RTX 3090 Ti Vs RTX 3080 Ti: We Tested Both

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Abde Manaf

At Tech4Gamers, I began as a comparison writer, analyzing GPU and CPU performance. Now, I focus on writing reviews and contributing to the best-ofs section, sharing personal insights after hands-on testing.

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Pros And Cons

Comparison Table

Architectural Differences

1. Process Size: Speaking of the manufacturing nodes, the processing size of both the RTX 3090Ti and the RTX 3080Ti is identical i.e. both GPUs use the 8nm manufacturing process.
2. TDP: Apart from the performance, the biggest difference between these two cards is their power draw. The RTX 3090 Ti has a 100-watt higher TDP than its brother at 450 watts instead of the 350 watts for the RTX 3080 Ti.
3. Clock Speeds: The RTX 3080 Ti has a base clock speed of 1365MHz, while it can bring its clock speed up to 1665MHz when it boosts. On the other hand, the RTX 3090 Ti comes with a clock speed of 1560MHz, whereas it can boost up to 1860MHz.
4. VRAM: The RTX 3090 Ti utilizes a large 24GB memory buffer, whereas the RTX 3080 Ti has a relatively modest 12GB video memory.
5. Memory: Bearing the cards’ memories in mind, both cards come equipped with a GDDR6X type memory of a 384-bit memory bus. The difference in the memory comes in the bandwidth of the memory bus, where the 3090Ti has a memory bandwidth of 1008GB/s, compared to 3080Ti’s 912.4GB/s.

With the introduction of the RTX 30 series of cards, Nvidia announced the new xx90 tier of cards to be the highest-end gaming GPUs that money could buy by debuting the RTX 3090. Later the RTX 3090 Ti took center stage, but how does it hold up to the old flagship 3080 Ti cards? Join us in our exploration of the RTX 3090 Ti vs RTX 3080 Ti to answer this question.

RTX 3090 Ti Vs RTX 3080 Ti – Gaming Benchmarks

Let’s test our products by running them through some GPU-intensive benchmarks mentioned below.

Testing Setup

• OS: Windows 11 | 64 Bit
• CPU: Core i9-12900K
• MOBO: GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G
• RAM: Corsair Dominator Titanium DDR5-7200 C34
• CPU Cooler: Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Liquid Cooler
• SSD: XPG Gammix S70 Blade 2TB NVMe
• PSU: be quiet! Dark Power Pro 13 1300W
• Resolution: 4K

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

• The first game of our testing, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, saw mediocre performance on such hyped-up cards, with the RTX 3090 Ti getting an average framerate of around 73 FPS, whereas the RTX 3080 Ti had a framerate of around 66 FPS.
• The 1% lows were also only tolerable on both cards at 4k. The great RTX 3090 Ti only managed to get lows of 57 FPS in this game, whereas the RTX 3080 Ti touched 52 FPS in the most intensive gaming scenarios.

Forza Horizon 5

• In Forza Horizon 5, the RTX 3090 Ti got a framerate of 96 FPS, whereas the RTX 3080 Ti stood behind it in terms of performance with an average of 82 FPS.
• 1% lows were enjoyable on both cards, with the RTX 3080 Ti getting lows of about 68 FPS, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti was significantly ahead with 1% lows of around 82 FPS.

Cyberpunk 2077

• The Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark showed a promising outcome, as the RTX 3080 Ti had an average framerate of 39 FPS with the Ultra preset, ray tracing set to Ultra and DLSS Q, whereas the 3090 Ti got a framerate of 46 FPS.
• The RTX 3080 Ti experienced 1% lows of 32 FPS, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti was not much better, with lows of 38 FPS. This almost unplayable performance with such high-end cards was very disappointing.

Hitman 3

• During Hitman III benchmarks, The RTX 3080 Ti got an average framerate of around 119 FPS, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti hovered around a framerate of 138 FPS.
• 1% lows were also no less than excellent of both cards, with the RTX 3080 Ti getting a minimum framerate of 94 FPS, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti got a minimum framerate of around 106 FPS.

God Of War

• God Of War ran effortlessly on both of our systems, with the RTX 3080 TI delivering an average framerate of around 66 FPS, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti had an average framerate of 77 FPS.
• 1% lows were also inoffensive on the pair of cards in our testing of God Of War. The RTX 3080 Ti had lows of 58 FPS, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti had smoother 1% lows of around 66 FPS.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020

• The RTX 3090 Ti had an average framerate of around 70 FPS in this game, whereas the RTX 3080 Ti had an average of 61 FPS, both of which are playable for a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator.
• 1% lows were also unintrusive in this game, with the RTX 3090 Ti maintaining a minimum framerate of 64 FPS, whereas the RTX 3080 Ti managed to maintain a respectable 57 FPS minimum.

Red Dead Redemption 2

• During the RDR2 benchmark, the RTX 3080 Ti got an average framerate of around 70 FPS, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti surpassed the former with a framerate of around 86 FPS.
• 1% lows seemed a little stuttery on the RTX 3080 Ti at 58 FPS, though they were nothing game-breaking. On the other side, the RTX 3090 Ti had enjoyable lows of 73 FPS.

Horizon Zero Dawn

• Horizon Zero Dawn also ran surprisingly brilliantly on both cards, with the RTX 3080 Ti getting an average framerate of 83 FPS, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti had an even higher 92 FPS average.
• The minimum framerates were also not bad on either card, with the RTX 3080 Ti capped out at 75 FPS while the RTX 3090 Ti capped out at 83 FPS.

The Witcher 3

• In GPU-intensive Witcher III, the RTX 3080 Ti had an average performance of 89 FPS, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti had an even better average framerate of around 104 FPS.
• 1% lows were similar between the two cards, with the RTX 3080 Ti managing an impressive minimum of 80 FPS, whereas the RTX 3090 Ti hot an 85 FPS minimum performance in this game.

RTX 3090 Ti Vs RTX 3080 Ti – Overall Gaming Performance

In the benchmark results, the RTX 3090Ti was ahead of its competitor. The difference between the performance of the RTX 3090 Ti and RTX 3080 Ti computes the higher-tier card being unsurprisingly 14% better than its younger brother. Moreover, the 1% lows also had a gap of 5 FPS between both cards.

Power Consumption

Power consumptions for the individual games tell us alot about the power draws. We analyzed that the RTX 3080Ti was far more power-efficient, drawing around 30% lower power on average, compared to its successor absorbing higher power on average. This puts the 3080Ti in the lead for a more economical card.

Thermal Efficiency

We saw from the benchmarks that the RTX 3090Ti had a difference of only 1°C from the output thermal levels of the RTX 3080Ti. This omits the thermal levels influence on the decision to pick any one card as the thermals are almost the same for both the cards and thus don’t need extra cooling solutions or case airflow for users in any case.

Price And Availability

Looking at the current prices for both cards, we see that the price of the RTX 3090 Ti is 50% more costly than the Rtx 3080 Ti at marketplaces such as Amazon, NewEgg, etc. This difference is huge for budget-conscious gamers as the basic prices of the GPUs are already too high, and makes the RTX 3080Ti the economical one.

Concluding Remarks – Which One We Recommend?

RTX 3090 Ti: The RTX 3090 Ti was 14% more powerful than the RTX 3080 Ti in our gaming tests, but it is also 30% more power-hungry as well as 70% more expensive in the used market. If you prefer the extra VRAM on your graphics card for your productivity workflow, the RTX 3090 Ti is bested by no other.

RTX 3080 Ti: The RTX 3080 Ti has a better performance per dollar than the RTX 3090 Ti. This means that the RTX 3090 Ti stretches your dollar 50% more than the 3080 Ti. However, the performance of the RTX 3080 Ti is overshadowed by the RTX 3090 Ti in any case.

We would recommend the RTX 3080 Ti to those who put budget and low power ratings at the front and are willing to sacrifice some framerates for it. However, for anyone craving the extra smoother FPS performance in their rig, the RTX 3090 Ti will more than suffice their needs.

Abde Manaf

[Comparisons Expert]

Abdemanaf is a skilled creative writer who has been honing his craft since 2011. While initially working in different fields, he found a passion for technology and has been exploring the tech world since early 2015. Over the years, he has developed an in-depth knowledge of the latest tech trends and product offerings by various companies.

Abdemanaf’s writing reflects his analytical mindset and ability to think critically. He has a knack for breaking down complex technical information into easily digestible pieces, making his articles engaging and accessible to readers from all backgrounds. In February 2022, he joined Tech4Gamers as a blog and product comparison writer, where he has been able to hone his skills further.

As a writer, Abdemanaf is dedicated to staying up-to-date with the latest technological advancements and trends, enabling him to provide readers with the most relevant and accurate information. He is always eager to learn more and is constantly seeking new challenges to improve his skills.

Get In Touch: manaf@tech4gamers.com