RTX 4070 Vs RTX 3080: Should You Upgrade?

 With the introduction of the ADA Lovelace GPUs, the graphics card landscape has some new kids on the block. One of the more notable ones of these GPUs is the Nvidia Geforce RTX 4070. In this comparison, we will compare the RTX 4070 vs RTX 3080 to see if the new mid-range can outperform one of the last generation’s top tier.

Key Takeaways

• The RTX 4070 had an average framerate of 87.6 FPS through these 7 games, whereas the RTX 3080 came in about a frame slower at 86.4 FPS.
• The performance per watt of the RTX 4070 is about 0.46 Frames/Watt, whereas the RTX 3080 comes in at about 0.29 Frames/Watt.
• The RTX 4070 had a peak temperature of about 61°C in our testing, whereas the RTX 3080 had an average of about 65°C. 

Also Read: RTX 3080 Vs RX 6800 XT

General Differences

Comparison Table

Architecture

The RTX 4070 graphics card is based on Nvidia’s Ada Lovelace architecture, launched at the end of the 3rd quarter of 2022. The specific GPU that the RTX 4070 uses is the AD104.

The RTX 3080 utilizes Nvidia’s Ampere architecture, launched in the 2nd quarter of 2020. The RTX 3080 is based on the GA102 graphics processor.

The bulk of the improvements the Ada Lovelace GPUs brought is through their reduction of die size and transistor size. These two factors allow the 40 series of graphics cards to give an unrivaled degree of efficiency and power per watt. This also allowed Nvidia to cram in a significantly higher number of transistors into half the die size, leading to the RTX 4070 being a relatively tiny card.

Also Read: RX 5700 XT Vs RTX 3080

Cores Counts

Despite the RTX 3080 having a third more CUDA cores than the RTX 4070, the number of CUDA cores is not the be-all-and-end-all for gaming performance.

The RTX 3080 has more Tensor cores (272) and RT cores (68) than the RTX 4070 (184 and 46, respectively), but the RTX 4070 makes up some ground in overall performance because of its improvements in architecture.

Clock Speeds And Memory

Another essential aspect to consider while evaluating the performance of a graphics card is the clock speeds of your cores and the graphics memory.

Regarding clock speeds and memory, the 4070 is ahead of the RTX 3080. The boost frequencies on the RTX 4070 can be up to 715 MHz higher than the RTX 3080, making it the metric improved by the largest amount on paper.

The RTX 4070 has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory, whereas the RTX 3080 has two variants, one with 10 GB of the same memory type and one with 12 GB. The RTX 3080 has a wider 320-bit bus and a better memory bandwidth of about 760.3 GB/s, but the 4 GB increase in graphics memory on the RTX 4070 over the 3070 is a welcomed addition, and with the similarities in performance of these cards, this very well could be the deciding factor.

If you’re wondering what’s happening with dedicated memory technologies, read our article on DRR4 vs DDR5 Memory.

Power Draw

The RTX 4070’s newer architecture allows it to consume less power with a max TGP of 200W compared to the RTX 3080’s 350W, resulting in cost savings and potentially needing a smaller power supply.

AI And Ray Tracing

As mentioned, AI and Ray Tracing capabilities are a big part of current GPUs, mainly supplied in Nvidia GPUs using the Tensor and RT cores.

The 4th-generation Tensor cores utilized in the RTX 4070 have a huge performance bump from the 3rd-generation cores used in the RTX 3080. The 4th gen tensor cores have the power to compute 1400 Tensor TFLOPs, up from only 320 Tensor TFLOPs in the last generation.

This allows for the all-new DLSS 3.0 technology in the RTX 4070. This version of Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling allows the GPU to interpolate new frames between the rendered frames, sometimes doubling the frame rate. 

This technology sadly does not trickle down to the RTX 3080, which is stuck with DLSS 2.0. This version of DLSS is still instrumental in most games, giving you a free bump in framerate with almost no degradation in visual fidelity.

The changes in Shader Execution Reordering(SER) have also improved significantly between the two generations of graphics cards. The 4070 allows for full path-tracing of light rays in a way that allows multiple ray tracing effects to be on screen simultaneously, giving you much more visual fidelity. This also means lighter ray tracing is less taxing on the RTX 4070.

You might also want to read about Nvidia DLSS stacks up against AMD FSR.

Design

Despite the power that the 4070 packs, it remains slightly smaller than the RTX 3080. The RTX 4070 comes in with a board length of about 9.4 inches compared to the 11.2 inches of the RTX 3080. This and the lower TGP will allow OEMs to make RTX 4070s that occupy a much smaller volume than the RTX 3080.

RTX 3080 Vs RTX 4070: Gaming Benchmarks

In this section of the RTX 4070 vs GeForce RTX 3080 comparison, we will pin these two GPUs against one another to see which performs best in real-world gaming.

These tests were performed at the highest settings in each game with quality DLSS at 1440p. These tests have been performed on a controlled test bench, the specs of which are listed below.

Test Bench 

• CPU – Core i9-13900K
• Motherboard – ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming
• RAM – G.SKILL Trident Z5 RGB 32GB DDR5 6000MHz CL38
• CPU Cooler – be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4
• Graphic Cards – GeForce RTX 3080 10GB, GeForce RTX 4070 12GB
• SSD – 2xSAMSUNG 970 EVO M.2 2280 1TB 
• Power Supply – CORSAIR RM850i 850W 

Spiderman Miles Morales (DLSS Quality, RT ON)

• The RTX 3080 had an average of 74 FPS in this title, while the RTX 4070 had an average of about 75 FPS. The difference in frame rates in this title in Spiderman Miles Morales is negligible.
• The 1% lows on the RTX 4070 were slightly better, with 72 FPS compared to the RTX 3080’s 68 FPS. 
• In this title, the RTX 3080 drew about 285 Watts of power, much more than the RTX 4070, which was at about 183 Watts.
• The temperatures were much lower for the RTX 4070, with a peak of about 60°C compared to 65°C on the RTX 3080.

Cyberpunk 2077 (DLSS Quality, RT Very High)

• The RTX 3080 had an average of 61 FPS in this title, while the RTX 4070 had a slightly lower average of about 57 FPS. 
• The 1% lows on the RTX 3080 were better, with 50 FPS, compared to the 4070’s 46 FPS. 
• In this title, the RTX 3080 drew about 293 Watts of power, again, much more than the RTX 4070, which was at about 191 Watts.
• The peak temperatures in this title were surprisingly lower for the RTX 3080, with a peak of about 60°C compared to 64°C on the RTX 4070.

A Plague Tale: Requiem (Resolution Optimizer On, RT Shadows)

• In A Plague Tale Requiem, both the cards had the same averages at 64 FPS.
• This title also had almost the same 1% lows, with the RTX 3080 beating out the RTX 4080 with about 42 FPS compared to 41 FPS.
• In this title, the RTX 3080 drew about 289 Watts of power, while the RTX 4070 sipped about 193 Watts.
• Temperatures in this game again favored the RTX 4070, with a peak of 66°C for the 3080 and 61°C  for the 4070.

Similar Comparisons: RTX 4070 Ti Vs RTX 3080

Resident Evil 4 Remake (RT OFF)

• The RTX 3080 had an average of 88 FPS in this game, whereas the RTX 4070 had an average of about 96 FPS.
• The 1% lows on the RTX 4070 were slightly better again, with 66 FPS compared to the RTX 3080’s 61 FPS. 
• In this title, the RTX 3080 drew about 295 Watts of power, much more than the RTX 4070, which was at about 185 Watts.
• The temperatures were lower again on the RTX 4070, with a peak of about 61°C compared to 65°C on the RTX 3080.

Red Dead Redemption 2 (DLSS OFF)

• The averages in Red Dead Redemption 2 were again better on the 4070. The RTX 4070 had about 104 FPS compared to the 96 FPS of the RTX 3080.
• The 1% lows on the RTX 4070 were significantly better, with 82 FPS, and the RTX 3080 had 1% lows at 75 FPS. 
• In this title, the RTX 3080 drew about 307 Watts of power, much more than the RTX 4070, about 194 Watts.
• The temperatures were much lower for the RTX 4070, with a peak of about 60°C compared to 66°C on the RTX 3080.

Forza Horizon 5 (RT High)

• The RTX 3080 had an average of 99 FPS in this title, while the RTX 4070 had an average of 104 FPS.
• The 1% lows on the RTX 4070 were slightly better, with 89 FPS, than the RTX 3080’s 85 FPS. 
• In this title, the RTX 3080 drew about 304 Watts of power, much more than the RTX 4070, which was at about 190 Watts.
• The temperatures were lower for the RTX 4070 in Forza Horizon 5, with a peak of about 62°C compared to 66°C on the RTX 3080.

Also Check: RX 7900 XT Vs RTX 3080 

Microsoft Flight Simulator (RT ON)

• The RTX 3080 had an average of 76 FPS in this title, while the RTX 4070 had an average of about 74 FPS. The difference in frame rates in this title in Flight Simulator can be chalked up to the margin of error.
• The 1% lows on the RTX 4070 were slightly better, with 69 FPS compared to the RTX 3080’s 65 FPS. 
• In this title, the RTX 3080 drew about 311 Watts of power, much more than the RTX 4070, about 198 Watts.
• The temperatures were much lower for the RTX 4070, with a peak of about 62°C compared to 67°C on the RTX 3080.

Overall Gaming Analysis

This section will examine every aspect of our RTX 4070 vs RTX 3080 gaming tests in more detail.

Frame Rates

Throughout our testing, the performance of the RTX 3080 and the RTX 4070 was more or less neck-and-neck. The RTX 4070 managed to pull a bit more FPS on average throughout our testing. 

The RTX 4070 had an average framerate of 87.3 FPS through these 7 games, whereas the RTX 3080 came in about a frame slower at 85.3 FPS. This difference in framerate indicates that the performance of either graphics card can be high or lower than the other, depending on the specific game at hand.

Also Read: RTX 3080 10GB Vs RTX 3080 12GB

Great as they may be, the averages are not the best indicator of a gaming experience because of all the small inconsistencies you might notice while playing a game. This experience is better quantified in 1% lows. 

The RTX 3080 had 1% lows of 70.3 FPS as an average of the 7 games tested, while the RTX 4070 came in a small amount higher with 1% lows of 73.3 FPS.

Overall, the RTX 4070 outperforms the RTX 3080 in terms of framerates.

Power Consumption

The headlining feature of the RTX 4070 and the ADA Lovelace GPUs is the incredible performance per watt they get, and this was assured to us in our testing of these cards.

On average, throughout our 7 games, the RTX 4070 drew 191.1 Watts of power, whereas the RTX 3080 had a power draw of about 298.1 Watts. This gives the RTX 4070 a performance per watt of 0.46 Frames/Watt, whereas the RTX 3080 comes in at about 0.29 Frames/Watt.

The RTX 4070’s exceptional power efficiency is due to its smaller processing nodes compared to the RTX 30 series, which prioritized drawing more power to improve FPS.

Temperature

The lower power draw on the RTX 4070 allows it to have exceptional temperatures while keeping a small form factor. On the other hand, the RTX 3080 once again uses all the space it could take up in a case to cool itself properly.

Also Check: RTX 3080 Vs RX 6900 XT 

Despite this, the RTX 4070 had a peak temperature of about 61.6°C in our testing, whereas the RTX 3080 had an average of about 65.4°C. This lower temperature allows for better longevity of the RTX 4070, giving it more leverage in that field over the RTX 3080.

To ensure your graphics card doesn’t overheat, read our article on how to lower GPU temperature.

Price And Availability

The RTX 4070 has a launch MSRP of $600, whereas the RTX 3080 has a launch MSRP of about $700. If you are comfortable buying used parts, it would be very easy to get an RTX 3080 around the price of the 4070, if not a bit lower.

The RTX 3080 is a widely available card, and you should be able to find it at any computer store of your liking, though stores are clearing stock to make room for the 4080. The RTX 4070, while not as popular as the xx60 or xx80 series of GPUs, should still be available at any brick-and-mortar/online store you choose a little time after its release.

Which One Should You Go For?

• If you want to buy a cheaper graphics card that performs as well as the newer Nvidia series, we would highly recommend that you look into buying a used RTX 3080.
• For everyone else, you should choose the RTX 4070 over the 3080 because of its slightly superior performance, lower MSRP, and lower power draw.

Also Read: RTX 4080 Vs RTX 3080

Final Thoughts

In our gaming tests, the RTX 4070 outperformed the RTX 3080 while being more power-efficient and cost-effective. Innovations like frame generation could improve it, but we focused on testing its raw power. We hope our comparison was helpful to you.

Pros And Cons