I'm upgrading my PC in the Philippines and deciding between a used RTX 3080 10GB for about US$330 and a used RTX 4070 Super for around US$500. I mainly want to play sim-racing games and upcoming titles such as Forza Horizon 6 at 1440p on high or ultra settings. I also edit 4K60 10-bit Log H.265 smartphone footage in DaVinci Resolve.
The RTX 4070 Super costs roughly 51% more, but only offers around 15% higher gaming performance and 2GB more VRAM. Its much lower power consumption, newer features, better ray tracing, and support for modern frame-generation technologies are appealing. However, I could undervolt the RTX 3080 to reduce its power draw, and I'm willing to lower a few settings if 10GB of VRAM becomes limiting.
A used RTX 3080 12GB is effectively unavailable here, so that isn't a realistic option. Is the RTX 4070 Super worth the extra money for my use case, or would the undervolted RTX 3080 be the better value?
4 Answers
At Philippine used-market prices, I’d lean toward buying the 3080 now if the seller is reputable and the card passes stress tests. A 4070 Super is preferable, but US$170 is a significant premium for a relatively modest gaming uplift. Check temperatures, memory stability, power connectors, and warranty status before buying, then upgrade later when a genuinely good deal appears.
The 3080 can still be a very good value at US$330, especially if you undervolt it. A sensible undervolt can cut power consumption substantially while maintaining, or sometimes even improving, performance. Just make sure the card has good cooling and support it properly to reduce stress on the PCB and memory area.
The 4070 Super is the better all-around card if you can comfortably afford it. The raw performance difference may not justify the price by itself, but you also get 12GB of VRAM, much better efficiency, newer ray-tracing and frame-generation features, and a card that should remain useful for longer. For a system you plan to keep for several years, those benefits matter more than the benchmark percentage alone.
For DaVinci Resolve, the newer card may be more attractive because of its newer encoder and feature support. If your phone footage is only 4:2:0, though, the 3080 or 4070 Super should both be perfectly workable. If you expect to move to demanding 4:2:2 workflows later, it could make sense to save for a newer generation rather than choosing between these two.
That’s probably the most realistic approach here. There are far more used RTX 3080 listings than reasonably priced 4070 Supers, so waiting for the perfect deal could take a while.