GeForce RTX 3080 Ti vs GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB
The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti pulls ahead here — substantially quicker, about 26% ahead of the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB. It also wins on performance-per-dollar, making it the cleaner choice when you can afford it.
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GeForce RTX 3080 Ti vs GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce RTX 3080 Ti vs GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB
The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is significantly faster, around 26% ahead of the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to 1440p. The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti packs 10,240 CUDA cores versus 4,608 on the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB.
Price & Value
Pricing has the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti at $670 CAD, $9 CAD under the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB's $679 CAD. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti wins on performance-per-dollar by about 28%. The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is trading below its $1,199 CAD MSRP — a genuine deal. The GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB still sits about $300 CAD above its $379 CAD MSRP.
Power & Efficiency
Power draw favors the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB (180W vs 350W), and it's the more efficient card too, so it's the easy pick if thermals or a smaller PSU matter. Its more modern Blackwell architecture on a TSMC 4N process is part of why it does more with each watt.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti carries 12GB versus 8GB on the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB. The extra 4GB helps at 4K, with high-resolution texture packs, and for content-creation or local-AI workloads that exhaust smaller buffers. The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti's memory is also faster — 912 GB/s versus 448 GB/s (384-bit vs 128-bit bus) — which helps feed the GPU at 4K and with heavy textures.
Generation & Longevity
The GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB is roughly 4 years newer than the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti (Blackwell vs Ampere), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3080 Ti or GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB?
The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 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 5060 Ti 8GB if you find it at a steep discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti better than the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti or the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB?
Is the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB worth the extra $9 CAD over the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti?
Does the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3080 Ti or GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 Ti | GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Ampere | Blackwell |
| Process Node | Samsung 8nm | TSMC 4N |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / CUDA Cores) | 10,240✓ | 4,608 |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 80✓ | 36 |
| Tensor / AI Cores | 320✓ | 144 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 Ti | GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,365 MHz | 2,407 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,665 MHz | 2,572 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 Ti | GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 12 GB✓ | 8 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6X | GDDR7 |
| Memory Bus | 384-bit✓ | 128-bit |
| Memory Speed | 19 Gbps | 28 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 912 GB/s✓ | 448 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 Ti | GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 5.0 x16 |
| TDP | 350 W | 180 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 1x 12-pin | 1x 16-pin |
| Released | May 2021 | Apr 2025 |