GeForce RTX 3080 vs Radeon RX 6800 XT
On raw speed the Radeon RX 6800 XT comes out ahead: edging it out narrowly, about 6% ahead of the GeForce RTX 3080. That said, the GeForce RTX 3080 is the smarter buy on value — $532 AUD less for the performance on offer.
Maximum Capacity Reached. Remove a model to add another. (2/2)
Radeon RX 6800 XT vs GeForce RTX 3080: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: Radeon RX 6800 XT vs GeForce RTX 3080
The Radeon RX 6800 XT is marginally faster, around 6% ahead of the GeForce RTX 3080. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to 1440p.
Price & Value
The GeForce RTX 3080 currently lists from $1,251 AUD, $532 AUD less than the Radeon RX 6800 XT at $1,783 AUD. Despite being slower, the GeForce RTX 3080 offers the better performance-per-dollar (~35% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The GeForce RTX 3080 still sits about $552 AUD above its $699 AUD MSRP. The Radeon RX 6800 XT still sits about $1,134 AUD above its $649 AUD MSRP.
Power & Efficiency
At 300W against 320W, the Radeon RX 6800 XT is both the lower-power and the more efficient card, making it the easier build to cool and power.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
VRAM favors the Radeon RX 6800 XT at 16GB versus 10GB on the GeForce RTX 3080 — that extra 6GB matters most at 4K, with high-res texture packs, and for content-creation/local-AI work.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce RTX 3080 brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon RX 6800 XT offers AMD FSR upscaling and strong rasterization value. If you lean on upscaling or ray tracing, that ecosystem difference can matter as much as the frame-rate gap.
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3080 or Radeon RX 6800 XT?
Choose the Radeon RX 6800 XT if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the GeForce RTX 3080 stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Radeon RX 6800 XT better than the GeForce RTX 3080?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce RTX 3080 or the Radeon RX 6800 XT?
Is the Radeon RX 6800 XT worth the extra $532 AUD over the GeForce RTX 3080?
Does the Radeon RX 6800 XT have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3080 or Radeon RX 6800 XT?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 | Radeon RX 6800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Ampere | RDNA 2 |
| Process Node | Samsung 8nm | TSMC N7 |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 8,704✓ | 4,608 |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 68 | 72✓ |
| Tensor / AI Cores | 272 | — |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 | Radeon RX 6800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,440 MHz | 1,825 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,710 MHz | 2,250 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 | Radeon RX 6800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 10 GB | 16 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR6X | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 320-bit✓ | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 19 Gbps✓ | 16 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 760 GB/s✓ | 512 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 | Radeon RX 6800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| TDP | 320 W | 300 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 1x 12-pin | 2x 8-pin |
| Released | Sep 2020 | Oct 2020 |