What GPU is better than 1080 Ti?

The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti was released over 5 years ago in March 2017 as the flagship GPU of the Pascal generation. At the time, it was the most powerful consumer graphics card available, capable of playing games at 4K 60 FPS. However, GPU technology has steadily advanced since then, and the 1080 Ti is no longer the beast it once was. In this guide, we‘ll compare today‘s best GPUs versus the venerable 1080 Ti to see what offers better performance and value as an upgrade.

RTX 3070 Offers the Best Overall Improvement

The first GPU that definitively beats the GTX 1080 Ti is Nvidia‘s own RTX 3070. Thanks to its new Ampere architecture and 8GB of GDDR6 memory, the RTX 3070 is around 25-35% faster than the 1080 Ti depending on game and resolution.

Some key advantages the RTX 3070 has:

• 5888 CUDA cores vs 3584 on 1080 Ti
• Faster boost clocks up to 1730 MHz
• DLSS and ray tracing support
• 8GB vs 11GB VRAM but GDDR6 is faster
• 220W power draw vs 250W on 1080 Ti

The RTX 3070 debuted at $499 MSRP, but street prices have risen to $550+ due to demand. Even at $550, the 3070 is a better value than used 1080 Ti‘s which still sell for $300-400. If you can find it at or near MSRP, the 3070 is hands down the best bang-for-buck upgrade from the 1080 Ti today.

RTX 3070 Ti Adds Around 10% More Performance

If you want something slightly faster than the RTX 3070, Nvidia also offers the RTX 3070 Ti. This GPU splits the difference between the 3070 and 3080 with the following upgrades:

• 6144 CUDA cores vs 5888 on RTX 3070
• Faster boost clock at 1770 MHz
• 8GB GDDR6X memory for more bandwidth

In terms of performance, the RTX 3070 Ti is around 5-10% faster than the standard 3070 and up to 40% faster than the GTX 1080 Ti. It debuted at $599 MSRP but real-world pricing is closer to $700. Overall, it‘s a modest improvement over the 3070, so we only recommend it if found for less than 10% over the 3070‘s price.

RTX 3080 Offers Definitive 1440p Performance

For those wanting uncompromised 1440p gaming, Nvidia‘s RTX 3080 is around 30% faster than the 1080 Ti, making it a great match for 144Hz 1440p monitors or even 4K 60FPS gameplay.

Key advantages:

• 8704 CUDA cores in the 3080 vs 3584 in 1080 Ti
• 19% higher boost clock (1710 MHz vs 1480 MHz)
• 10GB GDDR6X provides 760 GB/s bandwidth

The RTX 3080 starts at $699 MSRP and about $850 real-world. It‘s a big jump in price over the 3070 but delivers smooth ultra settings gameplay at higher resolutions. If your target is high refresh rate 1440p gaming, the 3080 is essentially the new 1080 Ti.

RX 6800 Offers Stiff Competition to RTX 3070 Ti

On the AMD side, the closest competitor is the Radeon RX 6800. This GPU goes toe-to-toe with Nvidia‘s RTX 3070 Ti for $70 less.

Key specs:

• 3840 Stream Processors vs 6144 CUDA cores on 3070 Ti
• Game Clock of 1815MHz vs 1770MHz for 3070 Ti
• 16GB GDDR6 memory vs 8GB on 3070 Ti

In traditional rasterization performance, the RX 6800 is slightly behind the 3070 Ti but ahead in some DX12 and Vulkan games. It lacks DLSS support but has AMD‘s FidelityFX Super Resolution for upscaling. For those wanting strong 1440p performance at a lower price than Nvidia‘s cards, the RX 6800 is a compelling alternative to the 3070 Ti.

1080 Ti Still Holds Its Own at 1080p

While the 1080 Ti is no longer king, it‘s still a very capable GPU for 1080p gaming. In titles like Elden Ring, it averages over 60 FPS at max settings. For eSports titles like Valorant or Rainbow Six Siege, frame rates of 200 FPS+ are achievable.

Unless you have a 1080p monitor with a very high 144Hz, 240Hz, or 360Hz refresh rate, the 1080 Ti likely still satisfies. Upgrading to a faster GPU like the RTX 3070 may only increase framerates from 120 FPS to 170 FPS, for example, which may not be perceivable.

For 1080p base resolution gaming, the 1080 Ti delivers perfectly smooth performance in virtually any title. The upgrade to a new GPU would primarily benefit those wanting to max out 1000Hz+ refresh rate monitors or play at higher resolutions.

1080 Ti Availability and Pricing

Since the 1080 Ti has been long discontinued, any available are refurbished or used models. Prices typically range from $300 to $500 on the secondary market due to scarcity.

In terms of value, a used 1080 Ti cannot match the performance per dollar of a new RTX 3070 that outperforms it for around the same price. Unless found for under $300, the 1080 Ti is hard to recommend buying today since newer GPUs deliver better feature sets and efficiency.

The 1080 Ti launched at $699 MSRP over 5 years ago. In terms of performance per dollar, modern GPUs like the RTX 30 series far surpass it. But for those still holding onto a 1080 Ti, it continues proving itself as a worthy high-end GPU half a decade later.