GeForce RTX 3080 vs Radeon RX 6800 XT
On raw speed the Radeon RX 6800 XT comes out ahead: edging it out narrowly, about 6% ahead of the GeForce RTX 3080. Best performance and best value in one card here — the clear recommendation if you can afford it.
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Radeon RX 6800 XT vs GeForce RTX 3080: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: Radeon RX 6800 XT vs GeForce RTX 3080
The Radeon RX 6800 XT is marginally faster, around 6% ahead of the GeForce RTX 3080. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to 1440p.
Price & Value
The GeForce RTX 3080 currently lists from $419 GBP, $5 GBP less than the Radeon RX 6800 XT at $423 GBP. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the Radeon RX 6800 XT wins on performance-per-dollar. The GeForce RTX 3080 is trading below its $699 GBP MSRP — a genuine deal. The Radeon RX 6800 XT is trading below its $649 GBP MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
At 300W against 320W, the Radeon RX 6800 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 6800 XT at 16GB versus 10GB on the GeForce RTX 3080 — that extra 6GB matters most at 4K, with high-res texture packs, and for content-creation/local-AI work.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce RTX 3080 brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon RX 6800 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 or Radeon RX 6800 XT?
The Radeon RX 6800 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 if you find it at a steep discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Radeon RX 6800 XT better than the GeForce RTX 3080?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce RTX 3080 or the Radeon RX 6800 XT?
Is the Radeon RX 6800 XT worth the extra $5 GBP over the GeForce RTX 3080?
Does the Radeon RX 6800 XT have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3080 or Radeon RX 6800 XT?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 | Radeon RX 6800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Ampere | RDNA 2 |
| Process Node | Samsung 8nm | TSMC N7 |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 8,704✓ | 4,608 |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 68 | 72✓ |
| Tensor / AI Cores | 272 | — |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 | Radeon RX 6800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,440 MHz | 1,825 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,710 MHz | 2,250 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 | Radeon RX 6800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 10 GB | 16 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR6X | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 320-bit✓ | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 19 Gbps✓ | 16 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 760 GB/s✓ | 512 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3080 | Radeon RX 6800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| TDP | 320 W | 300 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 1x 12-pin | 2x 8-pin |
| Released | Sep 2020 | Oct 2020 |