GeForce RTX 3080 vs Radeon RX 7800 XT

Speed and memory

In our performance index the GeForce RTX 3080 scores 52 and the Radeon RX 7800 XT scores 50, which makes the GeForce RTX 3080 about 4% faster. That is a small gap, below what most people notice without a frame counter.

The GeForce RTX 3080 has 10 GB of video memory and the Radeon RX 7800 XT has 16 GB. That difference matters at 1440p and in new games at High textures, and it can outweigh a small speed advantage as the card ages.

In our estimates for popular games at 1080p on High, the biggest gap is in Call of Duty (120 against 116 fps), and the smallest is in Red Dead Redemption 2 (168 against 163 fps). Games that are light enough to run above 200 fps on both cards show little difference at all.

Power and value

The GeForce RTX 3080 is rated at 320 W and the Radeon RX 7800 XT at 263 W. With a mid-range processor that means a power supply of about 750 W for the first and 650 W for the second. The power draw is close enough that cooling and noise will be similar.

At launch the GeForce RTX 3080 cost $699 and the Radeon RX 7800 XT $499. Per dollar, the Radeon RX 7800 XT gave more performance (10.0 points per $100 against 7.4). Current prices differ, so run the same sum on what you can actually buy today.

Which one to buy

Choose the GeForce RTX 3080 if you want the faster card, and you can accept 10 GB of memory. It makes the most sense at 1440p and above, or on a monitor with a high refresh rate.

Choose the Radeon RX 7800 XT if the price gap matters more than the 4% speed difference, and you value the extra video memory. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.