GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER vs GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
The GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER pulls ahead here — clearly quicker, about 17% ahead of the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB. It also wins on performance-per-dollar, making it the cleaner choice when you can afford it.
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GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER vs GeForce RTX 3060 12GB: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER vs GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
The GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is noticeably faster, around 17% ahead of the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to 1080p.
Price & Value
Pricing has the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER at $265 USD, $35 USD under the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB's $300 USD. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER wins on performance-per-dollar by about 32%. The GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 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 8GB on the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER. The extra 4GB helps at 4K, with high-resolution texture packs, and for content-creation or local-AI workloads that exhaust smaller buffers. The GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER's memory is also faster — 496 GB/s versus 360 GB/s (256-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 2 years newer than the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (Ampere vs Turing), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER or GeForce RTX 3060 12GB?
The GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 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 3060 12GB if you find it at a steep discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER better than the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER or the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB?
Is the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB worth the extra $35 USD over the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER?
Does the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER or GeForce RTX 3060 12GB?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Turing | Ampere |
| Process Node | TSMC 12nm | Samsung 8nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / CUDA Cores) | 3,072 | 3,584✓ |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 48✓ | 28 |
| Tensor / AI Cores | 384✓ | 112 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,650 MHz✓ | 1,320 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,815 MHz✓ | 1,777 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 8 GB | 12 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit✓ | 192-bit |
| Memory Speed | 15.5 Gbps✓ | 15 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 496.1 GB/s✓ | 360 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER | 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 | Jul 2019 | Feb 2021 |
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