GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER vs GeForce RTX 3090
The GeForce RTX 3090 pulls ahead here — in a different league, about 86% ahead of the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER. It also wins on performance-per-dollar, making it the cleaner choice when you can afford it.
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GeForce RTX 3090 vs GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce RTX 3090 vs GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER
The GeForce RTX 3090 is dramatically faster, around 86% ahead of the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER. That gap is enough to move it up a tier: the GeForce RTX 3090 is comfortable at 1440p, while the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is better matched to 1080p. The GeForce RTX 3090 packs 10,496 CUDA cores versus 3,072 on the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER.
Price & Value
Pricing has the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER at $495 CAD, $305 CAD under the GeForce RTX 3090's $800 CAD. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the GeForce RTX 3090 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 15%. The GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is trading below its $699 CAD MSRP — a genuine deal. The GeForce RTX 3090 is trading below its $1,499 CAD MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
At 250W vs 350W, the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is the gentler load on your system. The GeForce RTX 3090's extra power draw buys more performance per watt, not just more heat — worth it if your PSU has the headroom. Its more modern Ampere architecture on a Samsung 8nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
The GeForce RTX 3090 carries 24GB versus 8GB on the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER. The extra 16GB helps at 4K, with high-resolution texture packs, and for content-creation or local-AI workloads that exhaust smaller buffers. The GeForce RTX 3090's memory is also faster — 936 GB/s versus 496 GB/s (384-bit vs 256-bit bus) — which helps feed the GPU at 4K and with heavy textures.
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER or GeForce RTX 3090?
The GeForce RTX 3090 is the all-round winner here — it's faster and the better value, so buy it if it fits your budget. Only consider the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER if you find it at a steep discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce RTX 3090 better than the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER or the GeForce RTX 3090?
Is the GeForce RTX 3090 worth the extra $305 CAD over the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER?
Does the GeForce RTX 3090 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER or GeForce RTX 3090?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER | GeForce RTX 3090 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Turing | Ampere |
| Process Node | TSMC 12nm | Samsung 8nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / CUDA Cores) | 3,072 | 10,496✓ |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 48 | 82✓ |
| Tensor / AI Cores | 384✓ | 328 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER | GeForce RTX 3090 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,650 MHz✓ | 1,395 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,815 MHz✓ | 1,695 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER | GeForce RTX 3090 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 8 GB | 24 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR6X |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 384-bit✓ |
| Memory Speed | 15.5 Gbps | 19.5 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 496.1 GB/s | 936 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER | GeForce RTX 3090 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| TDP | 250 W✓ | 350 W |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin, 1x 6-pin | 1x 12-pin |
| Released | Jul 2019 | Sep 2020 |
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