RTX 4070 Ti Vs RTX 3080 Ti: Our Recommendation

The time has come for you to start looking for a new graphics card because the one you have now isn’t really cutting it in your favorite games. My RTX 4070 Ti vs RTX 3080 TiRTX 4070 Ti vs RTX 3080 Ti comparison will go into great detail about how good these cards are and which one you should pick based on the gaming performance you’re expecting. So, let’s dive right in. 

Key Takeaways

• In my 4K gaming benchmarks testing 7 games, the RTX 4070 Ti had an average lead of 13 FPS, making it 15.3% better than the RTX 3080 Ti.
• The RTX 3080 Ti is a power-hungry GPU using 15.3% more power from the PSU than the RTX 4070 Ti in my 4K gaming benchmarks. 
• Listed at $899, the RTX 3080 Ti is 12.5% more expensive than the RTX 4070 Ti, which has a starting price of $799.
• RTX 4070 Ti is based on NVIDIA’s latest Ada Lovelace architecture, built with a 4nm process, whereas RTX 3080 Ti is based on NVIDIA’s previous Ampere architecture, built with an 8nm process.

Comparison Table

Technical Specs	GeForce RTX 4070 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
GPU Name	AD104	GA102
Process Size	4nm	8nm
Transistors	35,800 million	28,300 million
CUDA Cores	7680	10240
Suggested PSU	600W	750W
Memory Size	12GB	12GB
Memory Type	GDDR6X	GDDR6X
TDP	285W	350W
Best Variants	Best RTX 4070 Ti Cards	Best RTX 3080 Ti Cards

Architectural Differences

1. Architecture: The RTX 4070 Ti is based on the new Ada Lovelace architecture. It has the AD104 GPU. The AD104 chip offers 7680 CUDA cores. On the other hand, the RTX 3080 Ti is based on the Ampere architecture. It uses the GA102 GPU built with Samsung’s 8nm process.
2. Design: The RTX 3080 Ti graphics card has one of the most loved designs from NVIDIA, with one blade fan on the front and one on the back. Similarly, You will see a triple-fan design from most of them when you shop for RTX 4070 Ti.
3. Clock Speeds: The RTX 4070 Ti has a base clock of 2310MHz and a boost clock of 2610MHz, which means you have 300MHz headroom for overclocking. RTX 3080 Ti has a base clock of 1365MHz and a boost clock of 1665MHz.
4. Ray Tracing And AI Acceleration: Ray tracing and AI-accelerated graphics are available on both graphics cards. However, the RTX 4070 Ti has more to offer here because it has a new architecture.

RTX 4070 Ti Vs. RTX 3080 Ti 4K Gaming Benchmarks

 Now, I shall be testing RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 3080 Ti in 7 games at 4K resolution and ultra-settings. 

Testing PC Specifications

• OS: Windows 10 pro
• CPU: INTEL i9 13900K
• Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix Z790 – E Gaming
• Cooler: Corsair ICUE H150I ELITE
• SSD: WD Black SN850 NVMe SSD
• PSU: ENERMAX REVOLUTION D.F. X 1050W
• RAM: XPG Lancer (2 x 16GB) 32GB RAM DDR5 5600Mhz

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

• My hands-on experience began with the RTX 4070 Ti showing its prowess, delivering a remarkable 90 FPS on average, which significantly outshone the 75 FPS performance of the RTX 3080 Ti.
• This initial benchmark showcased an impressive 20% improvement in FPS performance for the RTX 4070 Ti when compared to its predecessor, the RTX 3080 Ti.

Cyberpunk 2077

• The RTX 4070 Ti emerged as the winner, offering a substantial 11-frame advantage, providing 62 FPS compared to the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti’s 51 FPS.
• When I delve into the numbers, with the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti at 62 FPS and the RTX 3080 Ti at 51 FPS, I can calculate a significant FPS performance boost of nearly 22% for the former.

Forza Horizon 5

• Both the RTX 4070 Ti and GeForce RTX 3080 Ti performed well in this test, and the FPS difference shrank to only 9 FPS, with the RTX 4070 Ti delivering 125 FPS against the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti’s 116 FPS.
• With a difference of only 9 FPS per second, the improvement in framerates with the RTX 4070 Ti was almost 8% over the RTX 3080 Ti.

God Of War

• In testing, it was quite surprising to observe that the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti delivered an average of 86 FPS, whereas the RTX 4070 Ti outperformed it with a solid 99 FPS.
• When breaking down the numbers, this meant receiving 15.1% more frames per second from the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti compared to the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, as my experience clearly showed. 

Hitman III

• I closely examined the performance of the RTX 4070 Ti and the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The RTX 4070 Ti consistently delivered an impressive average of 124 FPS, whereas the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti achieved a slightly lower 108 FPS on average.
• This resulted in a notable 15% improvement in frame generation per second while playing Hitman III on the RTX 4070 Ti in comparison to the RTX 3080 Ti.

Horizon Zero Dawn

• My GeForce RTX 4070 Ti consistently outperformed the RTX 3080 Ti, never allowing it to catch up. My GeForce RTX 4070 Ti impressively displayed an average of 97 FPS on the screen, while its sibling, the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, maintained an average of 79 FPS.
• This remarkable performance translated to a substantial 23% improvement in frame rate compared to the RTX 3080 Ti, with my GeForce RTX 4070 Ti delivering 18 more frames every second, as I closely monitored.

Spider-Man

• The FPS on average for the RTX 4070 Ti was 63 FPS compared to an average FPS of 52 FPS from the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti.
• With a lead of 11 FPS, the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti delivered an impressive performance that was 21% better than what the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti was able to give. 

Overall Gaming Benchmarks

After testing both of these GPUs extensively, I reached the conclusion that the RTX 4070 Ti performs roughly 16% better than the RTX 3080 Ti at 4K resolution. 

The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti delivered an impressive average of 94 FPS, while the RTX 3080 Ti fell slightly behind with 81 FPS. This 13 FPS difference, on average, was clearly evident during my testing, showcasing the RTX 4070 Ti’s superiority in delivering smoother and more enjoyable gaming experiences.

Power Usage Thermal Statistics

For this segment, I have calculated the average power draw of both these GPUs based on the results I saw previously during the benchmarks. Overall power usage in 7 games at 4K for the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti was 249 watts, and for the RTX 3080 Ti was 287 watts.

This means the RTX 3080 Ti would be taking up roughly 38 more watts while running games at 4K resolution.  After observing the power draw from both GPUs during the entire benchmark, I have reached the conclusion that the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is roughly 15% more power-efficient than the RTX 3080 Ti. 

Thermal Statistics

Now, I will calculate the average temperature I saw on these GPUs while running gaming benchmarks.

As per my testing, both GPUs were reasonably close in terms of thermal performance. In some games, the RTX 3080 Ti came ahead, whereas in others, the RTX 4070 Ti took the cake. Overall, the difference was fairly negligible.  The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti was around 61.57°C, whereas the RTX 4070 Ti was a bit warmer at 62.28°C. 

Pricing And Availability

Due to the chip shortage that has continued for several months now, the price listed by the manufacturer might not mean much to any potential buyer. However, you should still know that NVIDIA lists the RTX 3080 Ti at a starting price of $899.

NVIDIA lists the starting price of its RTX 4070 Ti at $799, but that becomes irrelevant when you are bound to purchase the card from a board partner. 

If I were to compare the MSRPs of both cards, the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is $100 more expensive than the RTX 4070 Ti. In other words, you’ll be paying 12.5% more to buy a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti than you would for an RTX 4070 Ti. 

GeForce RTX 4070 Ti vs RTX 3080 Ti: Which One Would I Recommend?

In my opinion, picking one card between the RTX 4070 Ti and the RTX 3080 Ti is not an easy task. They both perform extremely well and have their own perks. However, I can make this decision a bit easier for you after laying down some facts and figures.

Memory clock speeds, RAM bandwidths, and BUS widths are better on the RTX 3080 Ti. It also has more CUDA cores, RT cores, and tensor cores, with better TMUs and ROPs than GeForce RTX 4070 Ti. 

However, I am more inclined to recommend the RTX 4070 Ti. It has a better core clock and a base clock. Furthermore, it offers you a more optimized architecture.

To sum up their performance in my 4K gaming benchmarks, the RTX 4070 Ti was the winner of the FPS battle by offering a 16% improvement over the RTX 3080 Ti in framerates. It is also 15.3% more power-efficient than the RTX 3080 Ti and could save you some energy bills.

GPU	Pros	Cons
RTX 3080 Ti	Ran slightly cooler.  Generous 12 GB VRAM.	Older architecture.  Needs a bigger PSU.
RTX 4070 Ti	Better gaming performance. Frame Generation.	Less overclocking headroom.  Increase in price compared to the last gen.

---

More From RTX 4070 Ti:

• RTX 4070 Ti Vs RX 6950 XT
• RTX 4070 Ti Vs RX 6800 XT
• RTX 4070 Ti Vs RX 6900 XT

More From RTX 3080 Ti:

• RX 6800 XT Vs RTX 3080 Ti
• RTX 4080 Vs RTX 3080 Ti 
• RX 7900 XTX Vs RTX 3080 Ti