It’s time for a head-to-head evaluation between the 1080-Ti vs 3060-Ti. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti and the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti have been available to purchase for several years. Both graphics cards benefit those looking to replace existing legacy (AKA older) graphics cards.
Neither graphic card is appropriate if you seek any kind of long-term “future-proofing.” These cards replace older cards on legacy systems but are not the best choice for a brand-new system build.
Let’s look at these two powerhouse graphic cards and see how they stack up.
NVIDIA 1080-Ti vs 3060-Ti: Side-by-Side Comparison
Feature | NVIDIA 1080-Ti | NVIDIA 3060-Ti |
---|---|---|
Production Status | End of Life | Active |
Architecture | Pascal | Ampere |
CUDA Cores | 3584 | 4864 |
Manufacturing Process | 16nm | 8nm |
Core Clock Speed | 1481 MHz | 1410 MHz |
Boost Clock Speed | 1582 MHz | 1665 MHz |
Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
Memory Type | GDDR5X | GDDR6 |
Resolution | 7680 × 4320 @ 60Hz | 7680 x 4320 @120Hz |
Video Output ports | 4 total output ports(3x) DP1.4(1) HDMI 2.0b | 4 total output ports(3x) DP1.4a(1) HDMI 2.1 |
- Supports HDMI 2.0b
- Real Boost Clock: 1582 MHz
- Uses 16nm technology
- Reached NVIDIA's end-of-life in 2020
NVIDIA 1080-Ti vs 3060-Ti: What’s the Difference?
Release Date/Current Production Status
- The NVIDIA 1080-Ti was released in 2017 and is now out of production. “Out of production” equates to higher prices due to reduced availability. Out-of-production also means software and gaming developers are no longer working on new products that will function correctly with this technology.
- The NVIDIA 3060-Ti was released in 2020 and is still in production. The cards were prevalent in 2020/2021 due to their superior Ethereum mining performance. A worldwide silicon shortage spiked the prices.
- Today, both cards are easily accessible and very affordable, but newer cards are available.
Architecture
- NVIDIA 1080-Ti used the Pascal chip technology. Pascal (Codename for the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)) is a 16nm FinFET chip with 7.2 billion 16nm transistors.
- NVIDIA 3060-Ti uses the Ampere chip technology. The Ampere GPU has 54 billion 8nm transistors. More transistors are better and correlate to faster graphics processing speed.
The Pascal architecture has been retired. The Ampere architecture will soon be retired and replaced with the Hooper architecture. The Ampere or Pascal architecture is good; but outdated. As semiconductor chip technology continues evolving, so does the GPU marketplace.
The 3060-Ti is our clear favorite for chip design Architecture.
- NVIDIA Ampere architecture
- Features 2nd Gen Ray Tracing Cores and 3rd Gen Tensor Cores
- 1695 MHz boost clock speed
- 8 GB 256-bit GDDR6 RAM
- 8K ready
- PCI-Express x16 interface
CUDA Cores
Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) is NVIDIA’s name for a dedicated Graphic Processing Unit. (AMD Chips call it Steam processors.) A CUDA core allows dedicated data parallel processing.
The 1080-Ti has 3583 CUDA Cores. The Cores are configured for multiple non-simultaneous operations. (FP32 or INT32 series processing.)
3060-Ti has 3584 CUDA Cores. The Cores are designed for multiple-simultaneous operations. (FP32 or INT32 parallel processing.)
Clock Speed
There isn’t a big delta between the performance of the two cards, but there is a difference.
Core Clock
The clock speed of each card lands them into the upper fifty percentile performance of all graphic cards.
The 1080-Ti is faster (1481 MHz) than the 3060-T (1410 MHz).
Boost Core Clock
If the GPU is running below the optimum processing speed, the GPU will automatically boost the processing speed.
The 3060-Ti (1665 MHz) is faster than the 1080-Ti (1582 MHz.)
Bus Interface 1080-Ti vs 3060-Ti
PCIe 3.0 x16 supports up to 1GB per second, per lane, on the 1080-Ti.
PCIe 4.0 x16 supports up to 2GB per second, per lane, on the 3060-Ti.
The Bus Interface of the 3060-Ti is faster (32G per second) than the 1080-Ti (16GB per second.)
The Bus Interface data transfer speed is a key performance indicator of GPUs.
The 3060-Ti bus is double the speed of the 1080-Ti.
Memory-VRAM 1080-Ti vs 3060-Ti
Both GPUs use VRAM. VRAM is the RAM that’s specifically used for graphics operations.
Greater VRAM numbers equate to faster data processing and better image quality.
Look at the two Graphics Double Data Rates (GDDR) used in the GPUs:
- NVIDIA 1080-Ti
- GDDR5X
- 10-14GB data transfer per second.
- 4GB, 6GB, 8GB, 12GB, and 16GB
- 1.5v
- 11GB
- NVIDIA 3060-Ti
- GDDR6
- 14-16GB data transfer per second
- 8GB or 16GB
- 1.1v
- 8GB
The GDDR6 consumes less power than the older GDDR5X. GDDR6 data processing (3060-Ti) is faster than GDDR5X (1080-Ti) speed.
Memory Bus Width
The 1080-Ti has a 352-bit Memory bus, and the 3060-Ti has a 256-bit bus. Each bit equates to a data processing path. The 1080-Ti can process data through the bus faster because it has more data processing paths.
Error Correcting Code (ECC)
The 3060-Ti supports ECC, and the 1080-Ti doesn’t. ECC detects and rectifies data corruption on a server or with GPU-intensive scientific computation.
Ray Tracing
Improves lighting, water/window reflections, and shadows during gameplay.
The 3060-Ti supports Ray Tracing, and the 1080-Ti doesn’t.
Video Output Ports
DP1.4 vs DP 1.4a
The 3060-Ti has a more current version, 1.4a, than the 1080-Ti (1.4). The difference is related to compression algorithms and color processing. This is a minor difference.
HDMI
- HDMI 2.0b (1080-Ti)
- Supports 120/144Hz refresh.
- For lower resolution only output. The display resolution is limited to 1080p or 1440p.
- HDMI 2.1 (3060-Ti)
- 4k resolution@120Hz
- 10k resolution@100/120 fps
- Dolby Vision
The 3060-Ti has HDMI 2.1, so it’s a solid choice for future functionality as 4k devices become readily available. We’ve all hooked our computers to our TVs for a MASSIVE monitor for gameplay. You will only do this at 4K resolution with the 3060-Ti card.
Board Design
We find different board designs when we look at the 1080-Ti vs 3060-Ti. The 3060-Ti and the 1080-Ti have different hardware configurations. Be aware before you make a purchase. One size does not fit all.
Power Design
- 1080-T Requires 225W power supply
- 6-pin (one) 6-pin connector
- 75 watts
- 8-pin (one) 8-pin connector
- 150 watts
- 6-pin (one) 6-pin connector
- 3060-Ti Requires 600W power supply
- 12-pin (one) connector
- 600 watts
- 12-pin (one) connector
Thermal Design Power (TDP)
Less is more! The TDP quantifies the maximum power required for the heat from the GPU to dissipate.
- 1080-Ti requires 250W
- 3060-Ti requires 200W
Suggested power Supply (SPU)
- 1080-Ti requires 600W
- 3060-Ti requires 550W
We prefer the 3060-Ti’s lower power consumption. The 1080-Ti will need to run “harder” since it has fewer transistors and less optimized performance than the 3060-Ti. Running “harder” means higher power consumption for more extended periods. Higher power consumption for more prolonged periods equates to GPUs burning out quicker. Decreasing a GPU’s power consumption will extend their lives.
Price 1080-Ti vs 3060-Ti
There are several popular configurations available for the 1080-Ti. The designs target increased cooling functions. If you plan to purchase a 1080-Ti, we recommend the SC configurations.
1080-Ti Configurations | 1080-Ti Founder Edition 11G-P4-6393-KR | 1080-Ti SC2 11G-P4-6593-KR | 1080-Ti SC Black 11G-P4-6390-KR |
---|---|---|---|
Released | April 2017 | March 2017 | April 2017 |
GPU Clock | 1480 MHz | 1556 MHz | 1560 MHz |
GPU Boost Clock Rate | 1580 MHz | 1556 | 1670 MHz |
Cooling fans | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Temp sensors | 1 | 9 | 1 |
iCX Cooling | No | Yes | Yes |
Price | $470.11 | $374.00 | $365.00 |
The 3060-Ti has one primary configuration. Other configurations are available for the tech-savvy soul.
3060-Ti Configuration | 3060-Ti ZT-A30610H-10MLHR |
---|---|
Released | Dec 1st, 2020 |
GPU Clock | 1410 MHz |
GPU Boost Clock Rate | 1665 MHz |
Cooling fans | 2 |
IceStorm 2.0 Advanced Cooling, Active Fan Control | Yes |
Price | $459 |
Which is the better price, between the 1080-Ti vs 3060-Ti? The 3060-Ti is more expensive than the 1080-Ti. The higher technical performance of the 3060-Ti justifies the increased purchase price.
NVIDIA 1080-Ti vs 3060-Ti: Must-Know Facts
- The 3060-Ti is several years newer than the 1080-Ti and performs better across various technical specifications.
- The 1080-Ti reached NVIDIA’s end-of-life in 2020. Be aware that as new software is released at higher resolutions, the 1080-Ti will be less capable of handling the increased workload than the 3060-Ti. If you’re looking for any degree of ‘future-proofing” in your NVIDIA card purchase, this is not the card for you.
- The 1080-Ti uses 16nm technology, and the 3060-Ti uses 8nm technology. 8nm node technology is quite functional on current display technologies and is a bit future-compatible. 16nm node technology (1080-Ti) is the technology of the past.
- The 3060-Ti supports HDMI 2.1, and the 1080-Ti supports HDMI 2.0b. Consider future compatibility. Due to resolution limitations, HDMI 2.0b on the 1080-Ti is not the best step forward. The 3060-Ti has better performance with HDMI 2.1.
- The 3060-Ti bus transfers data 2X faster than the 1080-Ti. Fast bus speed equals smoother gameplay, less motion blur, and fewer frozen frames. The 3060-Ti uses GDDR6 VRAM, and the 1080-Ti uses GDDR5X. The theoretical transfer speed is significantly faster on the GDDR6 3060-Ti.
NVIDIA 1080-Ti vs. NVIDIA 3060-Ti: Which One is Better? Which One Should You Choose?
After looking at the side-by-side results of our 1080-Ti vs 3060-Ti comparison, you should choose the 3060-Ti. The 3060-Ti is a newer card with more functionality than the 1080-Ti.
If you want to replace an older graphics card, we recommend the NVIDIA 3060-Ti. The 3060-Ti provides a little bit of future capability for resolution and gaming.
If you’re building a brand new system today (CPU, GPU, Motherboard, etc.), we don’t recommend either of these cads. There are more current cards available that will better suit your needs.
- $699.00Buy Now on Amazon
- Supports HDMI 2.0b
- Real Boost Clock: 1582 MHz
- Uses 16nm technology
- Reached NVIDIA's end-of-life in 2020
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03/12/2024 12:22 pm GMT - $519.00Buy Now on Amazon
- NVIDIA Ampere architecture
- Features 2nd Gen Ray Tracing Cores and 3rd Gen Tensor Cores
- 1695 MHz boost clock speed
- 8 GB 256-bit GDDR6 RAM
- 8K ready
- PCI-Express x16 interface
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
03/10/2024 03:52 pm GMT
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