RTX 4070 Ti vs 3080 – Is the upgrade worth it?

Let’s get down to business with Nvidia’s newest graphics card, and discuss RTX 4070 Ti vs 3080, and whether an upgrade is actually worth your money.

Off to a rocky start, the RTX 4080 12GB was repackaged as the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti after its unlaunch. The RTX 3080 meanwhile continues to be a popular powerhouse three years after its release. But how do the specs and performance shape up between RTX 4070 Ti and the older RTX 3080?

The RTX 4070 Ti, a good 1440p current gen graphics card, is 3.5 times faster than the RTX 3080 12GB graphics card when RT-Overdrive is enabled. When overdrive is off, you’ll see gains of more than twice that of the 4080 when DLSS 3 is enabled.

If you do have your eye on the RTX 4070 Ti, it’s worth checking out our comparison of the RTX 4070 Ti vs the RTX 4080. In our experience, it’s worth learning what’s on offer and how they fare against each other before choosing your graphics card.

However, it’s not a bad shout to buy the RTX 3080 now. It’s a tried and tested graphics card and its popularity has endured over three years since its release, though you’ll want the best monitor for the RTX 3080 to go with it.

Now we’ve covered the basics, let’s get stuck into the specifications of RTX 4070 Ti vs 3080.

RTX 4070 Ti vs RTX 3080 – specs

What’s special about the RTX 4070 Ti compared to the 3080? Take a look at the table of specs below.

Specs	RTX 4070 Ti	RTX 3080 (12GB)	RTX 3080 (10GB)
CUDA Cores	7680	8960	8704
Clock speed (base – boost)	2.31 – 2.61	1.26 – 1.71	1.44 – 1.71
VRAM (GB, GDDR6X)	12GB	12GB	10GB
Architecture	Lovelace	Ampere	Ampere
Memory Interface	192-bit	384-bit	320-bit
Ray Tracing cores	3rd Gen	2nd Gen	2nd Gen
Tensor cores	4th Gen	3rd Gen	3rd Gen
Maximum resolution	7260 x 4320	7260 x 4320	7260 x 4320
Connectivity	HDMI 2.1, 3 x DisplayPort	HDMI, 3 x DisplayPort	HDMI 2,1, 3 x DisplayPort
Required system power (W)	226	350	320
Graphics card power (W)	750	750	750

At first glance, the standout difference between the two graphics cards (three if we treat the 10 & 12GB 3080 as different cards) is the different architecture they use. The differences here are pretty seismic and, just like we discuss in our RTX 4070 Ti vs 3080 Ti piece, the Ada Lovelace architecture is just too powerful for the previous generation of GPUs to contend with.

This new architecture is based on TSMC’s 4nm N4 technology, making it half the size of the Samsung 8nm chip part of the Ampere architecture.

This difference translates to power being delivered to the GPU more efficiently. You can see this in the 226W required system power compared to the 3080’s 350W, resulting in slightly lower running costs.

Read More: RTX 4070 Ti vs 3090

You’ll also find that the Ada Lovelace architecture has DLSS 3.0, which allows the GPU to predict the next frame, skipping over the need to look at the image data yet to be rendered. In other words, the 4070 Ti supports the performance of both GPU & CPU-intensive games which is definitely a win.

We also recommend checking your PC case is up to house the 3080 with out handy guide that includes the best ATX, RGB & water-cooling cases.

RTX 4070 Ti vs RTX 3080 – design

As with all GPUs, the exact design and look of your card depends on which manufacturer you purchase it from. Both the RTX 3080 and the RTX 4070 Ti are available in versions from all the usual suspects: MSI, Gigabyte, ASUS ROG and more.

No matter what your preferences are for RBG lights, angular design or colour there will be a version of either card that suits your build. So what are the differences in design?

Read more: Best PSU for RTX 4070 Ti

Sizes again vary by manufacturer but not wildly. The good and bad news is that these two cards can really be separated based on physical attributes. Both have a max length of around 320m, a length which only varies a bit from card to card.

This is great for someone considering upgrading their RTX 3080 to an RTX 4070 Ti, as it should be able to slot straight into your build. However, it’s more frustrating for those trying to decide between the two.

RTX 4070 Ti vs RTX 3080 – price

GPU prices are volatile things. The RTX 3080 has pretty significantly over the last few years, peaking at hugely inflated prices in 2021. The good news is that it has now come back to earth, and is available for as low as $699, though most of the cards are around $850.

With the RTX 4070 Ti there’s less variation, with most cards going for between $750-$900. This puts them in the same overall price category. It’s worth keeping in mind that for the same price, you are getting increased power and higher performance for the RTX 4070 Ti, as well as all the other benefits of the Lovelace architecture.

This fact, in combination with everything else we’ve talked about, means that, for us, the RTX 4070 Ti is the more sensible option. You’re getting increased performance and the next generation of technology for a similar price to the RTX 3080. Though it is a close call and there are good reasons for buying either.

If you have made your decision you can find links to buy either card below.

Frequently asked questions

Is the RTX 4070 Ti better than the 3080?

Though the RTX 3080 remains a highly capable GPU, the RTX 4070 Ti will likely outperform the 3080 in a number of areas, largely thanks to its new Ada Lovelace architecture.

How much will the RTX 4070 Ti cost?

Nvidia has announced that the RTX 4070 Ti will cost $799 upon its release, though this may be subject to change depending on demand.

Is the RTX 4070 Ti overkill for gaming?

It’s hard to say since there’s considerable variation on the price of this GPU. However, there’s no denying that it has excellent Ray Tracing abilities thanks to DLSS 3.0. So, we’d say that if you’re a gamer looking to enjoy visually engaging games such as single-player RPGs, then it’s not overkill.

Which RTX 4070 Ti is good?

If you value a quiet card that doesn’t run too hot, go for the Aorus Master, fitting into most cases at ‎13.46 x 6.06 x 2.8 inches. The only downside is that you’ll have to buy a third PCIe cable to plug directly into the graphics card, but otherwise, it’s very good.