▷ Nvidia rtx 2080 ti vs gtx 1080 ti comparative, is it worth the change?

After analyzing the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 Ti graphics cards, it is time to make a comparison with their predecessors to see if it is worth the switch to the new generation. Today we focus on the comparison Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti vs GTX 1080 Ti, the top of the range models of the current generation and the previous one to see what the improvement has been. Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti vs GTX 1080 Ti.

Index of contents

Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti vs Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti features

characteristics
	Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti	Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
Core	TU102-300A	GP102
Frequency	1350 MHz / 1635 MHz	1480 MHz / 1580 MHz
CUDA Cores	4352	3584
TMU	272	224
ROP	88	88
Core Tensor	544	-
RT Core	72	-
Memory	11 GB GDDR6	11 GB GDDR5X
Memory bandwidth	616 GB / s	484 GB / s
TDP	260W	250W

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is based on the new TU102-300A graphics core, which is manufactured by TSMC using the same 12nm FinFET process used with Volta. Inside this GPU we find no less than 4352 CUDA Cores, 272 TMUs, and 88 ROPs operating at a clock speed of 1350 MHz / 1635 MHz in base and turbo modes respectively. This core also includes 544 Tensor Core along with 72 RT cores for raytracing and AI tasks. The core is linked to 11 GB of GDDR6 memory, with a 352-bit interface, a speed of 14 Gbps and a bandwidth of 616 GB / s.

As for the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, it is based on the GP102 silicon also manufactured by TSMC but at 16nm FinFET. In this case there is no trace of the Tensor Core and RT cores, since the Pascal architecture was not designed with raytracing and AI in mind. This core contains 3584 CUDA Cores, 224 TMUs and 88 ROPs operating at a maximum speed of 1, 580 MHz. As for memory, it has 11 GB GDDR5X at a speed of 11 GHz and with a 352-bit interface, which translates to a bandwidth of 484 GB / s.

Gaming performance

Once seen the characteristics of both cards we will see their performance in the games of our test bench. All games have been tested at 1080p, 2K and 4K for the most realistic view possible, and alongside the Core i7 8700K processor to avoid bottlenecks.

Gaming performance (FPS)
	Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 1080p	Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 1080p	Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 1440p	Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 1440p	Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 2560p	Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 2560p
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	138	102	117	71	70	40
Far Cry 5	134	122	103	74	78	56
Doom	160	151	155	137	119	79
Final Fantasy XV	146	131	124	95	65	49
DEUS EX: Mankind Divided	131	100	76	64	46	38

Performance in synthetic tests
	Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti	Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
Fire strike	34437	27169
Time Spy	13614	9240
VRMARK	12626	12185
PC MARK 8	196 FPS	152 FPS

As we can see, the performance improvement from a GTX 1080 Ti to an RTX 2080 Ti exists but it is not huge, especially at low resolutions. The improvement of this generation is far from sight with the transition from the GeForce 900 to the GeForce 10, something that can be explained in part by the small reduction in the manufacturing process from 16 nm to 12 nm. It should also be noted that the inclusion of the Tensor Core and RT Core takes up space in the silicon and consumes energy, so the room for improvement in the CUDA part is further limited. Doom and Shadow of the Tomb Raider are the games that see the biggest improvements.

Consumption and temperatures

The next point is to analyze the operating temperatures of both cards and their power consumption. As always, the consumption is from the complete unit, measured directly from the wall socket. Without further delay we leave you with the results:

Consumption and temperature
	Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti	Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
Idle consumption	62 W	48 W
Load consumption	366 W	342 W
Resting temperature	31 ºC	27 ºC
Charging temperature	74 ºC	83 ºC

As for consumption, we see that the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti consumes more, but it is also more powerful. The difference in performance is greater than in consumption, so Turing is more efficient than Pascal with the use of energy. The low nn reduction has greatly limited Nvidia in this regard. Where we do see a great improvement is in the charging temperature, undoubtedly Nvidia's new heatsink design is much more efficient, with an operating temperature under load 9ºC lower than the GTX 1080 Ti.

Which one is worth it?

It is time to assess whether it is worth taking the leap from the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti to the new GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. We have seen that the performance difference exists but it is not huge, so price will be the key for most users. Who wins the versus: RTX 2080 Ti vs GTX 1080 Ti ?

The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti can be purchased for around 800 euros currently, while the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti sells for no less than 1, 300 euros. With this we have that the new card is faster, but it is also much more expensive, which leaves us without improvement in the relationship between price and benefits. It is as if the new card were placed one notch above its predecessor, instead of replacing it.

The choice of one or the other is simply at the mercy of the money you want to spend. If we have to assess the jump from one card to the other, right now we think it is not worth it, it is better to wait for the GeForce RTX 2080Ti to drop at a price more similar to that of the GTX 1080 Ti.

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This ends our comparison Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti vs GTX 1080 Ti What do you think? Is the RTX 2080 Ti performance jump worth it or do you prefer to wait? We want to know what you think about it!