GeForce GTX 1080 vs Radeon RX Vega 56
The GeForce GTX 1080 is noticeably faster than the Radeon RX Vega 56, leading by roughly 8% in our performance index. The Radeon RX Vega 56, however, delivers more performance per dollar — $209 EUR cheaper.
Market Value Leader
Radeon RX Vega 56 is the clear winner, offering 699.9% better value than GeForce GTX 1080.
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GeForce GTX 1080 vs Radeon RX Vega 56: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX 1080 vs Radeon RX Vega 56
The GeForce GTX 1080 is noticeably faster, around 8% ahead of the Radeon RX Vega 56. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.
Price & Value
Right now the Radeon RX Vega 56 starts at $27 EUR against $236 EUR for the GeForce GTX 1080. Despite being slower, the Radeon RX Vega 56 offers the better performance-per-dollar (~700% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon RX Vega 56 is trading below its $399 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal. The GeForce GTX 1080 is trading below its $599 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
The GeForce GTX 1080 draws just 180W versus 210W for the Radeon RX Vega 56, and it also delivers more performance per watt — so it runs cooler and quieter and needs less PSU headroom.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GTX 1080 brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon RX Vega 56 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 GTX 1080 or Radeon RX Vega 56?
Choose the GeForce GTX 1080 if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon RX Vega 56 stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce GTX 1080 better than the Radeon RX Vega 56?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 1080 or the Radeon RX Vega 56?
Is the GeForce GTX 1080 worth the extra $209 EUR over the Radeon RX Vega 56?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 1080 or Radeon RX Vega 56?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1080 | Radeon RX Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Pascal | GCN 5.0 (Vega) |
| Process Node | TSMC 16nm | GloFo 14nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 2,560 | 3,584✓ |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1080 | Radeon RX Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,607 MHz✓ | 1,156 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,733 MHz✓ | 1,471 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1080 | Radeon RX Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5X | HBM2 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 2048-bit✓ |
| Memory Speed | 10 Gbps✓ | 1.6 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 320 GB/s | 409.6 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1080 | Radeon RX Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 180 W✓ | 210 W |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin |
| Released | May 2016 | Aug 2017 |