If you have been interested in building a PC as of late, you have probably already come across the NVIDIA RTX 2080-Ti and RTX 3060-Ti. And for good reason!
The RTX 3060-Ti is the newer graphics card of the two, utilizing NIVIDA’s new microarchitecture called Ampere. It’s got all of the new technology and updated specs, but does it have what it takes to bring down a legend in the graphics card world – the RTX 2080-Ti?
The RTX 2080-Ti, although it had a less-than-stellar welcome at its release due to bugs and subpar performance, has been a staple for amazing gaming performance and productivity since its release. But is it finally time for this graphics card to hang up the hat and retire with the RTX 3060-Ti taking its place?
In this article, we will compare each graphics card on everything from CUDA core numbers to even boost clock speeds. By the end, you’ll know exactly what your hard-earned money will get. We will put these two graphics cards to the test and see which one comes out on top and would be the best choice for you.
Let’s go!
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NVIDIA RTX 2080-Ti vs. 3060-Ti: Side-by-Side Comparison
| RTX 2080-Ti | RTX 3060-Ti | |
|---|---|---|
| CUDA Cores | 4,352 | 4,864 |
| Tensor Cores | 544 | 152 |
| Boost Clock | 1545MHz | 1.665GHz |
| Power Draw | 250W | 200W |
| Memory | 11GB | 8GB |
| Price (Current) | $441 USD | $457 USD |
- Great graphics details
- Comes with three fans
- Features Nvidia Turing architecture
- Real-time Ray Tracing
NVIDIA RTX 2080-Ti vs. 3060-Ti: What’s the Difference?
As mentioned previously, when the RTX 2080-Ti was first released, it was received with poor reviews regarding its performance. But 5 years later, the 2080-Ti has become a fantastic option for many PC builders. Those who are wanting a great graphics card without having to break the bank can get fantastic power from the RTX 2080-Ti. As for the 3060-Ti, outstanding performance and a low price make this graphics card a popular choice among PC-building enthusiasts. But what’s really the difference? Now we’ll discuss the biggest differences between these two graphics cards.
CUDA Cores
The reason why a discussion about CUDA cores matters so much is that the third-generation CUDA cores for the Ampere architecture run faster than the second-generation CUDA cores for the Turing architecture. This can be a huge benefit. Especially to those who need their graphics cards to complete their work quickly or perform image creation the quickest as is commonly found in running 3D models or video games. CUDA cores allow the graphics cards to execute computations and similar tasks quickly. The more CUDA cores that the graphics card is able to use, the faster the graphics card can be. For CUDA cores, the RTX 2080-Ti has 4,352 CUDA cores whereas the RTX 3060-Ti has 4,864 CUDA cores.
Microarchitecture
The Nvidia RTX 2080-Ti was built on the now outdated microarchitecture system called Turing. The Nvidia RTX 3060-Ti on the other hand is built with the newer, updated architecture called Ampere. This is important. For these two graphics cards, the 2nd generation tensor cores found in the Ampere graphics cards are outperformed by the 3rd generation tensor cores. However, this point is not as straightforward as it may appear.
The 2080-Ti has an impressive number of tensor cores, 544 cores, compared to the newer, but fewer number of the 3080-Ti, 152 tensor cores. It can be tricky to know which of these two graphics cards is technically better with their microarchitecture. But as in most cases, it comes down to the objective of what the consumer is trying to accomplish with the graphics card. Check to see if the applications that you are running would benefit from more tensor cores or if just the newer CUDA cores would suffice.
Boost Clock
Again the Nvidia RTX 3060-Ti beats the RTX 2080-Ti by boasting a faster boost clock at around 1.665GHz to the RTX 2080-Ti’s 1545MHz. Often, boost clock speed is referred to as the same as overclocked speeds. The two are separate. For instance, boost clock speed refers to the max amount of process speed possible before overclocking. A higher boost clock speed can be a fantastic tool if you quite regularly find yourself in situations where having a faster refresh rate brings you a competitive advantage. It can change the game. With a higher boost clock speed and an increased amount of CUDA cores, the RTX 3060-Ti has a superior advantage in speed.
- Features 0dB technology for near-silent operation
- Boost clock 1710 MHz
- Comes with 4,864 CUDA cores
- Can do high refresh rate 1440p gaming
NVIDIA RTX 2080-Ti vs. 3060-Ti: 5 Must-Know Facts
- The Nvidia RTX 3060-Ti was released on October 19th, 2022 at an MSRP (at the time) of $499 USD. The Nvidia RTX 2080-Ti was released on September 20th, 2018 at an MSRP (at the time) of $999 USD.
- The Nvidia RTX 3060-Ti has 4,864 CUDA cores compared to the Nividia RTX 2080-Ti with 4,352 CUDA cores. This makes the Nvidia RTX 3060-Ti better at tasks like image creation (frames per second) for video games and 3d modeling.
- The Nvidia RTX 2080-Ti features 512 tensor cores compared to the Nvidia RTX 3060-Ti with 152 tensor cores. Tensor cores are critical for modern PC build as tensor cores are critical to processing matrices very quickly.
- The RTX 3060-Ti uses Nvidia’s proprietary architecture called Ampere. Whereas the Nvidia RTX 2080-Ti uses the previous architecture replaced by Ampere call the Turing architecture.
- When overclocked, the Nvidia RTX 2080-Ti outperforms the Nvidia RTX 3060-Ti by at least 45% in total in video games for areas such as gravity, lighting, reflection, and MRender.
NVIDIA RTX 2080-Ti vs. 3060-Ti: Which One Is Better? Which One Should You Use?
As we conclude our discussion about the difference between the RTX 2080-Ti and the RTX 3060-Ti and which one you should buy, it is important to note the biggest takeaway. Timing is everything. If for instance, this article was written say two or three years ago, the answer would have been to buy the RTX 2080-Ti. If you could actually find one. You could’ve waited until the prices of graphics cards were able to return to normal with the supply being able to keep up with the demand. But now the supply chain issue and other causes for inflation prices have mostly resolved themselves. It is clear that the NVIDIA RTX 3060-Ti due to its better performance and price tag is the best choice for which graphics card you should buy.
- $1,288.00Buy on Amazon
- Great graphics details
- Comes with three fans
- Features Nvidia Turing architecture
- Real-time Ray Tracing
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03/10/2024 12:27 pm GMT - $349.99Buy Now on Amazon
- Features 0dB technology for near-silent operation
- Boost clock 1710 MHz
- Comes with 4,864 CUDA cores
- Can do high refresh rate 1440p gaming
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
03/10/2024 11:22 pm GMT
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