I'm looking to upgrade my old 5700XT and considering either a used RTX 3080 or RX 6800XT, both priced around ~$300. My main gaming resolution is 1440p, but I'm also getting into streaming to my 4K TV, especially with Sunshine. I've read that while the 3080 has a slight edge in performance, Nvidia's encoder is known to be superior to AMD's. On the other hand, the 6800XT has more VRAM, which might be beneficial. Can anyone share insights on whether there's a significant real-world difference between these two cards considering my gaming and streaming usage? Thanks a lot!
5 Answers
If it were me, I’d lean towards the 3080. It supports DLSS, which is a game changer. Just remember that you might have to pay extra for certain features like lossless scaling. Although, if you spot a similarly priced 4070, that could be a good alternative too. Overall though, the 3080 is a great card that you can undervolt to save on power!
Honestly, both cards are pretty solid. I've owned both and wouldn’t recommend buying a 4-5 year old used card now. If you're able to stretch your budget a little, looking into a new RTX 4060XT with 16GB might be a good choice. A warranty on a new card is definitely worth considering over an older used one.
Based on specs, the gaming performance is roughly similar, with the 3080 having a slight edge. If you're looking strictly at rasterization, they're about even, but if you're focusing on streaming and encoding quality, the 3080 might be a better fit due to Nvidia's software.
I've been using a 6800XT for about two years now, and I can't complain at all. It's performed reliably for gaming at 1440p and even handles some streaming without hiccups.
For an extra $200, you might want to consider upgrading to an RTX 5070 instead. Honestly, neither of the older cards is worth it at that price.
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