Since the all-new RTX 4090 and the RX 7900 XT are the talks of the town, let’s not forget what came before these powerful graphic cards. For this reason, we decided to go back and do an Nvidia RTX 3080 vs AMD RX 6900 XT comparison.
Nvidia was already famous for bringing the latest features to accommodate and improve the Ray Tracing abilities, but AMD didn’t lag behind in this race, all thanks to their RDNA 2.0 architecture. This guide will provide you with a detailed analysis and benchmark results of both GPUs with regard to games played with both Ray Tracing enabled and disabled.
Key Takeaways
- The RTX 3080 consists of a 10 GB and a 12 GB variant, where both perform much similar to one another.
- The RTX 3080 12 GB shows only about a 6% increase in performance and costs about $200 more than the RTX 3080 10 GB.
- RX 6900 XT costs about $200 more than the RTX 3080 12 GB and performs 11.6% better than the RTX 3080 12 GB on 1080p and 7.6% better on 1440p.
- Both the RX 6900 XT and RTX 3080 12 GB have almost the same performance on 4K, which makes the RTX 3080 12 GB a suitable option for 4K gaming.
- RTX 3080 consumes more power than the RX 6900 XT on both 1080p and 1440p but performs relatively better when Ray Tracing is enabled.
- On average, RTX 3080 remains around 9°C cooler than the RX 6900 XT, but the RTX 3080 12 GB is not as readily available as the RX 6900 XT and RTX 3080 10 GB.
Nvidia RTX 3080 Vs AMD RX 6900 XT Specifications
The RX 6900 XT was released on December 8, 2020, just a few months after the release of the RTX 3080, which took play on September 17, 2020. To clarify, the RTX 3080 was initially launched with the 10 GB VRAM variant. Fast forward to a year, Nvidia launched a 12 GB variant of the RTX 3080 with slight improvements in terms of features.
Also Check: RTX 4090 Vs RTX 3080 Ti
The key specifications of both the variants of the RTX 3080 and RX 6900 XT are included below:
| Name | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 10 GB | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB | AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT |
| Node | Samsung 8nm | Samsung 8nm | TSMC 7 nm |
| Architecture | Ampere | Ampere | RDNA 2.0 |
| CUDA Cores | 8,704 | 8,960 | 5,120 |
| Core Clock | 1440 MHz | 1260 MHz | 1825 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1710 MHz | 1710 MHz | 2250 MHz |
| Memory | 10 GB GDDR6X | 12 GB GDDR6X | 16 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Clock | 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective) | 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective) | 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) |
| Memory Bandwidth | 760.3 GB/s | 912.4 GB/s | 512.0 GB/s |
| RT Cores | 68 | 70 | 80 |
| Tensor Cores | 272 | 280 | 320 |
| Transistors | 28,300 million | 28,300 million | 26,800 million |
| TDP | 320W | 350W | 300 W |
| Power Connector | 1x 12-pin | 1x 12 pin | 2x 8-pin |
| Launch Year | Sep 17, 2020 | Jan 11, 2022 | Dec 8, 2020 |
| GPU Die | GA102 | GA102 | Navi 21 |
| Memory Bus | 320 bit | 384 bit | 256 bit |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| MSRP | $699 | $799 | $999 |
| Current Price | ~$1000 | ~$1200 | $1100 – $1300 |
RTX 3080 10 GB Vs RTX 3080 12 GB
The 10 GB and the 12 GB variants of the RTX 3080 have several similarities, such as having the same amount of boost clock, memory clock, transistors, GPU die, architecture, node, and power connector. Apart from these similarities, the performance difference between the two GPUs is not a lot as the RTX 3080 12 GB is slightly better in performance than the RTX 3080 10 GB.
To start with the obvious, RTX 3080 12 GB has 2 GB more VRAM, which doesn’t equate to a lot. However, we will address what really gives it an edge over the RTX 3080 10 GB variant in a bit. The RTX 3080 12 GB also has 256 more CUDA cores, which are responsible for handling complex operations such as demanding games or heavy rendering operations.
With the same memory clock, RTX 3080 12 GB arrives with a higher memory bandwidth as well. This is what transfers the data from the VRAM to the computer cores, which is responsible for making the 12 GB VRAM version more effective than the 10 GB version. The difference in RT cores, Tensor cores, and memory bus is very small to make any big difference.
The difference in power consumption is also slight, with only a 30 W rise in RTX 3080 12 GB. Overall, the RTX 3080 12 GB shows a 6% improvement in terms of gaming performance when compared with its lower VRAM model. The performance is almost similar, with the RTX 3080 12 GB gaining only 2 to 3 more FPS in most games, apart from a few rare exceptions.
RTX 3080 12 GB Vs RX 6900 XT
Due to this slight difference in performance, let’s compare the RTX 3080 12 GB with the RX 6900 XT. Interestingly, the features present in one card are outperformed by other features present in the other. But don’t worry because we will eventually get to see how they perform, which will clarify any doubts about these powerful GPUs.
With these two cards, we have a different gap that is quite distinctive. Apart from the different nodes and architectures used in both cards, the VRAM is quite farther apart as well, whereas the RX 6900 XT has 4 GB more VRAM than the RTX 3080. However, when we begin to dive into the topic of CUDA cores, the situation becomes interesting.
RTX 3080 12GB has far more CUDA cores than RX 6900 XT, 3,840 more CUDA cores, to be exact. This is a huge difference, but RX 6900 XT gains an edge by having more core clock and boost clock frequencies, an increment of 36.6% and 27.2%, respectively. However, the transistor difference makes the levels the field for both cards again.
With more transistors, the RTX 3080 12 GB packs smaller transistors in its small die, which reduces the power consumption, which leads to an increase in the maximum clock frequency that, in turn, improves the overall performance. Given its 8mm node size when compared to the 7mm node size in RX 6900 XT, it still consumes more power.
As we know that RX 6900 XT has 16 GB of VRAM, and it also has 2000 MHz of memory clock, which is the speed of the VRAM. However, it lacks in the area of memory bandwidth, and this is where RTX 3080 12 GB takes the lead since the transference of data in RTX 3080 is conducted at a faster rate.
With higher memory bandwidth, the 12 GB variant of RTX 3080 also has a higher memory bus of 384 bits. This also means that a larger amount of data is transferred, which gives an additional point to the 12 GB variant of the RTX 3080. As for the RT and Tensor cores, RX 6900 XT outshines the RTX 3080. This means that it would provide a better Ray-Tracing experience to the users.
Benchmarks Test On 1080p, 1440p and 4K Resolution
In order to be fully aware of the capabilities of any graphics card, it is always best to analyze its gaming performance by conducting a benchmark test just like we did with RTX 3070 vs RX 6700 XT. Among the two RTX 3080 GPUs, it will only be fair to choose the RTX 3080 12 GB variant for this test since its performance is much closer to the RX 6900 XT.
Before we start, it is important to note that the performance of any graphics card varies on the variant of the GPU, the optimization settings, the motherboard, the CPU, driver version, just to name a few. This is also mentioned by Video Game Player who conducted this benchmark test.
So without any further due, let’s take a look at Nvidia RTX 3080 vs AMD RX 6900 XT gaming benchmarks.
Testing Rig For RTX 3080 12 GB Vs RX 6900 XT
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 12GB Founders Edition
- GPU: XFX AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT 16GB
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
- Motherboard: MSI MAG X570S Tomahawk Max Wifi
- RAM: 32 GB DDR4-3200 CL 14
Far Cry 6
Starting off with one of the most demanding and poorly optimized games, Far Cry 6. It consists of an enormous terrain that is laden with high-resolution vegetation and NPCs, all of which require powerful GPUs. Therefore, let’s find out how both the Nvidia RTX 3080 and AMD RX 6900 XT performed in this game.
For 1080p and 1440p, we get to see almost similar performance. On 1080p, the RTX 3080 obtained an average of 106 FPS, whereas the RX 6900 XT obtained 113 average FPS, gaining 7 more FPS. For the 1% lows, both cards acquired around 80 FPS, with the RTX 3080 getting 2 FPS more than the RX 6900 XT.
If you’re not familiar with the 1% lows, it is the worst FPS obtained 1% of the time. This is to judge the real performance of a GPU or a CPU as average FPS can be misleading. This is because the maximum FPS can be the highest, but it fluctuates at a higher rate which could give the wrong impression to the users. Therefore, the closest 1% lows are to the average FPS, the better GPU is.
Similar Guides: RTX 3080 Vs. RX 6800 XT
As for the 1440p, RTX 3080 acquired 104 average FPS, only 2 more than that on 1080p. On the contrary, RX 6900 XT obtained an average FPS of 107, a 6 FPS drop from 1080p. Speaking of the 1% lows, we get almost close results. The RTX 3080 obtained 78 FPS over the RX 6900 XT, which acquired 76 FPS, a difference of almost 20 FPS over the average FPS.
Moving on to the ultimate 4K resolution, we get to something different in terms of average FPS. Both GPUs easily exceeded the 60 FPS mark but had a 20 FPS drop regarding the average FPS, achieving an average of 75 FPS and 84 FPS on RTX 3080 and RX 6900 XT, respectively. In terms of the 1% lows, the results are slightly different when compared to that of both the other resolutions.
RTX 3080 obtained 68 FPS, whereas RX 6900 XT got 73 FPS on 1% lows. This drop is around 10 FPS for RTX 3080 and only a few FPS for the RX 6900 XT when compared to 1440p. This means that this single-player game can be played on 4K resolution on both powerful graphic cards with ease.
Hitman 3
Hitman 3 is one of the most demanding games, being both GPU and CPU intensive. Its vast map allows you to explore various highly-detailed environments that require a powerful GPU to function properly. However, the game is fully optimized for even lower-end PCs.
With Hitman 3, the results are impressive. On 1080p, both graphic cards performed incredibly well. The RTX 3080 gained 171 average FPS, whereas RX 6900 XT obtained an average FPS of 176. For the 1% lows, both achieved around 130 FPS. The RTX 3080 obtained 128 FPS, while the RX 6900 XT obtained 131 FPS in terms of the 1% lows.
Both GPUs performed well when compared to Far Cry 6. However, there is a difference of around 40 FPS in terms of 1% lows in Hitman 3. The 1% lows remained almost the same on 1440p as well. As for the average FPS on 1440p, the RTX 3080 obtained 163 FPS, and RX 6900 XT acquired 172 FPS.
The difference in both cards isn’t much when compared to 1080p, with only a few FPS being decreased on RX 6900 XT and about 7 FPS decreased on RTX 3080. For 4K, the RTX 3080 showed 96 average FPS, while RX 6900 XT exceeded the 100 FPS mark, gaining 105 average FPS.
As for the 1% lows, there is about a 12.7% difference in FPS, where RX 6900 XT scored 92 FPS over the RTX 3080, which acquired 81 FPS.
Rainbow Six Siege
Up next, we have our first competitive multiplayer in our Nvidia RTX 3080 vs AMD RX 6900 XT gaming benchmarks, Rainbow Six Siege. It is a fairly less demanding game and can be easily played on low to medium-end computers as well. Since it is a competitive game, many users tend to play it in lower settings to obtain higher FPS for better and smooth gameplay.
This is where the Nvidia RTX 3080 and the AMD RX 6900 XT come in, as they are powerful enough to stop players from lowering their graphic settings. Nonetheless, the results of both the cards produced for this game are fairly better since the game demands less GPU and CPU. However, the difference in FPS on both cards is quite astonishing.
On 1080p and ultra quality, the RTX 3080 scores an average FPS of 503, while the RX 6900 XT obtains an average of 590 FPS. Here, we get almost an increment of 90 FPS. To clarify, a difference of more than 10 FPS is enough to make a difference when it comes to smooth performance.
Speaking of the 1% lows, we see an impressive shift in the RX 6900 XT as it achieved 485 FPS, being 105 FPS short of the average FPS. This is not necessarily a good sight since we see the largest gap so far in this list between the average FPS and the 1% low. As for the RTX 3080, it obtains 405 FPS, having a relatively smaller gap of 68 FPS.
As for the performance difference on 1440p, RTX 3080 and RX 6900 XT exceeded 350 FPS, achieving an average of 364 FPS and 393 FPS, respectively. With the 1% lows, the gap is beginning to close in slowly. The RX 6900 XT acquired 330 FPS, having a margin of 64 FPS. In contrast, the RTX 3080 had a difference of only 45 FPS since it obtained 319 FPS.
On 4K, we see a substantial change regarding two aspects. Firstly, the RTX 3080 achieved a relatively more average FPS, 18 more FPS to be precise, since it achieved an average of 198 FPS. On the contrary, RX 6900 XT, which achieved more FPS on both the resolutions before, only achieved 180 average FPS.
Regarding the 1% lows, the gap has almost been bridged. The RTX 3080 experiences a difference of only 15 FPS as it scored 175 FPS. Whereas the RX 6900 XT obtained 157 FPS which means it has a margin of 23 FPS, which is quite great. This makes Rainbow Six Siege function without FPS drops on 4K. However, playing it on 1440p is recommended for that extra FPS boost.
Apex Legends
Next, we have another competitive multiplayer game. However, this time it is quite a demanding game since it is heavily a GPU-intensive game. It is a battle royale game; therefore, it consists of a gigantic map with extreme details present in the environment. Since it is a first-person game, the field-of-view also affects the FPS since more pieces of the environment are being rendered.
For this test, the FOV is set to the normal amount (70), and the settings have been ramped up to high with the TSAA enabled. With this setting, both the cards performed almost similarly on 1080p. The RTX 3080 obtained an average FPS of 233, whereas RX 6900 XT acquired a 231 average FPS. This is not much, so the 1% lows should be considered to check the difference.
For this, the performance difference between the two GPUs is the same. Both achieved a 22 FPS margin when compared to the average FPS, as the RTX 3080 obtained 211 FPS and the RX 6900 XT obtained 233 FPS. Since the difference was similar on 1080p, it would only be fair to test them on 1440p.
Strikingly, the performance of both graphic cards is yet again similar on 1440p. The RTX 3080 acquired 196 of average FPS, whereas the RX 6900 XT acquired an average of 191 FPS. This makes the RTX 3080 only 5 FPS short of the RX 6900 XT. You might think that the 1% low results would be contrasting. However, that is not the case.
The 1% low results are yet again quite similar on both cards, with the RTX 3080 achieving 172 FPS and the RX 6900 XT scoring 175 FPS. This makes for a difference of 19 FPS present on the RTX 3080 and 21 FPS on the RX 6900 XT.
On 4K, the results are even similar to the point where the average FPS on both GPUs is the same, 128 FPS. On the other hand, the 1% lows seem to be much closer to this average FPS, with 112 FPS achieved on the RTX 3080 and 111 FPS obtained on the RX 6900 XT. This gives the RTX 3080 the best margin present on this list, with only 16 FPS.
As of yet, Apex Legend is the only game that has brought similar performance results on both the RTX 3080 and RX 6900 XT. Both cards performed incredibly well on all resolutions, but playing on 1080p is recommended to obtain additional FPS.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the most demanding game of the entire Assassin’s Creed franchise, even more than Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. It requires high-end GPUs and puts strain on the system even when played on 1080p. The performance is similar on the ultra and high settings, but this test will be conducted on the ultra settings.
It is important to know that it is an AMD-optimized title which means that AMD GPUs will have an edge on this game. Overall, it is a poorly optimized game that clenches the FPS out even on the more high-end graphic cards. With that out of the way, let’s review the benchmark results.
Right off the bat, the RX 6900 XT scores a relatively higher average FPS on 1080p, obtaining an average of 155 FPS. To compare, the RTX 3080 only achieved 112 of average FPS. This makes it 43 FPS shy, which is a rather large amount. The difference in performance is not only visible with average FPS but also with the 1% lows.
As for the 1% lows, the RTX 3080 achieved better results with regard to 1% lows. It gained 82 FPS, which makes it have a difference of 30 FPS. On the flip side, RTX 3080 manages to obtain 110 FPS when it comes to 1% lows. This allows it to have a margin of 45 FPS.
Also Read: RTX 3080 Vs. 3080 Ti
Now, let’s consider the performance on 1440p. As we expected, RX 6900 XT flourishes regarding the aspect of average FPS. It gained 120 average FPS, achieving slightly over 25% FPS than the RTX 3080, which received an average of 93 FPS. In terms of the 1% lows on 1440p, RTX 3080 yet again strikes with better results.
The RTX 3080 achieved 66 FPS, which makes it 27 FPS short of the average FPS. On the contrary, RX 6900 XT has a difference of 33 FPS since it achieved 87 FPS when it comes to 1% lows.
Finally, let’s move on to 4K resolution. Here, the results are quite similar on both RTX 3080 and RX 6900 XT, unlike the results found in the previous two resolutions. Both GPUs exceeded the 60 FPS mark in terms of the average FPS. The RTX 3080 obtained 64 average FPS whereas RX 6900 XT scored an average of 68 FPS.
To compare this with the 1% lows, yet again we get similar results. Both the graphic cards achieved around 50 FPS. However, for the RTX 3080, it makes for a 15 FPS difference between the 1% lows and average FPS. All things considered, it is better to play this game on 1440p to obtain more than 120 FPS. However, if you’re planning on playing on 4K, you should lower the settings to high quality.
Ray Tracing On 1080p And 1440p
It wouldn’t be fair to only conduct the Nvidia RTX 3080 vs AMD RX 6900 XT benchmark test without testing their full abilities. This is why it would be best to put them through the ultimate test, Ray Tracing. This test was conducted by ARTIS, who tested several Ray Tracing games on 1080p and 1440p in order to judge the performance of the RTX 3080 10 GB and the Sapphire’s RX 6900 XT.
For this, the YouTuber used the ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming 4 motherboard, which holds the powerful Ryzen 5 5600X CPU, which is cooled by NOCTUA NH-U9B SE2. Furthermore, Patriot Viper Steel Series’s 16 GB DDR4 RAM is used with a staggering clock speed of 4400 Mhz CL19, which is overclockable to 3600MHz CL14.
Moreover, he used Samsung 120GB 2.5” 840 EVO SSD for faster boot time and a total of 10 TB of hard drive to store these heavy games. The entire system is powered by a high-powered Be quiet! Straight Power 10 CM 700W with a gold rating of over 80. All of this is enclosed in Lian Li’s PC-T60B ATX/Micro ATX Test Bench PC case.
Watch Dogs Legion
With Ray Tracing enabled, Watch Dogs Legion gets a whole new look where the game feels more immersive. With the high amount of immersion, there comes a great deal of load on the GPU. Nonetheless, both graphics cards handled the load very well.
Starting with the RTX 3080, which seems to be taking the lead here with this test, gaining an average FPS of 75, the RTX 3080 gains around 63 FPS with regards to the 1% lows. This is very interesting to see as the RX 6900 XT lags behind by getting an average FPS of 65, with around 53 FPS when it comes to 1% lows.
As for the VRAM, the RTX 3080 undoubtedly consumes less VRAM since it consists of comparatively less VRAM. To put in numbers, it consumes around 8.7 GB of VRAM, whereas the RX 6900 XT utilizes about 9.6 GB of VRAM.
The most interesting aspect has to be the temperatures on both cards, where the results on RX 6900 XT have been astonishing. While the RTX 3080 remained at about 40°C to 50° C, the RX 6900 XT started from around 60°C and remained at 70°C at the end. This is quite fascinating since it is the card that has a lower TDP and is supposed to be staying relatively cooler.
As for the power consumption, the results are yet again impressive to see. Where the power consumption in the RTX 3080 varied from 330 W to 350 W, it wavered from 260 W to 280 W in the RX 6900 XT. Here, the RX 6900 XT performs just as expected.
On 1440p and on the same ultra settings, the FPS results are bound to be decreased. On the RTX 3080, we see about a 20 FPS dip in average FPS since it gained about 55 FPS. On the other hand, the RX 6900 XT also gets the FPS dip since it obtained about 45 average FPS.
The 1% lows on both ends had a 10 FPS reduction, with the RTX 3080 getting 43 FPS and The RX 6900 XT obtaining about 31 FPS. In terms of the VRAM, it is expected to increase on both ends, and this is exactly what happened. The RTX 3080 varied around 9.5 GB of VRAM, whereas the RX 6900 XT remained at about 10.8 GB of VRAM.
As for the temperatures, the results are yet again impressive on RX 6900 XT’s end. On the RTX 3080, the temperatures ranged from 41°C to 51°C. Whereas on the RX 6900 XT, the temperatures rose from around 52°C to only 60°C. This means that the RX 6900 XT stays smooch cooler on 1440p rather than on 1080p.
Metro Exodus
The next game for our Nvidia RTX 3080 vs AMD RX 6900 XT gaming benchmark is Metro Exodus. On the highest settings on 1080p, the RTX 3080 shows a prominent change that was not present before. The GPU reaches slightly over 400 W in terms of power consumption. Considering its maximum TDP is only 320 W, this change is pretty significant. With the increased power input, one must expect the card to have higher temperatures as well.
However, this is not the case since the RTX 3080 runs at a constant temperature of about 54°C. This shows how thermally efficient the RTX 3080 is. To compare, the RX 6900 XT draws out only around 290 W of power while staying at a temperature of around 63°C.
Moving on, we see that Metro Exodus doesn’t consume a great deal of VRAM. The RTX 3080 only consumes about 4.5 GB of VRAM, while the RX 6900 XT maintains a VRAM consumption of not more than 5.4 GB.
Speaking of the FPS, the 100 average FPS mark is exceeded by the RTX 3080, which obtained an average of around 110 FPS. In contrast, the RX 6900 XT falls a bit short by acquiring an average of around 90 FPS. To compare it with the 1% lows on both GPUs, we see a great dip on both sides.
This is because it received 75 FPS with regards to the 1% lows, which is about a 25 to 30 FPS difference when compared to the average FPS. Similarly, the RX 6900 XT also lags behind 30 FPS as it obtained 60 FPS in terms of the 1% lows.
Now let’s take a look at the performance difference of both GPUs on 1440p. In terms of power consumption, there is no visible change since both GPUs consumed the same amount of power as they did on 1080p. Similarly, the VRAM was also not affected a lot, as it only rose to 100 MB on both cards.
The RTX 3080 acquired an average of 82 FPS, whereas the RX 6900 XT gained an average of about 70 FPS. To compare these figures with their relative 1% lows, it plummeted to 44 FPS on the RX 6900 XT, which is quite a dip. On the other hand, there isn’t much of a difference between the 0.1% lows and the 1% lows in the RTX 3080.
Both the RTX 3080 and RX 6900 XT ran at fairly decent temperatures, with the temperatures on the RTX 3080 staying consistent for the most part and do not exceed more than 53 C. On the other hand, the temperatures on the RX 6900 XT fluctuate at around 60 C.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
On 1080p, we see about a 5-6 difference in average FPS when the two graphic cards are compared. Where the RTX 3080 achieved a more average FPS than the RX 6900 XT, obtaining 126 FPS and 120 FPS, respectively. The 1% lows difference is very similar as well, where the RTX 3080 gained about 95 FPS over the RX 6900 XT, which acquired 91 FPS.
Speaking of the 0.1% lows, the result is slightly painful. Where the RTX 3080 maintained 54 FPS, the RX 6900 XT obtained 44 FPS for a small amount of time. After a shift in the environment in the game, the 0.1% lows dropped down to 20 FPS in the RX 6900 XT, which is quite a significant drop.
The temperature began at 39°C on the RTX 3080 and climb up to 50°C as the game progresses from less GPU-demanding to more GPU-demanding areas. Surprisingly, the temperatures remained consistent at around 61°C on the RX 6900 XT regardless of the location in the game.
Since Shadow of the Tomb Raider has higher VRAM utilization than the games listed above, it squeezes out around 8 GB from the RTX 3080 and a staggering 12.7 GB from the RX 6900 XT. As for the power consumption, we see a significant difference. The RTX 3080 utilizes around 350 W of power, whereas the RX 6900 XT remains comfortable by only consuming only around 200 W.
On 1440p, power consumption on the RTX 3080 ramped up to 380 W to produce high Ray Tracing performance. Whereas the power consumption on the RX 6900 XT rose up to a little over 290 W, having a 90 W difference if we compare it with the performance on 1080p. Much like the slight increase in power utilization, VRAM usage also slightly increased.
The RTX 3080 managed to consume 8.7 GB of VRAM on 1440p, whereas the RX 6900 XT consumed 13.6 GB of VRAM. You must be wondering about the average FPS difference between the two cards. The average FPS on the RTX 3080 was about 85 FPS, where the value fluctuated a lot upon the change in the environment in the game.
More Comparisons: RTX 4080 Vs RX 6950 XT
In contrast, the average FPS on the RX 6900 XT was 72 FPS. In comparison, the 1% low on the RTX 3080 was 55 FPS, but the value dropped down to 15 FPS and even 9 FPS at times. This resulted in the 0.1% lows being reduced all the way down to 7 FPS. The RX 6900 XT, on the other hand, also held 55 FPS in terms of 1% lows, where the value of 0.1% lows stayed at 47 FPS at most times and 17 FPS on rare occasions.
Considering the high VRAM usage, it is reasonable to estimate that the temperatures would also be higher. However, this didn’t happen with Shadow of the Tomb Raider since the temperatures were fairly decent throughout the gameplay.
To dig deeper, the RTX 3080 remained at about 43°C in less demanding locations in the game and 52°C in more detailed environments. Whereas the RX 6900 XT stayed at 62°C at most times, where it dropped down to 57°C at less demanding areas in the game.
Quake III
Next up in our Nvidia RTX 3080 vs AMD RX 6900 XT comparison, we have Quake III. This is one of the games that is frequently tested in order to judge the performance of Ray Tracing in any GPU. Therefore, on 1080p and on the default 90°, the RTX 3080 would surprise you with regards to power consumption. It consumed around 440 W to 445 W of power, which is exceptionally higher than the normal TDP of RTX 3080. Whereas the RX 6900 XT consistently consumed around 292 W of power.
As for the FPS, the RTX 3080 obtained an average of 128 FPS, with the 1% lows being 119 FPS at most times and the 0.1% lows not dropping below 90 FPS. In comparison, the RX 6900 XT showed a staggering difference in terms of FPS since it obtained only 73 average FPS. This makes for an astonishing 55 FPS difference when compared with the RTX 3080.
Regarding the 1% lows, the RX 6900 XT performs remarkably well by acquiring around 68 FPS. The 0.1 lows are almost the same as the 1% lows throughout the entire gameplay. This is by far the best performance seen on this list, as the performance difference is clearly visible, and the way both GPUs perform is also outstanding.
Moving on to the aspect of VRAM, the RTX 3080 consumed about 3.9 GB of VRAM at a consistent rate. As for the RX 6900 XT, we get to see a 5.1 GB utilization of VRAM. The temperatures on the RTX 3080 rose from 53°C to 58°C whereas, on the RX 6900 XT, the temperatures were 58°C at the beginning and ascended to 62°C.
On 1440P, the power consumption stayed the same as in 1080p. However, the VRAM utilization slightly increased, with the RTX 3080 consuming 4.7 GB and the RX 6900 XT consuming about 6.1 GB of VRAM. The temperatures ranged from 48°C to 54C and 59°C to 62°C on the RTX 3080 and RX 6900 XT, respectively.
Considering the FPS, the RTX 3080 obtained about an average of 75 FPS. The 1% lows have a few FPS differences, as it is about 71 FPS, which dropped down to 7 FPS at a brief period. The 0.1% lows remained at 61 FPS but took a few falls where it dropped down to 37 FPS at times.
Setting the RX 6900 XT side by side, we see that it acquired an average of 43 FPS, where the 1% lows were a few FPS short as they revolved around the 40 FPS mark. Strikingly, the 0.1% lows on the RX 6900 XT were exactly the same as the 1% lows, which is always a great sight to see.
Overall Gaming Performance
To sum up the overall gaming performance of Nvidia RTX 3080 vs AMD RX 6900 XT, the performance difference on both the cards is evident but is not much. We see that after all five games are played on both GPUs, the average framerates obtained for the RTX 3080 fall almost closer to that of the RX 6900 XT.
On 1080p, the RX 6900 XT takes the lead by showing slightly above 11.5% of a performance difference from the RTX 3080. This performance margin then gets narrower on 1440p, where the RX 6900 XT shows about a 7.6% increased performance than the RTX 3080 in terms of the average FPS. On 4K, the performance gap is bridged to the extent that both acquire almost the exact average FPS.
Power Consumption
A decision is not only made by considering the gaming performance. Every aspect should be considered, including the power that a GPU requires, since that determines what type of power supply we will get after purchasing the graphics card.
For this, we see that the RTX 3080 performs well but consumes about 312 W of power in normal games on 1080p and about 339 W of power in 1440p. Whereas the RX 6900 XT consumes only about 250 W of power on 1080p and around 273 W when played on 1440p.
To see the difference in Ray Tracing performance, let’s look at the chart to see the average power consumption on both graphic cards on each resolution.
Judging by the four games that were tested with Ray Tracing enabled, we see a huge difference on both cards. On average, the RTX 3080 consumes 386.25 W of power on 1080p, which is 100 W more than the RX 6900 XT, that only consumes 288.5 W of power.
As for 1440p, the RTX 3090 almost hits the 400 W mark by utilizing an average of 399.25 W. In comparison, the RX 6900 XT consumes 100 W less than the RTX 3080 as it uses an average of 292.75 W. This shows that the RTX 3080 is a powerhouse that squeezes the most amount of power. Hence, it requires a higher TDP PSU to function normally.
Thermal Efficiency
After the aspect of power consumption, thermal efficiency is considered to ensure that even if the GPU yields significant amounts of FPS, it maintains decent temperatures. For this, the Ray Tracing capabilities of both RTX 3080 and RX 6900 XT are considered.
Even though the RTX 3080 proved to be the most power-hungry GPU, it remained much cooler than the RX 6900 XT. On both 1080p and 1440p, the RTX 3080 achieved an average temperature of around 52°C with Ray Tracing enabled.
As for the RX 6900 XT, which consumed much lesser power relatively, it obtained an average of 64.5°C on 1080p and 58.25°C on 1440p after testing it on the four Ray Tracing games. This shows that Nvidia has crafted the RTX 3080 by adding a better heatsink so that it remains cooler throughout the entire operation.
Nvidia RTX 3080 Vs AMD RX 6900 XT: Price And Availability
Finally, let’s go over the most crucial factor that is needed to be considered before purchasing a GPU, the price. This is actually the first factor most people consider, as the budget is what makes or breaks any deal. The availability of a GPU is just as important. Therefore, let’s take a look at the price and availability of all three of the graphic cards we discussed.
RTX 3080 10 GB
This is the older and the first variant of the RTX 3080 series, which has now branched into a V2 variant as the years passed. The 10 GB model of the RTX 3080 typically arrived as a tri-fan card and was originally priced at $699 MSRP. As of now, the price has increased well over MSRP, and the card is usually going for around $900.
As of yet, on amazon, you can find the cheapest variant going for as low as $817 after a discount. However, without discounts, you can still get one in an all-white color for $830 from Zotac. Additionally, you can grab a back one for $835 from Zotac. However, prices exceed the $900 price mark for this GPU.
The 10 GB model of the RTX 3080 is readily available and is the most used among the two RTX 3080 variants. Its increased availability allows you to freely choose from several brands, such as Asus, MSI, Gigabyte, and Zotac, just to name a few. It is also available in a white color offered by Gigabyte, so you can pair it with your all-white PC theme.
RTX 3080 12 GB
Launched at the beginning of this year, the 12 GB model of the RTX 3080 was priced at an MSRP of $799. However, as the prices of all the computer-related components increased, so did the price of the RTX 3080 12 GB. Therefore, the 12 GB variant is now priced at around $1200. Nonetheless, you can get your hands around a new one for as low as $900 from amazon from none other than Zotac.
The other brands typically offer a price point of around $1100 to $1300, depending upon the increased features that brands offer. Furthermore, the water-cooled option goes for around $1400 for the 12 GB model of the RTX 3080.
As for its availability, the RTX 3080 12 GB is offered in only a handful of amounts. This is why you might not get a variety of options to choose from due to its lack of availability. In terms of the white variant of this GPU, no option can be found on both amazon or BestBuy as of yet.
RX 6900 XT
AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT was initially priced at an MSRP of $999. After the increase in the prices, its price was slightly increased as well. Now it is being sold for around $1000 to $1200 for premium versions, with the cheapest going for $770 on amazon and around $650 on Newegg.
As we know, RX 6900 XT runs at relatively higher temperatures on both 1080p and 1440p. For that, some brands are offering improved and bigger heatsinks to improve thermal performance. The Gigabyte variant, for instance, is going for about $1270 but contains the MAX-covered cooling feature.
Additionally, the liquid-cooler variants of RX 6900 XT use a 240 mm radiator to cool down the GPU. Features and options like these will allow the GPU to remain at decent amounts of temperatures which would give the RX 6900 XT an edge over the RTX 3080 in terms of temperatures.
With regards to the availability of this card, the RX 6900 XT can be found in many varieties that provide you the option of choosing from different brands. You also get to choose the one with the Ray Tracing options available, but that increases the overall cost of the GPU. The water-cooled variants go for about $2000, and the liquid-cooled variant goes for about $1600.
Which One To Get: 3080 10 GB Vs 3080 12 GB Vs 6900 XT
After carefully going through all the factors that would convince you to purchase one card over the others, it is time to come up with a final conclusion. We discussed that the RTX 3080 10 GB is the cheapest among the other two graphic cards but has a slightly decreased performance than the 12 GB model of the RTX 3080.
The 12 GB model of RTX 3080 shows about a 5% improvement from its lesser VRAM variant, but its improved performance is much similar to that of the 10 GB model. Therefore, it is not feasible to purchase the RTX 3080 12 GB. However, if we compare it with the RX 6900 XT, we see that both have almost the same price tag, but the RX 6900 XT has slightly better performance than Nvidia’s card.
We went through the overall average FPS difference among both of these cards and saw that the difference is only about 10 FPS on both 1080p and 1440p, whereas the performance was the same on 4K. Additionally, the RX 6900 XT runs at higher temperatures than the RTX 3080, and the better cooling options for this GPU cost more than the normal amount.
On the other hand, the RTX 3080 consumes way more power than the RX 6900 XT, about 100 W more when Ray Tracing is enabled. Whereas the RX 6900 XT consumes revolves around its TDP rating of 300 W even when Ray Tracing is turned on.
All things considered, you can get the 10 GB variant of the RTX 3080 if you’re on a tighter budget. However, if you want to achieve higher performance and have a budget for it, you’re left with RTX 3080 12 GB and the RX 6900 XT. For this, going with the 12 GB model of the RTX 3080 is the best option since it offers almost the same performance as the RX 6900 XT and is relatively cheaper, remains cooler, and performs better when Ray Tracing is enabled. Hopefully, our Nvidia RTX 3080 vs AMD RX 6900 XT guide will help you make the right decision.
Up Next: Nvidia RTX 4090 Vs. RTX 3090
FAQs
Yes, RTX 3080 family consists of RTX 3080 10 GB, RTX 3080 12 GB, and RTX 3080Ti. Where the RTX 3080 10 GB was launched back on 17th September 2020, and the RTX 3080 12 GB was launched this year on 11th January 2021.
Both the RTX 3080 and RX 6900 XT are high-performing GPUs. However, the RTX 3080 10 GB falls short in overall performance when compared to the RX 6900 XT. The difference is about 15-20 FPS on games played on normal settings. However, it shows better performance as it leads by 10-20 FPS when Ray Tracing is enabled.
RTX 3080 12 GB is a viable option if we compare it with the RX 6900 XT as it packs a similar performance as the RX 6900 XT and is relatively cheaper. If you have a stacked wallet, RX 6900 XT should be your call but if you fall short in terms of money, the RTX 3080 12 GB is the best option for you.
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