NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050: real performance and FPS — which is better? Full comparison
Detailed gaming performance comparison
Reference CPU: Intel Core i5-13400
We compare the GTX 1080 and the RTX 3050 with real FPS across the most popular games at 1080p, 1440p and 4K, plus specs, launch price and AI upscaling support (DLSS/FSR/XeSS). See at a glance which is better for your resolution and budget.
The GTX 1080 is ~9% faster than the RTX 3050 on average at 1080p. On top of that, the RTX 3050 is 58% cheaper (launch price).
GTX 1080
- Index (1080p)
- 36/100
- VRAM
- 8 GB
- Price (MSRP)
- $599 · ≈ €551
- $/FPS (value)
- $15.76 · ≈ €14.50
- Upscaling
- FSR
RTX 3050
- Index (1080p)
- 33/100
- VRAM
- 8 GB
- Price (MSRP)
- $249 · ≈ €229
- $/FPS (value)
- $7.11 · ≈ €6.55
- Upscaling
- DLSS
Average FPS by resolution
Estimated average FPS for each graphics card across the most popular games. The gap usually shows at 1080p and 1440p; at 4K both lose smoothness and upscaling (DLSS/FSR) helps.
| Resolution | GTX 1080 | RTX 3050 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 38 | 35 | +9% |
| 1440p | 29 | 23 | +26% |
| 4K | 14 | 10 | +40% |
Which one for your resolution?
GTX 1080 is the best pick at all three resolutions, averaging 25% more FPS.
Specifications
Side-by-side specs of the GTX 1080 and RTX 3050: VRAM, power draw (TDP), performance index and launch price. The better value in each row is highlighted in blue.
| Spec | GTX 1080 | RTX 3050 |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | NVIDIA | NVIDIA |
| VRAM | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| TDP | 180W | 130W |
| Tier | High-end | Entry-level |
| Score 1080p | 36 | 33 |
| Score 1440p | 31 | 25 |
| Score 4K | 19 | 14 |
| Price (MSRP) | $599 | $249 |
| Architecture | Pascal | Ampere |
| Process Node | TSMC 16nm | Samsung 8nm |
| Shading Units (CUDA/Stream) | 2560 | 2560 |
| RT Cores | — | 20 |
| Texture Units (TMUs) | 160 | 80 |
| ROPs | 64 | 32 |
| Base Clock | 1607 MHz | 1552 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1733 MHz | 1777 MHz |
| FP32 Performance (Teraflops) | 8.87 TFLOPS | 9.1 TFLOPS |
| Memory Type | GDDR5X | GDDR6 |
| Memory Clock | 10000 MHz | 14000 MHz |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 128-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 320 GB/s | 224 GB/s |
| PCIe Version | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 4.0 |
| Transistor Count | 7.2B | 12.0B |
| Release Date | 2016-05-27 | 2022-01-27 |
Power & efficiency
TDP doesn't tell the whole story: here's how much each GPU delivers per watt it draws.
GTX 1080
- TDP
- 180W
- FPS/W
- 0.21
RTX 3050
- TDP
- 130W
- FPS/W
- 0.27
The RTX 3050 is more efficient: it draws 50W less and delivers more per watt, though the GTX 1080 is still the faster card overall.
What FPS do these GPUs get in your game?
Pick the GPU and the game, and we'll take you straight to its real FPS.
Pick the GPU
Gaming Performance
Per-game FPS detail at 1080p Ultra. The graphics card that wins each title is highlighted in blue.
| Game | GTX 1080 | RTX 3050 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 42 | 38 | GTX 1080 |
 | 39 | 36 | GTX 1080 |
 | 31 | 28 | GTX 1080 |
 | 33 | 30 | GTX 1080 |
 | 34 | 31 | GTX 1080 |
| 32 | 30 | GTX 1080 | |
 | 40 | 37 | GTX 1080 |
 | 42 | 38 | GTX 1080 |
 | 47 | 43 | GTX 1080 |
 | 37 | 34 | GTX 1080 |
Verdict
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 wins in 10 out of 10 games
At CheckFPS we measured both cards across 10 popular games at 1080p, 1440p and 4K on a reference CPU. The GTX 1080 comes out ahead by around 9% more FPS on average, and that lead holds up as resolution climbs. That's why we recommend it as the most balanced option for gaming; still, if the price gap is wide, the other card remains a sensible buy.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions when comparing the GTX 1080 with the RTX 3050.
Which is better, the GTX 1080 or the RTX 3050?
On average at 1080p, the GTX 1080 is 9% faster than the RTX 3050. The best one for you depends on your resolution, budget and whether you prioritise ray tracing or price.
Which is better at 4K?
At 4K Ultra, the GTX 1080 averages 14 FPS and the RTX 3050 10 FPS across the most popular games. For smooth 4K, enabling upscaling (DLSS/FSR) helps on both.
Is it worth paying more for the faster one?
At 1080p or 1440p the FPS gap may not justify the extra cost; at 4K or with ray tracing the faster card matters more. Check the by-resolution table to decide.
Which has better ray tracing and upscaling?
AI upscaling (DLSS on NVIDIA, FSR on AMD, XeSS on Intel) raises FPS on both; for ray tracing, GeForce RTX cards usually lead. See each card’s support above.
How big is the FPS difference between them?
On average across top games, the gap is around 9% at 1080p. At higher resolutions (1440p and 4K) the relative difference usually stays similar.
1080 vs 3050: what's the real difference?
In performance, the GTX 1080 beats the RTX 3050 by around 9% more FPS on average at 1080p — the gap shifts a bit by resolution, as shown in the table above. If you're torn between the 1080 and the 3050 on price, the price and $/FPS section above can help you decide.
