GeForce RTX 3080 12GB vs Radeon RX 6800
The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB pulls ahead here — substantially quicker, about 19% ahead of the Radeon RX 6800. It also wins on performance-per-dollar, making it the cleaner choice when you can afford it.
Maximum Capacity Reached. Remove a model to add another. (2/2)
GeForce RTX 3080 12GB vs Radeon RX 6800: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce RTX 3080 12GB vs Radeon RX 6800
The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is significantly faster, around 19% ahead of the Radeon RX 6800. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to 1440p.
Price & Value
Pricing has the Radeon RX 6800 at $899 GBP, $171 GBP under the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB's $1,070 GBP. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB wins on performance-per-dollar. The Radeon RX 6800 still sits about $320 GBP above its $579 GBP MSRP. The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB still sits about $271 GBP above its $799 GBP MSRP.
Power & Efficiency
Power draw favors the Radeon RX 6800 (250W vs 350W), and it's the more efficient card too, so it's the easy pick if thermals or a smaller PSU matter.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
The Radeon RX 6800 carries 16GB versus 12GB on the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB. The extra 4GB helps at 4K, with high-resolution texture packs, and for content-creation or local-AI workloads that exhaust smaller buffers.
Generation & Longevity
The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is roughly 2 years newer than the Radeon RX 6800 (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 6800 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 6800?
The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB 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 6800 if you find it at a steep discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB better than the Radeon RX 6800?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB or the Radeon RX 6800?
Is the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB worth the extra $171 GBP over the Radeon RX 6800?
Does the Radeon RX 6800 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3080 12GB or Radeon RX 6800?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 12GB | Radeon RX 6800 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Ampere | RDNA 2 |
| Process Node | Samsung 8nm | TSMC N7 |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 8,960✓ | 3,840 |
| Ray Tracing Cores | — | 60 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 12GB | Radeon RX 6800 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,440 MHz | 1,700 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,710 MHz | 2,105 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 12GB | Radeon RX 6800 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 6800 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| TDP | 350 W | 250 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 2x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin |
| Released | Jan 2022 | Nov 2020 |
