I. Introduction
In recent years, whether it is processors or graphics cards, the performance improvements of new products are often very limited, commonly referred to as “toothpaste squeezing.” Against this backdrop, there is a saying in the digital circle called “generational upgrade.” This means that upgrading between two adjacent generations of products is unnecessary, and it’s relatively insignificant; a performance improvement is only noticeable when skipping at least one generation.
This article will compare the gaming performance of the GeForce RTX 3080 and GeForce RTX 5080 to evaluate how much of a performance boost can be gained from upgrading from the former to the latter and whether an upgrade is necessary.
II. Parameter Comparison
The GeForce RTX 5080 was released on January 6, 2025. It uses the GB203-400-A1 GPU chip, based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, built on TSMC’s 5nm process, and features 10,752 CUDA cores, 84 ray-tracing units, 128 raster units, 336 texture units, 336 tensor cores, and 76 multi-processors. The L2 cache is 64MB.
Its base clock is 2295MHz, with a boost clock of up to 2617MHz, equipped with 16GB of GDDR7 memory, a 256-bit memory interface, memory speed of 30Gbps, memory bandwidth of 960GB/s, FP32 floating-point performance of 56.28 T FLOPS, a power consumption of 360W, and a reference price of $999.
The GeForce RTX 3080 was released on September 1, 2020. It uses the GA102 GPU, based on the Ampere architecture, built on Samsung’s 8nm process, and features 8,704 CUDA cores, 272 texture units, 96 raster units, 68 ray-tracing units, 68 multi-processors, 272 tensor cores, and a 5MB L2 cache.
Its base clock is 1440MHz, with a boost clock of up to 1710MHz, equipped with 10GB of GDDR6X memory (available in several memory configurations), memory speed of 19Gbps, a 320-bit memory interface, memory bandwidth of 760.3GB/s, power consumption of 320W, and a recommended retail price of $699.
III. Test Platform Configuration
The main configuration is as follows:
Processor: Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Motherboard: MSI MPG X670E CARBON
Memory: DiskMFR 32GB DDR5 6000MHz
Graphics Cards: GeForce RTX 3080 10GB and GeForce RTX 5080 16GB
Storage: Two Samsung 970 EVO 1TB SSDs
Operating System: Windows 11
IV. Gaming Tests (GeForce RTX 5080 vs RTX 3080)
The following tests were conducted on seven games, all at 1440P quality settings. In the images below, the left side represents the GeForce RTX 3080 platform, and the right side represents the GeForce RTX 5080 platform.
The first game is God of War.
The average frame rate on the GeForce RTX 3080 platform is 114 FPS, with a minimum frame rate of 91 FPS, frame time of 9.0ms, CPU usage of 19%, power consumption of 55W, temperature of 50°C, memory usage of 11.9GB, GPU usage of 99%, VRAM usage of 6.5GB, power consumption of 312W, and temperature of 67°C.
On the GeForce RTX 5080 platform, the average frame rate is 185 FPS, with a minimum frame rate of 135 FPS, frame time of 5.3ms, CPU usage of 37%, power consumption of 73W, temperature of 51°C, memory usage of 11.9GB, GPU usage of 99%, VRAM usage of 7.0GB, power consumption of 242W, and temperature of 49°C.
In this game, the GeForce RTX 5080 platform has a CPU usage 18% higher than the opponent, roughly double the opponent’s, with similar memory usage and GPU usage, and 0.5GB more VRAM usage.
In terms of average frame rate, the GeForce RTX 5080 platform is 71 FPS higher than the GeForce RTX 3080 platform, approximately 1.6 times better. The minimum frame rate is 44 FPS higher, frame time is reduced by about 4ms, power consumption is 70W lower, and the temperature is 18°C lower.
The second game is Ghostwire: Tokyo.
The average frame rate on the GeForce RTX 3080 platform is 73 FPS, with a minimum frame rate of 64 FPS, frame time of 13.7ms, CPU usage of 13%, power consumption of 43W, temperature of 43°C, memory usage of 10.3GB, GPU usage of 99%, VRAM usage of 6.1GB, power consumption of 315W, and temperature of 66°C.
On the GeForce RTX 5080 platform, the average frame rate is 120 FPS, with a minimum frame rate of 99 FPS, frame time of 7.7ms, CPU usage of 21%, power consumption of 47W, temperature of 41°C, memory usage of 10.4GB, GPU usage of 99%, VRAM usage of 6.4GB, power consumption of 265W, and temperature of 51°C.
In this game, the GeForce RTX 5080 platform has a CPU usage 8% higher than the opponent, with similar memory usage and GPU usage, and 0.3GB more VRAM usage.
In terms of average frame rate, the GeForce RTX 5080 platform is 47 FPS higher than the GeForce RTX 3080 platform, approximately 1.6 times better. The minimum frame rate is 35 FPS higher, frame time is reduced by about 6ms, power consumption is 50W lower, and the temperature is 15°C lower.
The third game is Cyberpunk 2077.
The average frame rate on the GeForce RTX 3080 platform is 39 FPS, with a minimum frame rate of 31 FPS, frame time of 27.7ms, CPU usage of 33%, power consumption of 75W, temperature of 58°C, memory usage of 11.9GB, GPU usage of 98%, VRAM usage of 10.2GB (nearing capacity), power consumption of 311W, and temperature of 66°C.
On the GeForce RTX 5080 platform, the average frame rate is 69 FPS, with a minimum frame rate of 55 FPS, frame time of 15.7ms, CPU usage of 39%, power consumption of 74W, temperature of 53°C, memory usage of 13.0GB, GPU usage of 97%, VRAM usage of 11.6GB, power consumption of 275W, and temperature of 52°C.
In this game, the GeForce RTX 5080 platform has a CPU usage 6% higher than the opponent, with 1.1GB more memory usage, similar GPU usage, and 1.4GB more VRAM usage.
In terms of average frame rate, the GeForce RTX 5080 platform is 30 FPS higher than the GeForce RTX 3080 platform, approximately 1.8 times better. The minimum frame rate is 24 FPS higher, frame time is reduced by about 12ms, power consumption is 36W lower, and the temperature is 14°C lower.
The fourth game is Black Myth: Wukong.
The average frame rate on the GeForce RTX 3080 platform is 39 FPS, with a minimum frame rate of 31 FPS, frame time of 26.4ms, CPU usage of 10%, power consumption of 44W, temperature of 50°C, memory usage of 11.7GB, GPU usage of 99%, VRAM usage of 6.4GB, power consumption of 317W, and temperature of 66°C.
On the GeForce RTX 5080 platform, the average frame rate is 67 FPS, with a minimum frame rate of 52 FPS, frame time of 14.4ms, CPU usage of 14%, power consumption of 54W, temperature of 54°C, memory usage of 10.7GB, GPU usage of 98%, VRAM usage of 6.5GB, power consumption of 237W, and temperature of 47°C.
In this game, the GeForce RTX 5080 platform has a CPU usage 4% higher than the opponent, with 1GB less memory usage, and similar GPU usage and VRAM usage.
In terms of average frame rate, the GeForce RTX 5080 platform is 28 FPS higher than the GeForce RTX 3080 platform, approximately 1.7 times better. The minimum frame rate is 21 FPS higher, frame time is reduced by about 12ms, power consumption is 80W lower, and the temperature is 19°C lower.
The fifth game is Stalker 2.
The average frame rate on the GeForce RTX 3080 platform is 57 FPS, with a minimum frame rate of 47 FPS, frame time of 17.0ms, CPU usage of 21%, power consumption of 65W, temperature of 51°C, memory usage of 15.4GB, GPU usage of 99%, VRAM usage of 7.4GB, power consumption of 311W, and temperature of 67°C.
On the GeForce RTX 5080 platform, the average frame rate is 91 FPS, with a minimum frame rate of 74 FPS, frame time of 10.5ms, CPU usage of 29%, power consumption of 75W, temperature of 57°C, memory usage of 16.8GB, GPU usage of 98%, VRAM usage of 8.2GB, power consumption of 222W, and temperature of 49°C.
In this game, the GeForce RTX 5080 platform has a CPU usage 8% higher than the opponent, with 1.4GB more memory usage, similar GPU usage, and 0.8GB more VRAM usage.
In terms of average frame rate, the GeForce RTX 5080 platform is 34 FPS higher than the GeForce RTX 3080 platform, approximately 1.6 times better. The minimum frame rate is 27 FPS higher, frame time is reduced by about 7ms, power consumption is 89W lower, and the temperature is 18°C lower.
The sixth game is Microsoft Flight Simulator.
The average frame rate on the GeForce RTX 3080 platform is 48 FPS, with a minimum frame rate of 42 FPS, frame time of 21.4ms, CPU usage of 45%, power consumption of 85W, temperature of 58°C, memory usage of 20.6GB, GPU usage of 99%, VRAM usage of 9.4GB (getting tight), power consumption of 318W, and temperature of 68°C.
On the GeForce RTX 5080 platform, the average frame rate is 78 FPS, with a minimum frame rate of 68 FPS, frame time of 13.1ms, CPU usage of 49%, power consumption of 91W, temperature of 61°C, memory usage of 19.4GB, GPU usage of 98%, VRAM usage of 12.2GB, power consumption of 238W, and temperature of 50°C.
In this game, the GeForce RTX 5080 platform has a CPU usage 4% higher than the opponent, with 1.2GB less memory usage, similar GPU usage, and 2.8GB more VRAM usage.
In terms of average frame rate, the GeForce RTX 5080 platform is 30 FPS higher than the GeForce RTX 3080 platform, approximately 1.6 times better. The minimum frame rate is 26 FPS higher, frame time is reduced by about 8ms, power consumption is 80W lower, and the temperature is 18°C lower.
The seventh game is Silent Hill 2.
The average frame rate on the GeForce RTX 3080 platform is 52 FPS, with a minimum frame rate of 44 FPS, frame time of 19.0ms, CPU usage of 10%, power consumption of 46W, temperature of 45°C, memory usage of 10.6GB, GPU usage of 99%, VRAM usage of 6.6GB, power consumption of 311W, and temperature of 67°C.
On the GeForce RTX 5080 platform, the average frame rate is 87 FPS, with a minimum frame rate of 79 FPS, frame time of 11.3ms, CPU usage of 17%, power consumption of 57W, temperature of 48°C, memory usage of 12.0GB, GPU usage of 97%, VRAM usage of 7.1GB, power consumption of 233W, and temperature of 48°C.
In this game, the GeForce RTX 5080 platform has a CPU usage 7% higher than the opponent, with 1.4GB more memory usage, 2% lower GPU usage, and 0.5GB more VRAM usage.
In terms of average frame rate, the GeForce RTX 5080 platform is 35 FPS higher than the GeForce RTX 3080 platform, approximately 1.7 times better. The minimum frame rate is 35 FPS higher, frame time is reduced by about 8ms, power consumption is 78W lower, and the temperature is 19°C lower.
V. Comparison Conclusion
Overall, compared to the GeForce RTX 3080, the GeForce RTX 5080 shows a significant improvement in performance, not only in terms of raw performance but also in power consumption and temperature, offering an all-around advantage.
Based on the above data, the overall performance of the GeForce RTX 5080 is about 1.7 times that of the GeForce RTX 3080 (a conservative estimate), making it a worthwhile upgrade. Of course, this applies mainly to a segment of high-end users, as for most casual gamers, the performance of the GeForce RTX 3080 is still sufficient and does not necessitate an upgrade.
Disclaimer:
- This channel does not make any representations or warranties regarding the availability, accuracy, timeliness, effectiveness, or completeness of any information posted. It hereby disclaims any liability or consequences arising from the use of the information.
- This channel is non-commercial and non-profit. The re-posted content does not signify endorsement of its views or responsibility for its authenticity. It does not intend to constitute any other guidance. This channel is not liable for any inaccuracies or errors in the re-posted or published information, directly or indirectly.
- Some data, materials, text, images, etc., used in this channel are sourced from the internet, and all reposts are duly credited to their sources. If you discover any work that infringes on your intellectual property rights or personal legal interests, please contact us, and we will promptly modify or remove it.
