GeForce RTX 3080 12GB vs Radeon RX 6900 XT
On raw speed the Radeon RX 6900 XT comes out ahead: meaningfully ahead, about 8% ahead of the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB. Best performance and best value in one card here — the clear recommendation if you can afford it.
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Radeon RX 6900 XT vs GeForce RTX 3080 12GB: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: Radeon RX 6900 XT vs GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
The Radeon RX 6900 XT is noticeably faster, around 8% ahead of the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to 1440p.
Price & Value
The Radeon RX 6900 XT currently lists from $157,204 JPY, $107,399 JPY less than the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB at $264,603 JPY. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the Radeon RX 6900 XT wins on performance-per-dollar by about 82%. The Radeon RX 6900 XT still sits about $156,205 JPY above its $999 JPY MSRP. The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB still sits about $263,804 JPY above its $799 JPY MSRP.
Power & Efficiency
At 300W against 350W, the Radeon RX 6900 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 6900 XT at 16GB versus 12GB on the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB — that extra 4GB matters most at 4K, with high-res texture packs, and for content-creation/local-AI work.
Generation & Longevity
The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is roughly 2 years newer than the Radeon RX 6900 XT (Ampere vs RDNA 2), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon RX 6900 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 12GB or Radeon RX 6900 XT?
The Radeon RX 6900 XT 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 3080 12GB if you find it at a steep discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Radeon RX 6900 XT better than the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB or the Radeon RX 6900 XT?
Is the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB worth the extra $107,399 JPY over the Radeon RX 6900 XT?
Does the Radeon RX 6900 XT have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3080 12GB or Radeon RX 6900 XT?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 12GB | Radeon RX 6900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Ampere | RDNA 2 |
| Process Node | Samsung 8nm | TSMC N7 |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 8,960✓ | 5,120 |
| Ray Tracing Cores | — | 80 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 12GB | Radeon RX 6900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,440 MHz | 1,825 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,710 MHz | 2,250 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 12GB | Radeon RX 6900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 12 GB | 16 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR6X | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 384-bit✓ | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 19 Gbps✓ | 16 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 912 GB/s✓ | 512 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 12GB | Radeon RX 6900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| TDP | 350 W | 300 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 2x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin |
| Released | Jan 2022 | Dec 2020 |