Nvidia RTX 2080 Super vs 3070

How much is in it between the two generations

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Comparing the last generation with the current we compare Nvidia’s RTX 2080 Super vs 3070. Even though it is supposedly a lower-tier card, it has the potential to still be the best graphics card.

The 2080 Super was released in late July of 2019, finishing up the 20 series lineup. Whilst the 3070 came alongside the initial release of the 30 series. Releasing just over a year later in September/October 2020. With the generation of differences and changes in architecture, we see what kind of gains it offers.

Asus Logo

ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Advanced Edition 8GB

ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Advanced edition 8GB

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Pros

Simple and stylish black design

Great performance

Cons

Expensive and no water cooling


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Asus Logo

ASUS ROG Strix NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming

ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 3070

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Pros

Excellent aesthetic design

Great cooling solution

High boost clock speed

Cons

On the higher end of the price spectrum


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Architecture

From two different series of cards, they are made up of different architectures. The 20 series was based on the Turing architecture. Whilst the 30 series utilizes the Ampere architecture, whilst Turing introduced many new features, Ampere has improved upon them.

2080 Super is built with the TU104-450 chip which is made with TSMCs 12nm process. It creates a 545mm2 die that holds 13.6 billion transistors. Compared to the 3070s GA104-300 GPU which is made with Samsungs 8nm process. Creating a die 392mm2 in sizer with 17.4 billion transistors in it.

Specifications

RTX 2080 SuperRTX 3070
GPUTU104-450-A1GA104-300-A1
Shaders30725888
RT cores4846
TMUs192184
Memory8GB GDDR68GB GDDR6
Base clock1650 MHz1500 MHz
Boost clock1815 MHz1725 MHz
Memory clock15.5 Gbps14 Gbps
Card busPCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 4.0 x16
Memory bandwidth495.9 GB/s448.0 GB/s
TDP250 W220 W

With those architectural differences, we also see how they differ in their specs. There are some key factors affecting the changes.

Cores

GPU cores detail how the die is set up. With each segment specializing in different problems. In particular, we take a look at the shaders/CUDA cores, RT cores, and TMUs. These focus on the shadows and shading, real-time ray tracing, and creating 3D objects from bitmaps.

Between the 2080 Super vs 3070, there are some interesting differences. The 3070 has a greater shader count of over 2,816. But then it has 4% fewer RT cores and TMUs. So whilst it vastly improves in some areas it lacks in others.

Video memory

The VRAM of the card is used for a frame buffer and storage for pixels. Higher counts are needed for larger resolutions, as they utilize more pixels and need space to store them. To ensure performance is smooth and suffers less latency between the CPU and it.

RTX 3070 Gaming Trio close back

Between the two cards, there is no difference between memory type or capacity. They only differ by the speed of the 8GB of GDDR6. Even with the same memory bus, the 2080 super has a better bandwidth as its memory is clocked higher. Allowing it to transfer information out more quickly.

Clock rate

We also compare at what speeds the two GPUs process instructions. A factor of the silicon oscillation gives a number to how quickly graphics can be output from the GPU. Not the sole leader in the performance but it can be used to get the most out of it. As such it is one of the things to get overclocked.

Between the 2080 Super vs 3070, it’s the last generation card that has a higher speed. As standard, it can achieve a 1,650MHz base and a 1,815MHz boost. Whereas the 3070 only gets a 1,500MHz base and a 1,725MHz boost clock. So even though it’s newer, not being able to get the same speeds.

TDP

Thermal design power is another difference between the two cards. It is a number that informs us how much power the card will consume under maximum load. Since this is usually given off as heat, it also informs us of what kind of heat it will give off.

RTX 3070 Gaming Trio power

Between the two generations, the 2080 Super has the higher TDP. With 250W it is 30W higher than the 3070. Therefore, under load, it will consume more energy as well as give off more heat.

Card bus

One of the bigger differences between the generations of GPUs is the bus interface used between the GPU and motherboard. The 20 series only used a gen 3 PCIe connector whereas the 30 series upgraded to the 4th gen. Which doubles the available throughput of an x16 slot from 15.74 GB/s to 31.508 GB/s. Allowing the higher performance of the newer generation to not be limited by a connector.

2080 Super vs 3070 performance

Comparing the 2080 Super vs 3070 on 3dmarks benchmarks we can see the raw performance of the two. With which the 3070 manages to achieve a score of 13,679 and a value for money of 27. Whereas the 2080 Super achieves a lower score of 11,609 with only a 16 in value for money.

This raw performance also translates into gaming performance. With the 3070 taking the lead in games across the board. It averages a score 20-23% higher from 1080p to 4k.

RTX 3070 Gaming Trio fans

2080 Super vs 3070 price comparison

Taking a look at the launch price of the two graphics cards we can see what they were valued at. The 2080 Super launches for the price of $699, whilst the 3070 started at only $499.

Although in the current market you may not find the same situation. With a GPU shortage, graphics cards are expensive. And taking a look at the market, you may struggle to find the 3070 for cheaper than the 2080 Super let alone close to the MSRP.


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EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Super FTW3 Hybrid Gaming

EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Super FTW3 Hybrid Gaming

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Pros

Water cooling system

Cons

Just one fan

Not the most interesting design


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Evga Logo

EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 FTW3 Ultra Gaming

EVGA RTX 3070 Ultra gaming

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Pros

Fantastic build quality

EVGA iCX3 Cooling

Adjustable ARGB LED

Cons

Design can be a little basic for some


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Conclusion

Overall, when looking at the RTX 2080 Super vs 3070, the 30 series card is the better option. With improvements in architecture and some specifications, it easily beats the 2080 Super. While also meant to be cheaper than the older card.

However, you may not find it that way and so you may need to wait a bit longer for GPU prices to fall. Or wait for more options like the Intel ARC Alchemist lineup, or the RTX 40 series likely to come by the end of the year. 

Product Benchmarker and Writer AT WEPC

Sebastian Kozlowski

After taking apart and tinkering with the home PC and other electronics, Seb went to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Manchester to try and explore everything in parts. After he graduated he realised how different the adult world was and decided to pursue work in the tech industry after spending too much time playing games (mostly CS:GO), keeping up with everything tech, and being everyone's go-to for PCs.

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