RTX 3060 vs GTX 1080 Ti
The GTX 1080 Ti is about 20% faster than the RTX 3060 at 4K and 16% faster at 1440p.
Quick verdict: the GTX 1080 Ti is the faster card, but the RTX 3060 is the safer long-term pick if you play at high resolutions with high textures and plan to keep the card for years.
RTX 3060 vs GTX 1080 Ti: Specs and Performance
| Spec | GeForce RTX 3060 | GeForce GTX 1080 Ti |
|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy (graphics) | 8,509 | 10,553 |
| Estimated FPS · 1080p | 76 | 88 |
| Estimated FPS · 1440p | 55 | 64 |
| Estimated FPS · 4K | 30 | 36 |
| Video memory | 12 GB | 11 GB |
| Board power | 170 W | 250 W |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $329 | $699 |
| PCI Express | 4.0 ×16 | 3.0 ×16 |
| Release year | 2021 | 2017 |
| Series | NVIDIA RTX 30 Series | NVIDIA GTX 10 Series |
Estimated FPS at 1080p, 1440p and 4K
1080p: the GTX 1080 Ti leads by 16%. 1440p: the GTX 1080 Ti leads by 16%. 4K: the GTX 1080 Ti leads by 20%. These figures come from our performance model, calibrated against published benchmark averages. They are estimates for comparing the two cards, not results measured on your PC.
Estimated FPS in Popular Games at 1440p
| Game (settings) | RTX 3060 | GTX 1080 Ti |
|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 (High, no ray tracing) | ~45 | ~50 |
| Fortnite (High, DirectX 12) | ~70 | ~85 |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (High) | ~65 | ~75 |
| Counter-Strike 2 (High) | ~130 | ~155 |
Per-game figures scale each card's modelled 1440p average by how demanding the game is relative to our test blend, rounded to the nearest 5 FPS. Counter-Strike 2 is usually limited by the processor well before these numbers.
Verdict: RTX 3060 or GTX 1080 Ti?
The GTX 1080 Ti is clearly faster than the RTX 3060: about 16% at 1080p, 16% at 1440p and 20% at 4K in our model. The gap narrows at 1080p because both cards are closer to what a typical processor can feed them, so the higher your resolution, the more of the difference you actually get.
The RTX 3060 carries 12GB of video memory against 11GB on the GTX 1080 Ti. 11GB is fine at 1440p today; the larger buffer mainly buys headroom at 4K and for games released over the next few years. That makes this a genuine trade-off: the faster card has the smaller buffer.
At launch the RTX 3060 was $329 and the GTX 1080 Ti $699, which works out to $6 and $10.9 per frame at 1440p. On those prices the RTX 3060 is the better value, but street prices move every week, so check before you buy. The GTX 1080 Ti is rated for 80W more board power, which means more heat, more fan noise and possibly a bigger power supply.
Beyond raw speed, the RTX 3060 brings DLSS upscaling, but not NVIDIA frame generation, while the GTX 1080 Ti offers no DLSS and no hardware ray tracing.
Bottom line: the GTX 1080 Ti is the faster card, but the RTX 3060 is the safer long-term pick if you play at high resolutions with high textures and plan to keep the card for years.
Pairing Either Card With a Processor
A faster graphics card only helps if the processor can keep up. Each card's own page lists the slowest CPU that will not hold it back at every resolution:
- GeForce RTX 3060: best CPU pairing and bottleneck
- GeForce GTX 1080 Ti: best CPU pairing and bottleneck
- Check your own processor in the bottleneck calculator
Power supply: a common rule of thumb is the card's board power plus about 150W for the rest of a gaming PC, with 30% headroom. That points to roughly 450W for the RTX 3060 and 550W for the GTX 1080 Ti. Check the card maker's own recommendation too.
Related GPU Comparisons
- RTX 3060 vs RTX 2070 Super RTX 2070 Super faster at 1440p
- RTX 4060 vs RTX 3060 RTX 4060 faster at 1440p
- Arc A770 16GB vs RTX 3060 Arc A770 16GB faster at 1440p
- RTX 5060 vs RTX 3060 RTX 5060 faster at 1440p
- RTX 3060 vs RX 6600 RTX 3060 faster at 1440p
- Compare any two graphics cardsThe full GPU vs GPU tool
RTX 3060 vs GTX 1080 Ti: Common Questions
Is the RTX 3060 better than the GTX 1080 Ti?
The GTX 1080 Ti is the faster card, but the RTX 3060 is the safer long-term pick if you play at high resolutions with high textures and plan to keep the card for years. The GTX 1080 Ti is about 20% faster than the RTX 3060 at 4K and 16% faster at 1440p.
Which is better for 1440p, the RTX 3060 or the GTX 1080 Ti?
The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, by about 16% (64 vs 55 FPS on high settings in our model).
Which is better for 4K, the RTX 3060 or the GTX 1080 Ti?
The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, by about 20% (36 vs 30 FPS on high settings in our model).
Does the RTX 3060 have more VRAM than the GTX 1080 Ti?
Yes. The RTX 3060 has 12GB against 11GB on the GTX 1080 Ti.
Data last reviewed October 15, 2026. Launch prices are US MSRPs; board power is the reference design's rating. See the methodology for how every figure is produced.