GeForce GTX 1080 Ti vs GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB pulls ahead here — a touch quicker, about 6% ahead of the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. But the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is the better value, undercutting it by $115 USD for the performance you get.
Maximum Capacity Reached. Remove a model to add another. (2/2)
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB vs GeForce GTX 1080 Ti: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce RTX 3060 12GB vs GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is marginally faster, around 6% ahead of the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to 1080p.
Price & Value
Pricing has the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti at $185 USD, $115 USD under the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB's $300 USD. Despite being slower, the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti offers the better performance-per-dollar (~53% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is trading below its $699 USD MSRP — a genuine deal. The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is trading below its $329 USD MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
Power draw favors the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB (170W vs 250W), and it's the more efficient card too, so it's the easy pick if thermals or a smaller PSU matter. Its more modern Ampere architecture on a Samsung 8nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB carries 12GB versus 11GB on the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. The extra 1GB helps at 4K, with high-resolution texture packs, and for content-creation or local-AI workloads that exhaust smaller buffers. The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti's memory is also faster — 484 GB/s versus 360 GB/s (352-bit vs 192-bit bus) — which helps feed the GPU at 4K and with heavy textures.
Generation & Longevity
The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is roughly 4 years newer than the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Ampere vs Pascal), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 1080 Ti or GeForce RTX 3060 12GB?
Choose the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB better than the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti or the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB?
Is the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB worth the extra $115 USD over the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti?
Does the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 1080 Ti or GeForce RTX 3060 12GB?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1080 Ti | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Pascal | Ampere |
| Process Node | TSMC 16nm | Samsung 8nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / CUDA Cores) | 3,584 | 3,584 |
| Ray Tracing Cores | — | 28 |
| Tensor / AI Cores | — | 112 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1080 Ti | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,480 MHz✓ | 1,320 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,582 MHz | 1,777 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1080 Ti | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 11 GB | 12 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR5X | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 352-bit✓ | 192-bit |
| Memory Speed | 11 Gbps | 15 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 484 GB/s✓ | 360 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1080 Ti | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| TDP | 250 W | 170 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin + 1x 6-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Released | Mar 2017 | Feb 2021 |
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