassin’s Creed Valhalla at 1080p, the win goes to the RX 6800 XT in all aspects.

Doom Eternal

When playing Doom Eternal at 1080p, the RX 6800 XT yet again outperformed the RTX 3080 but by a thin margin.

Throughout the entire gameplay, the RTX 3080 ran with an average of 295 FPS. In comparison, the RX 6800 XT ran with about 306 average FPS. Overall, Team Red gets another win, and this time with about 3.7% more FPS.

Similarly, the RX 6800 XT has better 1% lows as well because the GPU dropped to 248 FPS while the RTX 3080 dropped to 241 FPS.

The difference in temperature between the two GPUs is basically the same, with the RTX 3080 running a degree cooler at 66°C and the RX 6800 XT at 67°C.

Also Check: RTX 4070 Ti Vs RTX 3080

As expected, the RTX 3080 is consuming a lot of power when compared to the RX 6800 XT. The NVIDIA GPU is taking in about 366W, and the AMD GPU is consuming about 34% less power at 273W.

DIRT 5

The difference in gaming performance grew even smaller as we moved to Dirt 5 in the RTX 3080 vs RX 6800 XT gaming benchmarks, running at 1080p.

With the RTX 3080 running at 153 average FPS, the RX 6800 XT stays ahead by just ~2.6% better performance at 157 average FPS. Overall, the win goes to Team Red, but the difference is almost negligible.

The RX 6800 XT also has better 1% lows as it went down to just 138 FPS, while the RTX 3080 dropped to 129 FPS.

Without any surprises, both the RTX 3080 and the RX 6800 XT are running at almost the same temperatures at 66°C and 67ºC, with the former being a degree cooler.

By now, we already know that the RTX 3080 is a power-hungry GPU. But, the difference in power consumption has jumped to an all-time high as the graphics card is now consuming a ridiculous 355W of power. In comparison, the RX 6800 XT is consuming just 240W, which is about 47.9% less power.

Control

The RTX 3080 has finally won back some points as the GPU is running Control at 1080p better than the RX 6800 XT with a notable difference.

On average, the RX 6800 XT is running at 142 FPS, whereas the RTX 3080 is running at 155 FPS. Overall, the RTX 3080 is leading with ~9.1% more FPS.

The 1% lows of the two GPUs tell a similar story as well because the RTX 3080 dropped to just 121 FPS, but the RX 6800 XT went down to 111 FPS.

Even though there is basically a negligible difference in the thermal figures of the two GPUs, the RTX 3080 is still running about 3% cooler at 65°C while the RX 6800 XT is hovering at 67°C.

As far as efficiency is concerned, you will only achieve better thermal efficiency with the RTX 3080 because the GPU is still consuming about 27.3% more power at 363W. Comparatively, the RX 6800 XT is consuming 285W, which is quite less.

Horizon Zero Dawn

To end our thorough 1080p gaming benchmarks analysis, we will be going through the gaming figures of Horizon Zero Dawn.

Yet again, the RX 6800 XT is outperforming its NVIDIA rival, and this time the difference is negligible. With about 134 average FPS, the RX 6800 XT is about ~3.8% ahead of the RTX 3080, which is running at 129 FPS.

In terms of 1% lows, the RX 6800 XT dropped to 115 FPS and the RTX 3080 to 105 FPS.

Just like in other 1080p games, both the RTX 3080 and the RX 6800 XT run at pretty much the same temperatures. Here, the RTX 3080 is running at 64°C, and the RX 6800 XT is at 65°C.

Also Read: RX 7900 XT Vs RTX 3080

Similarly, the power consumption figures follow the same pattern as well, with the RTX 3080 consuming about 33.9% more power. While the RX 6800 XT is consuming 215W, its NVIDIA rival is consuming 288W.

RTX 3080 Vs RX 6800 XT Gaming Benchmarks: 1440p

Now we know how the RTX 3080 vs RX 6800 XT battle pans out in terms of 1080p gaming. But, that’s not it, because to best understand which GPU is superior to the other, we need to analyze their 1440p gaming benchmarks as well.

Hitman 3

Similar to 1080p, we will fire up our 1440p benchmarks analysis with Hitman 3.

The RX 6800 XT is again outperforming the RTX 3080 with better framerates. On average, the RX 6800 XT is running at 166 FPS, and the RTX 3080 is running at 153 FPS. While Team Red is ahead with ~8.4% better FPS, the difference has actually decreased from ~12% at 1080p as we moved up to 1440p.

Similarly, the RX 6800 XT is also performing better in terms of 1% lows as the GPU dropped to just 144 FPS while the RTX 3080 went down to 132 FPS.

At 1080p, both GPUs were running at almost the same temperatures with little to no difference between them. Well, the same goes for 1440p gaming as well as both the RTX 3080 and the RX 6800 XT are running at 67°C.

Despite its inferior FPS figures, the RTX 3080 is still consuming a lot of power. While the RX 6800 XT is taking in just 266W, the RTX 3080 is consuming 360W, which is about 35.3% more power.

Cyberpunk 2077

The RTX 3080 has managed to further increase the performance gap as we moved from 1080p to 1440p in Cyberpunk 2077.

With the RX 6800 XT running at 69 average FPS, the RTX 3080 is running at 77 average FPS, which is about 11.5% better. Overall, the win definitely goes to Team Green, as the RTX 3080 is running with a considerable FPS difference.

Not only that but the RTX 3080 is also performing better in 1% lows as the GPU dropped to just 64 FPS while the RX 6800 XT dropped to 54 FPS.

As expected, both GPUs are performing equally in terms of thermal efficiency as the RTX 3080 and the RX 6800 XT are hovering at 67°C and 68°C, respectively.

Despite its commendable thermal efficiency, the RTX 3080 is consuming ~33.5% more power, which is a lot seeing that the GPU is ahead by about 11.5% more FPS. While the RX 6800 XT is consuming 268W, the NVIDIA GPU is taking in 358W.

Call Of Duty: Warzone

Both GPUs ran Warzone at 1080p with similar framerates, whereas the RTX 3080 pulled ahead by just ~1.14% better FPS. Well, the difference remains the same as we move to 1440p, but this time it is in favor of the RX 6800 XT.

On average, the RTX 3080 is running Warzone at 1440p at 166 FPS. Similarly, the RX 6800 XT is running at 168 FPS. Overall, Team Red is leading with just ~1.2% more framerates.

Similar Comparisons: RTX 3080 10GB Vs RTX 3080 12GB

Despite its lower average FPS, the RTX 3080 actually performs better in terms of 1% lows, as the GPU only dropped to about 121 FPS. On the other hand, the RX 6800 XT went down to 116 FPS.

The RTX 3080 is only running a smidge cooler at 63°C, whereas the RX 6800 XT is running about 3% hotter at 65°C. All in all, the difference in the thermal efficiency between the two GPUs remains negligible.

Similarly, the RTX 3080 continues to go hard on the electricity bill as the GPU is consuming ~38.4% more power at 313W. Comparatively, the RX 6800 XT is consuming just 226W, taking up another power efficiency win.

Red Dead Redemption 2

In Red Dead Redemption 2 at 1440p, the performance difference has doubled in favor of the RTX 3080.

Throughout the entire gameplay, the RTX 3080 is running at 86 average FPS, which is about 6.1% more than the RX 6800 XT running at 81 average FPS.

In terms of 1% lows, both GPUs are performing fairly similarly as the RTX 3080, and the RX 6800 XT dropped to 68 FPS and 67 FPS, respectively.

Just like in Warzone at 1440p, the RTX 3080 is again running cooler by a negligible difference of ~2.9% at 67°C. In contrast, the RX 6800 XT is hovering at about 69°C.

It comes as no surprise that the RTX 3080 is consuming about 33.8% more power. So far, there has not been a single game where the NVIDIA GPU came even close to being as power efficient as its AMD rival. With the RTX 3080 consuming 360W, the RX 6800 XT is consuming just 269W.

Watch Dogs: Legion

Just like at 1080p, the RX 6800 XT is again performing better than the RTX 3080 when running Watch Dogs: Legion at 1440p.

At about 87 average FPS, the RX 6800 XT is ahead by ~4.8% better framerates than the RTX 3080, which is running at 83 average FPS. While this is a win for Team Red, it should be pointed out that at 1080p, the RX 6800 XT was leading with more than double the margin.

Looking at the 1% lows, it is clear that the RX 6800 XT is performing better by a slight difference, as it only dropped to 70 FPS, while the RTX 3080 dropped to 67 FPS.

It comes as no surprise that both the RTX 3080 and the RX 6800 XT are running at the same temperature, that is, 66°C.

Similar to what we have reviewed so far, the RTX 3080 is again consuming more power by about 35.3%. While the RX 6800 XT is consuming 243W, the RTX 3080 is consuming 329W.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Even at 1080p, the RX 6800 XT was ahead by a significant ~32.9% lead in terms of sheer gaming performance. Well, at 1440p, the benchmarks yield a similar result.

This time, the difference has come down to about 24.6%, which is still quite impressive as the RTX 3080 can only achieve 81 average FPS, whereas the RX 6800 XT is running at 101 average FPS.

Looking at the 1% lows, the RX 6800 XT stays a clear winner as it only went down to 74 FPS, while the RTX 3080 dropped to 58 FPS.

Also Read: RTX 3080 Vs RX 6900 XT

Despite its lower performance, the RTX 3080 manages to stay just a bit more thermally efficient when put next to its AMD rival. While hovering at 61°C, the RTX 3080 is just ~3.2% cooler than the RX 6800 XT, which is running at 63°C.

We know that the RTX 3080 will consume more power than usual. But, the difference has actually come down to about 23.2% as the GPU is now consuming 270W while the RX 6800 XT is consuming 219W.

Doom Eternal

Both the RTX 3080 and the RX 6800 XT ran Doom Eternal at 1080p with commendable framerates. Well, it’s still true at 1440p as well.

On average, the RX 6800 XT is running at 247 FPS, and the RTX 3080 is running at 242 FPS. Overall, the RX 6800 XT is ahead by just 2% more FPS which can be neglected.

In terms of 1% lows, the RX 6800 XT dropped down to 210 FPS and the RTX 3080 to 200 FPS.

The RTX 3080 seems to be building a reputation of staying just a couple of degrees cooler than its AMD counterpart. This time, the RTX 3080 is at 66°C, and the RX 6800 XT is just ~3% hotter at 68°C.

In terms of power consumption, the RTX 3080 is consuming 365W, which is about 26.2% more than the RX 6800 XT, which is consuming 289W.

DIRT 5

In most of the 1440p benchmarks, the RX 6800 XT stayed ahead of the RTX 3080 by a smaller difference than it did at 1080p. Well, that changes with Dirt 5.

This time, the RX 6800 XT has increased the gap to about 3.8% as it is running at 134  average FPS. In comparison, the RTX 3080 is running at 129 average FPS. Even though a difference of ~3.8% is not huge, it is still good.

The 1% lows are no different either, as the RX 6800 XT dropped to 118 FPS and the RTX 3080 to 110 FPS.

In terms of thermal efficiency, both the RTX 3080 and the RX 6800 XT are at 67°C.

The difference in power consumption has again bumped up as the RTX 3080 is consuming 358W, which is about 35% more than the RX 6800 XT, which is taking in just 265W.

Control

With the resolution cranked up to 1440p, the RTX 3080 is still leading in terms of better FPS when running Control.

Throughout the entire gameplay, the RTX 3080 ran at an average of 103 FPS, which is about 8.4% better than the RX 6800 XT, as it ran at 95 average FPS. Overall, the win goes to RTX 3080, as it is leading with a good FPS difference.

Similarly, when looking at the 1% lows, the RTX 3080’s framerates dropped to 84, and the RX 6800 XT’s framerates dropped to 77.

The RTX 3080 is running just a degree cooler at 66°C while the RX 6800 XT is at 67°C.

Also Read: RTX 4080 Vs RTX 3080

The power consumption figures are no different from the rest either, with the RTX 3080 consuming ~25.9% more power at 364W. Comparatively, the RX 6800 XT is consuming 289W.

Horizon Zero Dawn

To finish off our in-depth RTX 3080 vs RX 6800 XT gaming benchmarks analysis, we will be reviewing Horizon Zero Dawn at 1440p.

Well, just like at 1080p, the RX 6800 XT is leading again, and this time with a ~4.6% gap. On average, the RX 6800 XT is running at 112 FPS, and the RTX 3080 is running at 107 FPS.

The 1% lows are no different either, with the RTX 3080 dropping to 95 FPS and the RX 6800 XT to 102 FPS.

Glancing over the temperature figures, the RTX 3080 is unsurprisingly running a degree cooler again at 65°C, whereas the RX 6800 XT is at 66°C.

The RTX 3080 stays exactly as power-hungry as it was in the other games as well. Here, the GPU is consuming 315W while the RX 6800 XT is consuming 236W, making Team Red about 33.4% more power efficient.

Overall Gaming Performance

Coming back to the question, which GPU is better in terms of sheer gaming performance? And by how much? Well, after analyzing the RTX 3080 vs RX 6800 XT benchmarks in 10 games at both 1080p and 1440p, we finally have an answer.

On average, the RTX 3080 ran 10 games at 1080p with 149.9 FPS. On the other hand, the RX 6800 XT surpassed it with just a ~4.1% lead as it achieved 156.1 FPS. Similarly, at 1440p, the RTX 3080 ran 10 games with an average of 122.7 FPS, while the RT 6800 XT stayed ahead by about 2.68% at 126 FPS.

So, while the difference in the gaming performance between the two GPUs is minimal, the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is still the superior GPU. However, this does not mean that the RTX 3080 is an inferior GPU. The NVIDIA graphics card also ran every game we reviewed at both 1080p and 1440p with considerably good FPS.

For instance, in games like Cyberpunk 2077, Control, and Red Dead Redemption 2, the RTX 3080 was ahead by up to 11.5% more FPS.

All things considered, both GPUs trade blows with each other depending on the game. But, overall, the RX 6800 XT outperforms the RTX 3080 with more FPS by a thin margin. 

Also Read: Radeon RX 6800 Vs RX 6800 XT

Power Consumption and Thermal Efficiency

Gaming performance alone is not enough to determine which GPU is superior. We also need to go over their power consumption and thermal efficiency.

Well, with an RTX 3080, you will definitely be getting a bigger electricity bill as compared to the RX 6800 XT. That’s because the NVIDIA graphics card consumed 317.5W on average at 1080p and 339.2W at 1440p. With a baseline TDP of 320W, the RTX 3080 surpassed that figure in 5 of the 10 games at 1080p and in 7 of the 10 games at 1440p.

On the other hand, the RX 6800 XT consumed 231.2W at 1080p on average, which makes it about 37.3% more power efficient than the RTX 3080. Similarly, at 1440p, the RX 6800X XT only consumed 257W on average, again making it ~31.9% more power efficient. 

Not only that but what’s even more impressive is that both at 1080p and 1440p, the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT stayed below its rated TDP on average. All in all, it’s not that the RTX 3080 is unbelievably more power-hungry; it’s just that the RX 6800 XT is extremely more power efficient, making the Team Green look bad.

Despite its ridiculously high power consumption, the RTX 3080 managed to run just a bit cooler than the RX 6800 XT. On average, at 1080p, the NVIDIA graphics card hovered at about 64.4°C, whereas its AMD rival, the RX 6800 XT, stayed at 65.5°C.

The same story follows at 1440p as well, with the RTX 3080 heating up to 65.5°C on average and the RX 6800 XT getting just about a degree hotter at 66.6°C. With that said, the RX 6800 XT wasn’t inconsiderably hot either, so you don’t have to worry about thermal throttling or any other issue.

Also Check: RX 6800 XT Vs RTX 3080 Ti

Overall, while the RX 6800 XT takes the crown when it comes to power efficiency, both GPUs performed really well in thermal efficiency, with a minor difference between them. In case you face any graphics card overheating issues, you can check out our guide on how to lower GPU temperature. 

Pricing And Availability

So, which GPU is the better bang for the buck? Well, you can get an RX 6800 XT from anywhere upwards of $670 on Amazon. On the other hand, the RTX 3080 falls in the higher range of the price spectrum as it is currently available for as low as $740.

In comparison, the AMD RX 6800 XT clearly provides better value for money because, for about 70 bucks less, you can get slightly better performance at significantly lower power consumption.

However, the lower power consumption does not mean that you should cheap out on the PSU. The suggested PSU for the RX 6800 XT is 750W, and while you might get away with a lower one, it’s highly recommended that you get the suggested one to be on the safe side.

RTX 3080 Vs RX 6800 XT: Which One Should You Go For?

Now that we have covered everything there is to know about the RTX 3080 vs RX 6800 XT showdown, let’s go back to the main question. Which one should you go for? And are they better alternatives out there in 2022?

Well, the only reason you should go for an RTX 3080 is if you’re after the reliable and seamless software features that NVIDIA provides. Other than that, the RX 6800 XT is a clear winner. It not only performs well but also costs much less while consuming less power. Before leaving, make sure to check out our RX 6800 XT vs RTX 3070 Ti comparison as well. 

Also Read: RX 7900 XT Vs RX 6800 XT