Arc A770 vs GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
Performance-wise the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is out front, dramatically faster, roughly 85% up on the Arc A770. Value tips toward the Arc A770, though: $791 GBP cheaper for what you get.
Maximum Capacity Reached. Remove a model to add another. (2/2)
GeForce RTX 3080 12GB vs Arc A770: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce RTX 3080 12GB vs Arc A770
The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is dramatically faster, around 85% ahead of the Arc A770. That gap is enough to move it up a tier: the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is comfortable at 1440p, while the Arc A770 is better matched to 1080p.
Price & Value
Right now the Arc A770 starts at $279 GBP against $1,070 GBP for the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB. Despite being slower, the Arc A770 offers the better performance-per-dollar (~107% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Arc A770 is trading below its $329 GBP MSRP — a genuine deal. The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB still sits about $271 GBP above its $799 GBP MSRP.
Power & Efficiency
The Arc A770 is the lighter draw at 225W against the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB's 350W, making it the easier card to power and cool. The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB draws more in absolute terms but squeezes out more performance per watt, so budget for a beefier PSU if you go that route.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
The Arc A770's 16GB (vs 12GB on the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) gives it more room for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative or AI workloads.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the Arc A770 brings Intel XeSS upscaling and AV1 encoding, while the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB offers NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing. If you lean on upscaling or ray tracing, that ecosystem difference can matter as much as the frame-rate gap.
Which should you buy: Arc A770 or GeForce RTX 3080 12GB?
Choose the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Arc A770 stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB better than the Arc A770?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the Arc A770 or the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB?
Is the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB worth the extra $791 GBP over the Arc A770?
Does the Arc A770 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: Arc A770 or GeForce RTX 3080 12GB?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | Arc A770 | GeForce RTX 3080 12GB |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Alchemist | Ampere |
| Process Node | TSMC N6 | Samsung 8nm |
| CUDA Cores (Shading Units / CUDA Cores) | 4,096 | 8,960✓ |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 32 | — |
| Tensor / AI Cores | 512 | — |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | Arc A770 | GeForce RTX 3080 12GB |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 2,100 MHz✓ | 1,440 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 2,400 MHz✓ | 1,710 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | Arc A770 | GeForce RTX 3080 12GB |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 16 GB✓ | 12 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR6X |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 384-bit✓ |
| Memory Speed | 17.5 Gbps | 19 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 560 GB/s | 912 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | Arc A770 | GeForce RTX 3080 12GB |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| TDP | 225 W✓ | 350 W |
| Power Connectors | 2x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin |
| Released | Oct 2022 | Jan 2022 |
Related Reading
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The A770 is discontinued Alchemist silicon with a 16GB frame buffer and a 256-bit bus. Four years of driver work fixed a lot — and left some things broken. An honest read on who should buy one used, and who absolutely should not.
How to Run Powerful Local LLMs on a Budget GPU in 2026
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Intel Arc Alchemist in 2026: Is a Used A580, A750 or A770 Still Worth Buying?
Every Arc Alchemist card is discontinued, and Battlemage replaced them. So what does a used A580, A750 or A770 still buy you — and at what price does it beat a new Arc B580? An honest retrospective on Intel's first discrete GPUs.