Highlights
- Since it can be a bit difficult to select between the GeForce RTX 3090 and RTX 4080, it is really important to know the difference in their properties.
- Nvidia has really released some of the best graphics cards with amazing performance and cool features. They have their own advantages —from battery life to game performance.
- Don’t worry if you are confused about which one you should choose that fits your needs; just read the comparison below.
Nvidia is the name always uttered in discussions about top-notch graphics cards.
Two of the most anticipated flagship models include the Nvidia RTX 3090 and RTX 4080, which are both expected to be an all-around performer considering their top-notch specs.
If you are not sure what will fit your needs, this detailed comparison will help you to understand the difference between RTX 3090 and RTX 4080, and based on that choice, it will be informed.
Architecture Differences: Ampere vs Ada Lovelace
The biggest difference between the RTX 3090 and said-to-be RTX 4080 is, of course, architecture. The RTX 3090 is based on the Ampere architecture, while the RTX 4080 has Ada Lovelace architecture.
#1. Ampere Architecture
The 3090 is based on another Nvidia architecture called Ampere, which offered a big step forward in performance and efficiency relative to the previous generation.
It came with second-gen ray tracing cores and third-gen tensor cores, which are used for AI-driven tasks like DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) and ray tracing.
#2. Ada Lovelace Architecture
The Ada Lovelace architecture meanwhile provides additional benefits, most notably around power efficiency but also AI-related changes.
Among the most important-teased innovations is DLSS 3.0, another update to Nvidia’s AI super-resolution that can predict and fill in entire frames, effectively reducing work on the GPU for effectively equivalent visual quality.
Although the 3090 has more raw computational power, the die shrink on the 4080 means it is likely to be more efficient and also comes with new AI-boosting features, which could potentially make all the difference in a number of scenarios.
Ray Tracing and DLSS Technology
Ray Tracing Capabilities
One thing that these RTX 3090 and RTX 4080 parts definitely do deliver is real-time ray tracing, a new rendering technique that better models the behavior of light and its interaction with objects than traditional methods.
RTX 3090
The 3090 is engineered for extreme multi-precision compute power and also has an incredible 82 ray tracing cores (2nd generation) to render up to ultra-realistic games!
The RTX 3090 can handle ray tracing at the quality level we normally see in AAA games like Cyberpunk 2077, Control, or Metro Exodus with almost no outside drop performance at all.
RTX 4080
The 4080 carries 76 third-gen ray tracing cores, more highly tuned than its predecessor, so as to deliver further increases in performance and efficiency.
The enhancements to the 3rd-gen RT cores see the RTX 4080 bring superior ray-traced visuals & better performance per frame with larger workloads, which should translate into even more fluid gameplay, especially in paired with DLSS 3.
DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling)
At the time, DLSS was a huge deal since it meant that Nvidia GPUs could utilize AI to upscale lower-resolution images and output “high-quality” visuals at a fraction of the rendering cost.
RTX 3090 and DLSS 2.0
This card includes support for DLSS 2.0 for higher frame rates in super-demanding games by rendering at a lower resolution and using AI to scale it back up higher.
DLSS 2 (rendering at the previous resolution, then upscaling with a neural network) remains quite effective, boosted even higher by the significant increase in resolution at 4K, where it produces smoother frame rates without clearly sacrificing much image quality.
RTX 4080 and DLSS 3.0
The RTX 4080 introduces DLSS 3.0, with the technology using AI to generate frames based on entire-frame predictions (not just individual pixels).
In regular use, that leads to even higher frame rates in a lot of situations, particularly in CPU-bound games where the GPU is never fully occupied.
You can also use DLSS 3.0 on the RTX 4080 to offload many demanding tasks, such as ray tracing, and let the card handle rendering complex scenes at higher resolutions without a penalty in performance.
DLSS 3.0 gives the RTX 4080 a consistent edge in demanding ray-traced titles; if you’re looking to future-proof for even more elaborate games in coming years that hinge on these technologies, get an RTX card with AI tensor cores.
Performance Comparison: Gaming
RTX 3090 Gaming Performance
The RTX 3090 is an absolute monster for gaming, particularly in 4K. This allows most AAA games to be played with ray tracing on ultra settings while maintaining at least 60 FPS.
The 3090, on the other hand, really shines in games that are optimized for Nvidia’s ray tracing and DLSS tech, making it one of the highest-end cards you can get now if you demand nothing but the best-looking game.
- 4K Gaming: The 3090 will take most modern titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Call of Duty: Warzone to near-perfect performance levels at a resolution of around 4K with all settings cranked to the max.
- 8K Gaming: 8K Gaming with its 24GB of VRAM, the RTX 3090 is one of the few GPUs on the market that can offer a playable experience at this resolution. In practice, high frame rates at this resolution frequently require DLSS to be turned on.
RTX 4080 Gaming Performance
The RTX 4080 also delivers top-tier performance, with notable improvements in power efficiency and frame rates compared to the RTX 3090.
Thanks to its Ada Lovelace architecture and third-generation ray tracing cores, games are rendered with more lifelike lighting and shadows, and the introduction of DLSS 3.0 further boosts performance.
- 4K Gaming: The performance of the RTX 4080 is also miles ahead of what the RTX 3090 is capable of delivering c) Brings a significant leap in power efficiency and frame rates. With the Ada Lovelace architecture with third-generation ray tracing cores, titles are brought into greater realism with lighting and shadows, powered by the indoctrination of DLSS 3.0 for additional performance gains.
- 1440p Gaming: The RTX 4080 can push well over 144 FPS at 1440p, making it a fantastic choice for high refresh rate monitors.
Benchmark Comparison
In synthetic benchmarks like 3DMark Time Spy and Port Royal, the RTX 4080 beats the RTX 3090 frequently on some tests, especially ones that involve DLSS 3.0 and new ray tracing effects.
But, as we’ll see in the benchmarks that follow, you might not always notice a night and day performance difference between the two — at least not when underneath it all are raw computational tasks able to be handily dispatched by the RTX 3090.
Content Creation and Professional Workloads
RTX 3090 for Content Creation
The 24GB of VRAM on the RTX 3090 is perfect for that 3D rendering, video editing, and other memory-heavy stuff the professionals do.
This huge memory pool proves very useful for applications such as Blender, Adobe Premiere Pro, and DaVinci Resolve, which will all see smoother editing workflows and faster render times.
It is also a great choice for AI and machine learning tasks due to the large number of CUDA and tensor cores in the 3090. For example, deep learning models can be trained much faster on higher-tier GPUs than lower-tier ones.
RTX 4080 for Content Creation
The RTX 4080 at just 16GB VRAM comes from an architecture that’s more up-to-date and houses a host of efficiencies.
Some users will be interested in the 4080 for gaming, of course, and if you plan to game but do only low-end content creation work, the faster clock speeds and better AI features (DLSS 3.0) might make it a more attractive option.
Still, Note that the larger VRAM capacity of the RTX 3090 does give it a leg up if you have extremely demanding multitasking requirements and are running memory-heavy applications.
When you need them for professional work, the RTX 3090 is relevant but both the 4080 delivers a good blend of gaming and creative workflows.
Power Consumption and Thermal Performance
RTX 3090
The RTX 3090 is quite a power-hungry card, consuming as much as 350W at load. It relies on a beefy power delivery and heats up even when doing stupid with high-end cooling solutions.
A number of aftermarket models feature enhanced cooling systems to handle the card’s high-power draw and keep it from thermal throttling.
RTX 4080
This makes it more power efficient than the 3090, whose TDP is 350W. It will also be cooler and should suit high-end performance users who do not want to buy massive cooling.
This lower power consumption of the 4080 could also give way to reduced energy bills over time, thus a cheaper proposition for gamers and professionals who runs their system for too long just working.
Pricing and Availability
Both the RTX 3090 and RTX 4080 arrived as premium-priced products at launch. The RTX 3090 for example, was available recently at a lower price than usual as this is an older GPU and prices generally fall over time, especially with the imminent release of newer GPUs like the 4080.
- RTX 3090 Pricing: That was the price tag Nvidia slapped onto its RTX 3090 at retail—though fluctuating supply chain issues and demand spikes have sent that price higher in recent months. In 2024, you can typically find it for $1,000, which is lightweight compared to what a gaming PC might cost.
- RTX 4080 Pricing: The RTX 4080 was introduced at $1,199. Even with the new architecture and features, it is still more expensive than the RTX 3090 in most markets.
Conclusion: Making the Right Choice
Select the RTX 3090 if you are an expert content creator or video editor or are engaged in giant datasets needing greater than 16GB of VRAM.
Meanwhile, I would recommend the RTX 4080 if you want something a little bit more efficient that can balance pretty good gaming performance with solid professional workloads.
So, that’s all we have for you in our comparison guide about RTX 3090 vs RTX 4080. We hope that this guide has helped you.
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