AMD RX 7800 XT vs Nvidia RTX 4080 comparison – which graphics card should you upgrade to?

We’re bringing you our RX 7800 XT vs RTX 4080 comparison to help you pick your next gaming graphics card.

With the release of the RX 7800 XT, it’s time to take a closer look at AMD’s latest take on the 1440p gaming market. The card strikes the perfect balance between solid 1440p gaming and value for money. AMD is also releasing its latest FSR 3 and Hyper-RX features with these cards, which will hopefully boost the Radeon card’s performance even more. Make sure you know where to buy the RX 7800 XT from if you plan to get it.

The RTX 4080 was released in late 2022. The card sits right below Nvidia’s current flagship, the RTX 4090. Packing a solid punch for 1440p and 4K gaming, the RTX 4080 is known for providing high-end performance without costing nearly as much as the RTX 4090. Given its jaw-dropping performance at relatively good frames, the RTX 4080 quickly gained traction as one of the best-selling graphics cards of 2023. If you want to explore different RTX 4080 cards, then go over our best RTX 4080 graphics cards guide.

Should you break your wallet and go with the RTX 4080? Or does the mid-range RTX 7800 XT do the job for you?

RX 7800 XT vs RTX 4080 – architecture

It is important to go over the architecture because it tells us about the performance, efficiency, and features of the two graphics cards.

The RX 7800 XT is based on RDNA 3, which is AMD’s latest architecture with several key improvements. There are two massive changes that AMD has made with RDNA 3. First is the shift to TSMC’s 5nm process node from 7nm, and the second is to use the world’s first GPU chiplet design. Both of these changes have done wonders for AMD, as the RX 7000 cards are up to 50% better in power efficiency than their previous-gen counterparts. AMD has also upgraded the RDNA 3 architecture with 2nd gen Raytracing, 2nd gen Infinity Cache, and AI Accelerations. As a result, the cards have better performance at upscaled resolutions. To understand it better, it might be easier to see a comparison between the RDNA 2 and the RDNA 3.

The RTX 4080 is built using the Ada Lovelace architecture. With Ada Lovelace, Nvidia also upgraded to TSMC’s 5nm process node, leaving behind Samsung’s 8nm. This upgrade has made the RTX 4000-series cards significantly better at handling power consumption than their predecessors. Ada Lovelace also brings 4th gen Tensor cores and 3rd gen Ray Tracing. Thanks to these Tensor cores, the DLSS performance of Ada Lovelace cards is unparalleled.

As far as architecture is concerned, both cards are neck-to-neck, but RTX 4080 takes the win with its Tensor cores and DLSS. 

FSR 3.0 vs DLSS 3.0 – what’s new?

FSR 3.0 is AMD’s take on DLSS 3, which is known for its excellent performance by using Machine Learning algorithms and Tensor cores to predict frames. Take a look at the list of DLSS 3 compatible games to get an idea of what DLSS 3 is about. AMD first teased FSR 3.0 in November 2022, and it will be hitting the market in early September. FSR 3 brings together both traditional FSR, which uses AI to upscale the resolution, and Fluid Motion Frames, which generates extra frames by reading the current data. This way, FSR 3.0 can do both upscale gaming with more performance, which is exactly what DLSS 3.0 achieves. 

Since FSR 3.0 is not hardware dependent, it will work on both RX 5700 and onwards, RX 6000 series, and RX 7000 series graphics cards. Furthermore, it will also work on Nvidia’s RTX 3000 and RTX 4000 line-up.

Currently, Nvidia is using DLSS 3 for its RTX 4000 series graphics card. However, Nvidia has just announced DLSS 3.5, which is meant to work on all RTX cards. The purpose of DLSS 3.5 is simple: to further improve Ray Tracing performance. It is not a new frame generation technique. Instead, it works with traditional DLSS to use AI and create a Ray Reconstruction element. This way, the Ray Tracing performance and visuals look better than ever.

RX 7800 XT vs RTX 4080 – specs comparison

Specs	RX 7800 XT	RTX 4080
GPU Architecture	RDNA 3.0	Ada Lovelace
Cores	3840	9728
Base clock	1800 MHz	2210 MHz
Boost clock	2430 MHz	2510 MHz
Die Size	346 mm²	379 mm²
Memory	16 GB GDDR6	16 GB GDDR6X
Bandwidth	624 GB/s	716.8 GB/s
TGP	263 W	320 W

Glancing over the specifications, the RTX 4080 is a clear winner across the board. The card brings 5800 more words, higher clock speeds, and improved memory bandwidth (thanks to GDDR6X). The only section where the RX 7800 XT wins is the TGP, where Team AMD is 57 W more power efficient.

This means that if you want better numbers on paper, then the RTX 4080 should be your choice. Just make sure to pair it with the best PSU, the best case, the best CPU, and the best motherboard. 

RX 7800 XT vs RTX 4080 – performance

As far as performance is concerned, the RX 7800 XT gives you excellent 1440p FPS with a comfortable performance at 4K.

On the other hand, the RTX 4080 is known for its exceptional 4K performance. You should expect 120 to 130 average FPS at 4K, around 160 FPS at 1440p, and near 200 FPS at 1080p. Another place where the RTX 4080 shines is Ray Tracing. So, if you want to enjoy the beautiful visuals of Cyberpunk 2077, then you need the RTX 4080.

Overall, if you’re into high-end performance, then you should consider the RTX 4080. It is miles ahead of what RX 7800 XT offers. It comes at a price though.

RX 7800 XT vs RTX 4080 – price comparison

The RX 7800 XT carries a $500 list price with it’s high-end variants prices reaching around $530-$550. This is a good price tag, considering its performance.

In comparison, the RTX 4080 was launched at $1200, which is more than twice how much the RX 7800 XT costs. Right now, you can get the RTX 4080 anywhere from $1120 to almost $1400.

If budget is your primary concern, then the RX 7800 XT is for you. It still costs half of what the RTX 4080 will cost you, and you will get a good 1440p performance from it.

RX 7800 XT vs RTX 4080 – final word

In short, if you are chasing jaw-dropping framerates at 4K resolution, then you should consider the RTX 4080. It is definitely a beast. However, if you are on a budget and you want a good bang for the buck card, then the RX 7800 XT will fit your needs perfectly.