Nvidia rtx 2080 vs nvidia gtx 1080 ti

After having analyzed analyze the new graphics cards Nvidia RTX 2080 vs Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti based on Turing, we focus on comparing the GeForce RTX 2080 with the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti to see how big is the performance jump between them. GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is the top-of-the-line model of the Pascal generation, and it promises to make things very difficult for the new RTX 2080.

Index of contents

Nvidia RTX 2080 vs Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti features

The first step will be to compare the most important specifications of both cards, a good way to whet your appetite.

characteristics
	Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080	Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
Core	TU104	GP102
Frequency	1515 MHz / 1710 MHz	1480 MHz / 1580 MHz
CUDA Cores	2944	3584
TMU	184	224
ROP	64	88
Core Tensor	368	-
RT Core	46	-
Memory	8 GB GDDR5X	11 GB GDDR5X
Memory bandwidth	484 GB / s	484 GB / s
TDP	220W	250W

Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 makes use of the graphics giant's new Turing architecture, its design that is based on Volta, and which comes to succeed Pascal and add the benefits of AI to video games. The highlight of Turing is the inclusion of the Tensor Core and RT Core, one special cores that will be used to process raytracing in real time in games. This card contains TU104 silicon with 2944 CUDA Cores, 184 ROPs and 64 TMUs operating at a base frequency of 1515 MHz that goes up to 1710 MHz under turbo. Its graphics memory is 8 GB, it is GDDR6 chips but with a 256-bit interface and a speed of 14 Gbs, giving a bandwidth of 448 GB / s.

As for the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, let's remember that this graphics card is based on the GP102 silicon also manufactured by TSMC but at 16nm FinFET. This is top-of-the-line silicon under the Pascal architecture, making it very powerful and still has a lot to say in the gaming market. In this case there is no trace of the Tensor Core and RT cores. It hides within it a whopping 3, 584 CUDA Cores, 224 TMUs and 88 ROPs that operate at a top 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 to have the most realistic vision possible, and together with the Core i7 8700K processor to avoid bottlenecks caused by this component, as important as the graphics card in current games.

Gaming performance (FPS)
	Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 1080p	Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 1080p	Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 1440p	Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 1440p	Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 2560p	Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 2560p
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	113	102	82	71	44	40
Far Cry 5	129	122	76	74	60	56
Doom	153	151	137	137	83	79
Final Fantasy XV	133	131	97	95	53	49
DEUS EX: Mankind Divided	102	100	66	64	40	38

Performance in synthetic tests
	Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080	Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
Fire strike	27273	27169
Time Spy	10642	9240
VRMARK	12248	12185
PC MARK 8	151 FPS	152 FPS

As for the gaming performance of our test bench, the new GeForce RTX 2080 is slightly more powerful than the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, although the difference is really small in many cases. Nvidia has complied with its unwritten rule that a new generation xx80 model is superior to the previous generation xx80Ti model, although the margin has been very small in this case. The inclusion of the Tensor Core and RT Core has left Nvidia without much room in silicon to increase CUDA performance compared to the previous generation, something that explains the little difference between the two cards.

Consumption and temperatures

We continue our analysis by comparing 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.

Consumption and temperature
	Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080	Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
Idle consumption	58 W	48 W
Load consumption	368 W	342 W
Resting temperature	33 ºC	27 ºC
Charging temperature	71 ºC	83 ºC

The difference in the working temperature of both cards under load is especially noticeable, so much so that they have been reduced by no less than 12 degrees. This shows how inefficient the old Nvidia heatsink was, which was to be expected, since the turbine models are not exactly the best. The new heatsink on the GeForce RTX 2080 lives up to assembler models, making Founders Edition cards more appealing than ever.

As for consumption, we see that the GeForce RTX 2080 consumes more, the difference is small but it exists. The inclusion of the Tensor Core and RT Core makes Turing consume a lot of energy, and that the games that we have tested do not make use of these elements, but even if they are inactive they will always consume a small amount of current. The low nm reduction has greatly limited Nvidia in this regard

Nvidia RTX 2080 vs Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti Which one is worth?

After seeing the difference in performance between GeForce RTX 2080 vs GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, it is time to make a final assessment. First of all we have to put the prices in context, because it is the only way to continue. The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti can currently be purchased for around 750-800 euros, a price slightly lower than the 850 euros for the GeForce RTX 2080, although there is not much distance. We believe that an applicant for these cards has the economic solvency to acquire either one comfortably, so we can say that there is a tie in the price.

Given that the price of both is almost traced, the logical thing is to opt for the GeForce RTX 2080, because it is more powerful and has new technology that will be implemented in the games of the future. Right now we see little point in buying a GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, unless it's from the second-hand market at a bargain price.

The next question is whether it is worth making the jump from the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti to the new GeForce RTX 2080, our answer is very clear, and it is that at this moment we believe that it is not worth it. Both cards perform almost the same, so it is not worth spending 850 euros to have the same performance. Turing's exclusive technologies will still take time to see in games, so it's best to wait a few months for the GeForce RTX 2080 to drop in price.

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This ends our comparison Nvidia RTX 2080 vs Nvidia 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!