Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti vs 3080 – what’s the difference?

Last Updated: March 3, 2022

Both of the cards are in the mid-range selection so we compare the Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti vs 3080. Either is a good choice for the best graphics card for you, there are plenty of features to consider. The mid-range Nvidia cards are both more than capable of achieving great performance throughout.

What are the differences between the two though? There is $100 between the MSRP of the two GPUs and the Ti came out nearly a year later. So we compare the specifications of the cards, what the price to performance is like, and which one is the best for you.

ASUS ROG Strix NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 OC Edition

Pros

The building blocks for the world’s fastest, most efficient GPU

EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming

Architecture

Firstly, in our RTX 3070 Ti vs 3080 comparisons, we take a look at what the GPU dies are used in the cards. The RTX 3070 Ti, has a GA104 GPU compared to the RTX 3080 which has the GA102. So there is a basic difference between the two chip designs. However, the Ti may be a less powerful die but can make up for it in other areas.

Both of the dies utilize the Samsung 8 nm process so no difference there between them. Although some arise in the size of the die and transistor count. Where the 3070 Tis processor is only 392mm² with 17.4 billion processors. Whereas the 3080 has a die sized at 628mm² with 28.3 billion transistors.

Specifications

It’s no surprise that the RTX 3080 does have better specifications the majority of the time. Although the 3070 Ti card has a clock rate higher that allows it to make up some of the difference. We’ll take a closer look at what some of these specifications mean and how they compare.

Shaders, RT cores, and TMUs

These three are fundamental differences between the two die architectures. Each of them with a specific processing task and affects how well each of the cards works with those. The shader cores are focused on applying shadows to the graphics coming to your screen. With the RT cores solely focused on real-time ray tracing and making sure all the lighting is up to scratch. And the TMUs are the texture mapping units, which work on creating 3d graphics from 2d bitmaps.

For the RTX 3070 Ti vs 3080, the 3080 has 42% more of each core than the Ti. Giving it the advantage in the core processes of the GPU. Also the core reason for the price difference with the altered architecture. GIving the card the big edge over the Ti that needs other areas to make up the difference.

VRAM

There is also a difference between the video memory of the two cards. Firstly, the 3080 has 2GB more of memory allowing it to store extra details and perform better at higher resolutions. It also has a faster bandwidth than the Ti, this comes from the bigger memory bus it is equipped with. Allowing the card to quickly hand off data. Becoming less of a bottleneck and waiting for frames from the memory.

TDP

TDP is the thermal design power and relates to the maximum heat output of the die and how much energy it can use. With a 30W lower TDP, the Ti card is less powerful but also releases less heat into your system. So it may be less powerful but you’ll be saving some energy and having your computer be less of a heater. Even though there are plenty of ways to lower your GPU temperatures.

Clock speeds

The clock speed is the cycle rate of the silicon crystals. So with a higher rate, you get faster processing of the instructions the GPU is doing. Comparing the two GPUs, the Ti has a much faster base clock, with a 1575MHz clock compared to the 1440MHz clock on the 3080. Meaning at basic usage the Ti is much quicker at processing calculations and graphics. However, that advantage dissipates at the boost clock, at which the Ti has only a 60MHz lead. So along with the basic core drawbacks, the Ti doesn’t match up too well.

RTX 3070 Ti vs 3080 performance

In the 3dmark benchmark, the graphics score achieved by the 3070 Ti is 14,449, whereas the 3080 gets 17,832. A significant difference, and quite a jump in the score. Likely coming from the different architectures, as the 3070 non-Ti achieves a score of 13,622 and so definitely not a score halfway between the two cards.

Performance-wise the RTX 3080 outclasses the 3070 Ti by an effective 25% in speed. And then averages 24% better in scoring, one of which is MRender and achieving 308 fps compared to 249. The card also increases its lead in higher resolutions, with higher VRAM and scores it can handle the higher resolution requirements.

Price comparison

MSRP of the 3070 Ti is $599 and the 3080 is at $699, just a $100 difference and a 17% increase in price. The price difference is justified by the performance difference between the two cards. Using the smaller die and fewer cores do mean the Ti lacks a lot of performance to keep up even with a higher clock rate. The 3080 is our flagship of the generation as the 3090 is too expensive and way more than most of us meet.

However, it is unlikely you will be able to find either of these GPUs anywhere close to MSRP. With the cheapest 3070 Ti $979.98, and 3080 at $1798.00, maybe looking elsewhere you could find cheaper and better options. But at those prices neither really are worth it and maybe worth waiting for the next RTX 4000 series or prices to come down.

MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Ventus 3X

Pros

Reinforced metal backplate

TORX Fan 3.0 with Zero FROZR

Cons

Can become a little noisey

MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio 10G

Pros

Extremely attractive 3080

Very quiet thermal design

High out-the-box clock boost

Cons

Lies within the higher end of the 3080 price spectrum

Conlcusion

If you’re looking for a capable 1080p card you don’t need to spend the extra and the 3070 Ti is plenty powerful. However, on speed and resolution, the 3080 is still the better option. With a bigger and better die it does take the advantage over the Ti so is a better choice for the price. However, that is if you can find it much closer to MSRP.