NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12GB: real performance and FPS — which is better? Full comparison
Detailed gaming performance comparison
Reference CPU: Intel Core i5-13400
We compare the RTX 5060 Ti and the RTX 3080 12GB 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 RTX 3080 12GB is ~6% faster than the RTX 5060 Ti on average at 1080p. On top of that, the RTX 5060 Ti is 46% cheaper (launch price).
RTX 5060 Ti
- Index (1080p)
- 68/100
- VRAM
- 16 GB
- Price (MSRP)
- $429 · ≈ €395
- $/FPS (value)
- $5.96 · ≈ €5.48
- Upscaling
- DLSS + Frame Gen
RTX 3080 12GB
- Index (1080p)
- 71/100
- VRAM
- 12 GB
- Price (MSRP)
- $799 · ≈ €735
- $/FPS (value)
- $10.51 · ≈ €9.67
- 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 | RTX 5060 Ti | RTX 3080 12GB | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 72 | 76 | +6% |
| 1440p | 57 | 64 | +12% |
| 4K | 34 | 41 | +21% |
Which one for your resolution?
RTX 3080 12GB is the best pick at all three resolutions, averaging 13% more FPS.
Specifications
Side-by-side specs of the RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 3080 12GB: VRAM, power draw (TDP), performance index and launch price. The better value in each row is highlighted in blue.
| Spec | RTX 5060 Ti | RTX 3080 12GB |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | NVIDIA | NVIDIA |
| VRAM | 16 GB | 12 GB |
| TDP | 180W | 350W |
| Tier | Mid-range | High-end |
| Score 1080p | 68 | 71 |
| Score 1440p | 63 | 69 |
| Score 4K | 48 | 59 |
| Price (MSRP) | $429 | $799 |
| Architecture | Blackwell | Ampere |
| Process Node | TSMC 4N | Samsung 8nm |
| Shading Units (CUDA/Stream) | 4608 | 8960 |
| RT Cores | 36 | 70 |
| Texture Units (TMUs) | 144 | 280 |
| ROPs | 48 | 96 |
| Base Clock | 2407 MHz | 1260 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 2572 MHz | 1710 MHz |
| FP32 Performance (Teraflops) | 23.7 TFLOPS | 30.65 TFLOPS |
| Memory Type | GDDR7 | GDDR6X |
| Memory Clock | 28000 MHz | 19000 MHz |
| Memory Bus | 128-bit | 384-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 448 GB/s | 912 GB/s |
| PCIe Version | PCIe 5.0 | PCIe 4.0 |
| Transistor Count | 21.9B | 28.3B |
| Release Date | 2025-04-16 | 2022-01-11 |
Power & efficiency
TDP doesn't tell the whole story: here's how much each GPU delivers per watt it draws.
RTX 5060 Ti
- TDP
- 180W
- FPS/W
- 0.40
RTX 3080 12GB
- TDP
- 350W
- FPS/W
- 0.22
The RTX 5060 Ti is more efficient: it draws 170W less and delivers more per watt, though the RTX 3080 12GB 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 | RTX 5060 Ti | RTX 3080 12GB | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 82 | 88 | RTX 3080 12GB |
 | 72 | 77 | RTX 3080 12GB |
 | 58 | 61 | RTX 3080 12GB |
 | 62 | 64 | RTX 3080 12GB |
 | 64 | 66 | RTX 3080 12GB |
| 61 | 63 | RTX 3080 12GB | |
 | 77 | 83 | RTX 3080 12GB |
 | 82 | 88 | RTX 3080 12GB |
 | 90 | 96 | RTX 3080 12GB |
 | 69 | 74 | RTX 3080 12GB |
Verdict
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12GB 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 RTX 3080 12GB comes out ahead by around 6% 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 RTX 5060 Ti with the RTX 3080 12GB.
Which is better, the RTX 5060 Ti or the RTX 3080 12GB?
On average at 1080p, the RTX 3080 12GB is 6% faster than the RTX 5060 Ti. 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 RTX 5060 Ti averages 34 FPS and the RTX 3080 12GB 41 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 6% at 1080p. At higher resolutions (1440p and 4K) the relative difference usually stays similar.
5060 Ti vs 3080 12GB: what's the real difference?
In performance, the RTX 3080 12GB beats the RTX 5060 Ti by around 6% 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 5060 Ti and the 3080 12GB on price, the price and $/FPS section above can help you decide.
