The battle for the best GPU and high-end graphics card is getting fierce between AMD and NVIDIA. Both the companies are continuously coming up with high-end graphics cards with higher frame rate, resolution and price points.
Radeon RX 6800 XT from AMD and GeForce RTX 3080 from NVIDIA clearly stand out. In this article, we will do a thorough comparison of Radeon RX 6800 XT vs GeForce RTX 3080 so that you can choose the perfect one as per your requirements and judgment.
About AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
With the introduction of Radeon RX 6800 XT, AMD has been able to make a big comeback. It offers a matching performance with that of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080. The features are overall quite similar but the pricing is quite aggressive.
Radeon RX 6800 XT can be perfect for better gaming power as it comes with more advanced features. You can have an affordable gaming option making it perfect for budget-conscious gamers.
About NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 has come up with many improvements and that is why its pricing is at a premium. When you use RTX 3080, you can attain high-end gaming with better refresh rate and high resolution.
The company is all set to come up with the RTX 3080 12GB for remarkable speed and performance. Now, the question arises if Radeon RX 6800 XT is better than the GeForce RTX 3080.
Radeon RX 6800 XT vs GeForce RTX 3080
Let us begin by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of both the graphics cards before comparing them point by point.
Radeon RX 6800 Advantages –
The graphics card has more core clock speed at 1825 MHz. The boost clock speed is higher at 2250 MHz. The texture fill rate is better at 648 in comparison to RTX 3080. The maximum RAM amount is at 16GB and it has USB type-C support. Compared to RTX 3080 cost of $699, it is available at $649 and hence, it is more value for money.
Disadvantages – As far as its overall memory performance and parameters are concerned, it clearly underperforms.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Advantages
GeForce RTX 3080 is great for excellent 4K gaming performance. The memory bus width is 320 bit compared to RX 6800’s 256 bit. Even the memory bandwidth is higher at 760.3 GBPS and RX 6800 is 512 GBPS. Even memory clock speed is 19000 MHz in comparison to RX 6800’s 16000 MHz. In short, it clearly outperforms RX 6800 in terms of memory.
Disadvantages – It does not come with USB-C connectivity and you probably expect it to outperform all other GPU as its price is quite premium.
Radeon RX 6800 XT vs GeForce RTX 3080 – Technical Specs
| AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 | |
| Transistors | 26,800 million | 28,300 million |
| Boost Clock Speed | 2250 MHZ | 1710 MHZ |
| Core Clock Speed | 1825 MHz | 1450 MHz |
| Thermal Design Power | 300 Watts | 320 Watts |
| Pipelines | 4608 | 8704 |
| MPT | 7 nm | 8 nm |
| Texture Fill Rate | 648 | 465.1 |
Radeon RX 6800 XT vs GeForce RTX 3080 – Performance
Both the RX 6800 and RTX 3080 come with many features that make them ideal for gaming performance. If we have to compare the VRAM difference, then the RTX 3080 has 16GB compared to RX 6800’s 10 GB. However, the RTX 3080 has GDDRX6 which improves the speed. Even if the VRAM is low, it can still be great for 4K gaming. Despite all the factors, the RTX 3080 is more future-proof. It has impressive hardware and includes a 128 MB infinity cache.
When we discuss the ray tracing performance, the RTX 3080 has superior ray tracing ability. It has DSS Technology that makes it perfect for higher frame rates. However, AMD does not come with Smart Access Memory that can increase GPU performance. Even for ray tracing, the RTX 3080 offers better improvements despite facing competition.
The thermal design power (TDP) for RTX 3080 is 320 watts. It is 300 watts for the RX 6800 XT. You must note that the 3080 can run hot than the 6800 XT depending upon the use. There have also been issues of inadequate thermal pads on the RTX 3080 which can lead to higher than the normal temperature of the VRAM.
Radeon RX 6800 XT vs GeForce RTX 3080 – Features
You will have to keep in mind that the Nvidia DLSS does not have any direct competition. Even though Radeon Boost has a better frame rate, it can cause frame pacing issues with stutters. This can primarily happen while starting and stopping. For this reason, it is important to know the difference between TAA native resolution and the DLSS Quality Mode.
Nvidia also comes with Tensor cores that can be perfect for different purposes. In many video conferencing solutions, there are chances of background blur as well as replacement. However, Nvidia Broadcast offers better quality with superior performance. Additionally, you will also find the feature of noise elimination that can be perfect for any type of recording.
Another thing to consider is G-Sync and FreeSync factors. G-Sync works great to provide adaptive refresh rates and tear-free gaming. When combined with G-Sync and FreeSync, there will be an excellent quality display. However, keep in mind that it can be expensive. AMD on the other hand has come up with the Radeon Anti-Lag feature. Both Nvidia Ultra-Low Latency and Reflex as well as Radeon Anti-Lag can improve latency by reducing buffering.
If you have to discuss technology, then we will surely have to discuss the VRAM. Nvidia comes with a VRAM of 24GB and a GDDR6X of 19.5 Gbps on a 384-bit bus. AMD has 16GB VRAM and the GDDR6X is 16 Gbps on a 256-bit bus. On top of that Nvidia also comes with the additional bandwidth that makes ID ideal for 4K games.
Radeon RX 6800 XT vs GeForce RTX 3080 – Drivers
To improve the drivers, AMD has recently come up with the update called Adrenalin 21.4.1. It primarily focuses on streaming technologies so that there will be easy live streaming of games to the internet. Keep in mind that Nvidia already has a slight lead in these areas. If we have to compare the drivers, then both Nvidia and AMD have done remarkably well.
With the game ‘Watch Dogs Legion’, Nvidia’s hardware was better in launching the game. Even though AMD has come up with better ray-tracing ability, it was broken. Even the driver updates and game patches took a long time. This makes Nvidia’s GPU way ahead. Even while playing ‘Cyberpunk 2077’, Nvidia’s RTX cards make the game look better and run better. So on the performance side, Nvidia has an edge.
If we have to discuss the stability of the drivers, the first-generation AMD Navi cards came up with a lot of noise. However, AMD did acknowledge the issue and fix the things. The ampere launch driver of Nvidia particularly the RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 also faced problems with regards to stability. However, they have also come up with updates and fixed the issues. Both Nvidia and AMD have regularly come up with updates as well as new games. But it is Nvidia that has been able to deliver impressive performance.
Radeon RX 6800 XT vs GeForce RTX 3080 – Power Efficiency
We have already seen that Nvidia has a slight advantage over AMD when it comes to performance. However, it also had an advantage in efficiency and GPU power consumption. It has come up with the TSMC’s N7 process that offers a higher ampere. Nvidia also teamed up with the 8N process of Samsung for better refinement.
However, the RTX 30 series of Nvidia can push the power requirement of the GPU. The RX 6900 XT works at 305 watts of peak power. On the contrary, Nvidia requires about 20% more power on non-RT workloads. However, if you turn on DLSS and RT, the efficiency will be back to normal.
Despite all the factors, the enhanced ampere rate and better Tensor and RT cores make Nvidia double the performance. The response to AMD was to come up with the refinement of the existing RDNA1 architecture. It has also come up with other features including DirectX 12 Ultimate for Variable Rate Shading (VRS) as well as mesh shaders. Furthermore, it went on to add the infinity cache of 128 MB that can boost the overall efficiency and memory output.
Radeon RX 6800 XT vs GeForce RTX 3080 – Price
With the Newegg Shuffle, the availability and prices of the RX 6900 XT and RTX 3090 have become very high. The RX 6900 XT goes above $1,000 and it is above $1500 for the RTX 3090. Even though the price is expensive, you may still find it difficult to get it. It has to be noted that both the cards offer higher performance with the RX 6900 XT outperforming the RX 6800 XT. Again, the RTX 3090 has double VRAM than the RTX 3080.
Conclusion
We have seen all the features, specifications, and prices for the AMD Radeon RX 6800 and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080. Getting the right one is a user preference and you will have to see which GPU meets your needs. However, Nvidia simply outperforms AMD when it comes to memory features. In terms of overall performance, Nvidia has the ability to deliver flawless performance thanks to its memory performance.
