RTX 4070 Ti vs 4080: Which NVIDIA 40-Series GPU is Best?

Not sure whether you should get the NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti or the RTX 4080? In this guide, we’ve broken down the main advantages of both GPU to help you determine which is best for your needs and budget.

NVIDIA’s RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 4080 are two of the most popular current-gen graphics cards. While the RTX 4090 takes the limelight as the absolute best graphics card for sheer performance, the 4070 Ti and 4080 offer cracking performance for much less money.

Not that they’re cheap, though—far from it. Despite the peak of the GPU shortage being in the rear-view mirror, both AMD’s and NVIDIA’s GPU prices are still sky high, leading many gamers to opt for previous-gen GPUs instead.

Comparing the 4070 Ti vs 4080, then, should be done with a pinch of salt, because both GPUs are priced very far from yesteryear’s still-familiar graphics card prices.

Which isn’t to say these new GPUs aren’t worth the money—the performance increase compared to the previous generation is laudable.

Just how laudable these performance boosts are when compared to price increases, and whether the 4070 Ti or 4080 fares better in this analysis, is what we need to consider.

Buying Options

• Best RTX 4080 Graphics Cards
• Best RTX 4070 Ti Graphics Cards
• Best RTX 4080 Prebuilt Gaming PCs
• Best RTX 4080 Laptops
• Best RTX 4070 Prebuilt Gaming PCs
• Best RTX 4070 Laptops

What is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti?

The RTX 4070 Ti is the third graphics card of this GPU generation that NVIDIA has released. Having launched in January 2023, it’s a high-end graphics card based on the company’s ‘Ada Lovelace’ GPU architecture.

It isn’t cheap—no current-gen GPUs are—but it is for now the cheapest of the current-gen bunch. This will probably change soon, however, because NVIDIA is rumored to be releasing the lower-end RTX 4070 sometime this month (April 2023). AMD is expected to release cheaper GPUs this year, too.

For now, the RTX 4070 Ti serves as the cheapest current-gen GPU, and it achieves this while still offering stellar performance at 1080p, 1440p, and even 4K resolutions.

What is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080?

The RTX 4080 is the second graphics card of the current GPU generation that NVIDIA has released. Having launched in November 2022, the 4080 set a new standard for high-end (but not flagship) gaming, thanks to its fantastic raw performance across all resolutions and its capabilities with next-gen tech such as ray tracing and DLSS 3 upscaling.

Also based on NVIDIA’s ‘Ada Lovelace’ architecture, the RTX 4080 costs substantially more than the RTX 4070 Ti, but substantially less than the flagship RTX 4090. It does cost more than AMD’s RX 7900 XTX, however, and this AMD GPU performs about as well as the 4080 in every respect, excluding upscaling and ray tracing performance.

But given that the RTX 4080 implements these next-gen features so well, its admittedly steep cost might be justified—and it edges ahead of even the 7900 XTX in average performance, even if only slightly. The 4080 is therefore the fastest non-flagship GPU on the market right now.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40-Series New Features

NVIDIA 40-series graphics cards offer several improvements and new features compared to 30-series graphics cards:

• New RT Cores
• New Tensor Cores
• Shader Execution Reordering (SER)
• DLSS 3.0
• Dual AV1 Encoding

Probably most importantly for gamers, ray tracing and upscaling performance has been increased thanks to new RT and Tensor Cores, SER, and DLSS 3.0. These new cores and technologies greatly improve ray tracing and upscaling performance compared to previous-gen GPUs.

Especially impressive is DLSS 3.0, which uses frame generation technology to increase framerates—usually almost doubling these framerates without introducing too much system latency.

Apart from this, content creators might find the AV1 hardware encoding support on 40-series GPUs useful, because AV1 can encode much quicker than traditional formats.

4080 vs 4070 Ti: Price Comparison

The RTX 4070 Ti has an MSRP of $799 and the RTX 4080 has an MSRP of $1,199, making the 4080 $400 (50%) more expensive than the 4070 Ti at recommended pricing.

There’s no 4070 Ti Founders Edition (FE), so MSRP is only a guide—this is true for the 4080, too, if we exclude the 4080 FE.

In practice (and excluding the most expensive models) you can currently grab a 4070 Ti for between $799-$950 and a 4080 for between $1,150-$1,400. The real-world price difference is therefore currently about the same as the MSRP difference.

Alternative GPUs

The most relevant GPU alternatives to the 4070 Ti and 4080 are the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT and RX 7900 XTX.

The 7900 XT is probably not worth it, because it costs $100 more than the 4070 Ti and performs only marginally better than it—plus, it lacks the 4070 Ti’s DLSS 3 capabilities.

The 7900 XTX, on the other hand, is almost certainly worth it if you don’t mind foregoing NVIDIA-specific features like DLSS 3. It performs practically identically to the RTX 4080 (excluding ray tracing and DLSS performance) and yet is $200 cheaper than it at MSRP.

Apart from these, you might consider a previous-gen RTX 3080. You should be able to pick up an RTX 3080 for $200-$300 less than a 4070 Ti. The 3080 doesn’t perform drastically worse than the 4070 Ti, averaging framerates only about 10-20% lower on average, but it doesn’t support current-gen tech like DLSS 3.

Read More:

• RTX 4070 Ti vs RX 7900 XTX: Is the Cheaper GPU Worth It?
• RTX 4080 vs RX 7900 XTX: Which AMD or NVIDIA GPU is Better?
• RTX 4070 Ti vs RX 7900 XT: Which GPU is Better Value?
• 7900 XT vs RTX 4080: Which High-End GPU is Best Value?

Graphics Card Specs

The RTX 4080 has a completely different GPU than the RTX 4070 Ti. Perhaps surprisingly, the 4070 Ti has a higher base and boost clock speed than the 4080. Apart from this, though, the 4080 beats the 4070 Ti in every respect.

The 4080’s GPU has 26% more CUDA, Tensor, and RT Cores than the 4070 Ti, which probably make up the bulk of its performance advantage. And while specs don’t usually directly translate to performance increases (not least because resolution and game choice have an impact), this should give us some sign as to how much better than the 4070 Ti the 4080 performs.

The 4080 also has a better memory configuration, with a wider memory bandwidth thanks to its memory bus (256-bit vs 192-bit), and 4GB extra video memory. This 4GB isn’t nothing either, especially if you’re gaming at 4K, because some games already push the 12GB threshold when played at 4K resolution.

Dimensions

No graphics cards are small, this generation (unless you buy a fancy but expensive water block AIB model), but every little helps. The 4070 Ti has the advantage here, especially in the all-important height dimension, which affects how many PCIe slots the GPU covers.

There is no 4070 Ti FE, though, so these dimensions will vary in practice depending on the AIB model in question. The same is true for the 4080, of course, if we exclude the 4080 FE.

Power Draw and Thermal Performance

The 4080’s TDP is 35W higher than the 4070 Ti’s TDP. Because of this, NVIDIA recommends a 750W PSU for the 4080 but a 700W PSU for the 4070 Ti. However, this recommendation should be adjusted based on the specific PSU in question and its 80 PLUS efficiency rating, as well as the specific graphics card model in question and its power draw.

Also Read: The Best Power Supplies Right Now

Thermally, much depends on the GPU model in question, especially because there is no 4070 Ti FE for comparison. But reviews show that both the RTX 4080 and RTX 4070 Ti stay between about 59c and 65c while gaming. Both stay cool enough that neither card’s temperature should cause any problems.

4070 Ti vs 4080: Gaming Performance

We’ve analyzed data from several reviews, such as those from TechSpot, PCGamer, and TechPowerUp, averaging their collated framerate results across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions.

Also Read: 1080p vs. 1440p vs. 4K: Which Resolution Is Best for Gaming?

The charts below show these average framerates, and in bold below these charts are averages of framerate differences pertaining to each individual game. These percentage differences are more accurate, but the charts map closely to the percentage differences.

We’ve eliminated any extraneous games that have very high framerates from our analysis, as these could skew the results.

1080p Benchmarks

Framerates averaged from multiple online benchmarks.

On average, the RTX 4080 performs about 11.7% better than the 4070 Ti at 1080p.

For 1080p gaming, it makes sense to opt for a 4070 Ti instead of a 4080 in most cases. This is because, at this resolution and for both GPUs, framerates are so high and games so CPU-bound that the performance increase by opting for a (more expensive) 4080 will be unnoticeable in practice for most gamers.

Both the RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 4080 should achieve well above the required framerate thresholds for smooth gameplay on 120Hz and 144Hz monitors, and even for 240Hz monitors in most games.

There are some cases where opting for a 4080 for 1080p might make sense, though. For instance, if you’re a competitive gamer using an ultra-high refresh rate monitor, having the 4080’s few extra frames in some newer and more demanding eSports titles might be handy.

But if competitive 1080p gaming is your use case, it would probably make more sense to opt for an RX 7900 XTX instead of an RTX 4080, since you likely won’t care about the 4080’s DLSS 3 and ray tracing capabilities.

1440p Benchmarks

Framerates averaged from multiple online benchmarks.

On average, the RTX 4080 performs about 18.5% better than the 4070 Ti at 1440p.

For 1440p gaming, whether to opt for a 4070 Ti or a 4080 will probably depend on your monitor’s refresh rate (and your budget). Pretty much any modern game on max settings should run at above 100fps on average with either card, so if you’re using a 60Hz or 75Hz monitor, it makes sense to save the money and opt for a 4070 Ti. The same is true for those of you using a 120Hz monitor in many cases.

Also Read: Is 1440P Worth it for Gaming?

However, in some games, the 4070 Ti struggles to hit 120fps, while the 4080 surpasses 120fps. In these games, it might be the difference between, say, 110fps for the 4070 Ti and 130fps for the 4080. In which case (and assuming you’re not using upscaling), an RTX 4080 will provide a slightly smoother gameplay experience for a 120Hz monitor at 1440p.

And, of course, if you’re using a 144Hz 1440p monitor, these 18.5% higher average framerates can make all the difference for modern games being played on max settings. Whether this difference is worth the 50% ($400) extra cost is debatable, though, especially when the 7900 XTX offers a cheaper but competitive alternative to the RTX 4080.

4K Benchmarks

Framerates averaged from multiple online benchmarks.

On average, the RTX 4080 performs about 29.8% better than the 4070 Ti at 4K.

For 4K gaming, it makes more sense to opt for an RTX 4080 instead of an RTX 4070 Ti.

If you’re gaming at 4K 60Hz, a 4070 Ti should serve you fine in most games, even when played on max settings. The 4070 Ti nets between 60fps and 80fps in most modern titles on average, and in more demanding games, often it almost averages 60fps.

Also Read: Is 4K Worth it for Gaming? Why Most Gamers Don’t Need a 4K Monitor

But these are only averages. While an average of 60fps seems okay at first glance for 60Hz 4K gaming, in reality the framerate will often dip below this 60fps mark—sometimes significantly so. Because of this, even for 60Hz gaming, the 4080 makes more sense, providing you’re wanting to crank all settings up to max.

The 4080 averages well over 60fps in pretty much any title on max settings at 4K. This means less risk of ever dropping below 60fps, and it means a smoother gameplay experience on 75Hz or 120Hz 4K monitors.

But it is still $400 more expensive than the 4070 Ti, and the 7900 XTX offers a cheaper competitive alternative.

Plus, the 4070 Ti does well at 4K when settings are lowered a little, making it a brilliant choice for those of you who mainly want to game at 1440p but occasionally game at 4K after dropping your settings slightly. For those wanting a complete 4K experience, though, the 4080 wins hands-down.

Ray Tracing and Upscaling

Score taken from PCGamer’s testing (1440p charts).

Based on PCGamer’s 3DMark Port Royal testing, the RTX 4080 does ray tracing about 25.9% better than the RTX 4070 Ti at 1440p.

Other than for 4K gaming, one area where the 4080 justifies its extra cost compared to the 4070 Ti is in ray tracing performance. PCGamer’s benchmark results show that the 4080 will handle ray tracing much better than the 4070 Ti in games that support the technology.

This will be especially relevant for those of you who want to enable ray tracing at 4K. Doing this with a 4070 Ti will be a struggle in many games, causing framerates to drop below 60fps—sometimes significantly so. The 4080, however, should be able to maintain 60fps in most games with ray tracing enabled.

Of course, DLSS 3 upscaling can offset much of this performance loss, most times bringing framerates back up to their original (non-ray traced) levels. Both the 4080 and 4070 Ti can use DLSS 3, so upscaling performance is about the same for both cards.

But because the 4080 has more Tensor cores, its DLSS performance is a little better than the 4070 Ti’s, too. This shouldn’t be overstated, though, because much of DLSS’s legwork is done on NVIDIA’s end, via its neural network, which both the 4070 Ti and 4080 will have access to.

Game Performance Summary

While the 4080 performs about 11.7% better at 1080p, framerates are so high at this resolution that its $400 extra cost is probably not justified. This is especially true when we throw the 7900 XTX into the mix, which performs about as well as the 4080 for $200 less.

For 1440p gaming, a 4080 will serve you better than a 4070 Ti in more games, providing you’re using a monitor with a refresh rate higher than 60Hz or 75Hz. But the 4070 Ti should still get you above 120fps in most games, with only the most demanding games dropping below 120fps or 100fps.

For 4K gaming, a 4080 is a much better choice than a 4070 Ti, providing you plan on playing games on ultra settings. On these settings, the 4070 Ti will maintain 60fps or higher in most games, but in some it will dip below this sometimes depending on the graphical intensity of the current game scene. The 4080, on the other hand, will rarely dip below 60fps in any game.

Both the 4070 Ti and 4080 are great at upscaling thanks to DLSS 3, but the 4080 really outshines the 4070 Ti when it comes to ray tracing. If you want to do ray tracing—especially at 4K—the 4080 is a much safer bet.

Verdict: Should You Buy a 4070 Ti or 4080?

Some people aren’t happy with the 4070 Ti. It was originally going to be a 4080 with worse specs, and gamers rightly disagreed with this decision—the 4070 Ti simply isn’t anywhere near powerful enough to be called a 4080. And when NVIDIA released it as the 4070 Ti with a $799 price tag, it annoyed these same gamers because it’s still expensive.

This is understandable—it’s an expensive card. But we must deal with the market realities that NVIDIA and AMD present us with, and for now the 4070 Ti is the cheapest current-gen card on offer. (This should change when NVIDIA releases the RTX 4070, though.)

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is arguably the best value GPU in this circa $1,000 price bracket, but if you’re sticking to NVIDIA, the 4070 Ti certainly has its place. For $400 less than the 4080 you get a GPU that can smash 1080p gaming, take 1440p gaming in its stride, and do okay at 4K gaming, providing 4K isn’t your primary focus. And it has all the bells and whistles of current-gen NVIDIA GPUs, like DLSS 3.

If you’re set on 4K gaming, the 4080 is a much better choice, even considering its steep price tag. This is true not only because of its much better 4K performance—performance that can always keep framerates above 60fps—but also because of its memory configuration. Sure, AMD cards are better on this front, but 16GB is certainly better than 12GB, especially when some games are already pushing the 12GB boundary at 4K.

So, the 4080 has 4K gaming on its side, and the 4070 Ti has 1080p gaming on its side because it can achieve very high framerates at this resolution for a fraction of the cost. 1440p is the only troublesome resolution. Both GPUs perform well enough in most games for most people at 1440p, making the cheaper 4070 Ti a better option. But for those using a high refresh rate monitor, a 4080 might be worth it.

For 1440p gaming, it’s a judgment call: is $400 too much of a hit to your wallet to justify making the most of your monitor’s high refresh rate in a larger pool of games? That’s something only you can decide.