GeForce RTX 2080 vs Radeon RX Vega 56
The GeForce RTX 2080 is a massive performance leap — leading the Radeon RX Vega 56 by roughly 58% in our performance index. It also comes out ahead on value, making it the straightforward pick if the price fits your budget.
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GeForce RTX 2080 vs Radeon RX Vega 56: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce RTX 2080 vs Radeon RX Vega 56
The GeForce RTX 2080 is dramatically faster, around 58% ahead of the Radeon RX Vega 56. That gap is enough to move it up a tier: the GeForce RTX 2080 is comfortable at 1080p, while the Radeon RX Vega 56 is better matched to entry-level 1080p.
Price & Value
On price, expect to pay $790 EUR for the Radeon RX Vega 56 versus $825 EUR for the GeForce RTX 2080. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the GeForce RTX 2080 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 52%. The Radeon RX Vega 56 still sits about $391 EUR above its $399 EUR MSRP. The GeForce RTX 2080 still sits about $126 EUR above its $699 EUR MSRP.
Power & Efficiency
The Radeon RX Vega 56 pulls less power (210W vs 225W), so it's the easier card to cool and the lighter load on your PSU. The faster GeForce RTX 2080 draws more overall but extracts more performance from each watt — plan for a sturdier power supply if you pick it. Its more modern Turing architecture on a TSMC 12nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce RTX 2080 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 RTX 2080 or Radeon RX Vega 56?
The GeForce RTX 2080 is the all-round winner here — it's faster and the better value, so buy it if it fits your budget. Only consider the Radeon RX Vega 56 if you find it at a steep discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce RTX 2080 better than the Radeon RX Vega 56?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce RTX 2080 or the Radeon RX Vega 56?
Is the GeForce RTX 2080 worth the extra $35 EUR over the Radeon RX Vega 56?
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 2080 or Radeon RX Vega 56?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce RTX 2080 | Radeon RX Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Turing | GCN 5.0 (Vega) |
| Process Node | TSMC 12nm | GloFo 14nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 2,944 | 3,584✓ |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 46 | — |
| Tensor / AI Cores | 368 | — |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce RTX 2080 | Radeon RX Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,515 MHz✓ | 1,156 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,710 MHz✓ | 1,471 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce RTX 2080 | Radeon RX Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | HBM2 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 2048-bit✓ |
| Memory Speed | 14 Gbps✓ | 1.6 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 448 GB/s✓ | 409.6 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce RTX 2080 | Radeon RX Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 225 W | 210 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin |
| Released | Sep 2018 | Aug 2017 |