Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 could face a serious threat from AMD — here's the proof

AMD Radeon
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

AMD’s next high-end graphics card, currently known as Big Navi, could be up to 50 percent faster than Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2080 Ti and could challenge the upcoming GeForce RTX 3080

YouTube channel Moore’s Law is Dead has uncovered information that claims a Big Navi GPU will deliver 40 to 50 percent more performance over a GeForce RTX 2080 ti, Nvidia’s current top-end graphics card. And Moore’s Law is Dead said the source of such a claim comes from “somebody who’s been right before several times," but one should still take it with a grain of salt. 

The Big Navi graphics card, according to the leaked information, will also come with two clusters of compute units measuring in at 36CUs each. A total of 72CUs translates to 4,608 stream processors, which when combined with a 384-bit bus, GDDR6 video memory, and a maximum clock speed of 2,510MHz, could see Big Navi trounce the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. 

For reference, the RTX 2080 Ti comes with 4,352 CUDA cores, a 352-bit bus, uses GDDR6, and runs up to 1,545MHz. It’s a mighty graphics card but it would appear Big Navi could have it on the ropes. 

YouTube YouTube
Watch On

AMD Big Navi vs Nvidia RTX 3080

The GeForce RTX 3080, thought to be the next high-end graphics card from Nvidia, is set to deliver up to 30 percent more performance than the RTX 2080 Ti Founder's Edition. So if Big Navi could be up to 50 percent faster than the RTX 2080, there’s a chance it could snap at the heels of the RTX 3080.  

Big Navi will use AMD’s next-generation RDNA 2 graphics architecture, which promises a boost over the already capable RDNA core architecture found in the Radeon RX 5700 XT. The GeForce RTX 3080 will use Nvidia’s new Ampere graphics architecture, which promises boosted performance and improved ray-tracing capabilities. 

So both upcoming GPUs, slated for a release around September time, will have new graphics foundations to tap into. And that’ll likely be what determines which comes out on top, as specs are one thing but how they’re brought to bear in games and rendering tasks is another. 

AMD has gone some way to improving the efficiency and performance of its graphics cards, having moved from its Graphics Core Next architecture to RDNA. Clearly it’s impressed the likes of Sony and Microsoft, who’ve both opted for an RDNA 2-based GPU in their respective PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles. 

GCN-based Radeon graphics cards tend to get beaten by equivalent Nvidia GPUs. But the newer RDNA Radeon models can hold their own against all but Nvidia’s most-powerful graphic cards, albeit without offering ray-tracing hardware. 

But Big Navi could change all that. If it launches ahead of the next-generation Ampere GeForce cards it could steal a lot of Nvidia’s thunder. Even if it doesn’t, AMD will have a high-end graphics card to bring to the GPU arena. 

And that means more competition, which means better graphics cards at more competitive prices for PC gaming enthusiasts. While the next-generation consoles will dominate discourse around gaming in the second half of the year, PC gamers still have a lot to look forward to as the fall creeps closer.  

Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face. 

Latest in GPUs
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
I'm worried about the latest Nvidia RTX 5060 price leak — but one thing could change my mind
RTX 50 series GPUs
I was hyped for Nvidia's RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5050 — until I saw these leaked specs
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
RTX 5070 can't match RTX 4090 performance in new benchmark — despite Nvidia's claims
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT vs Nvidia RTX 50-series
Can AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT dethrone Nvidia's RTX-50 series? Let's talk GPU specs
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 GPUs in slide image
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 GPUs revealed — everything you need to know
nvidia rtx 5090
RTX 5090, 5080 and 5070 Ti GPUs hit by 'rare issue' — find out if you're affected now
Latest in News
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Saturday, March 15 (#643)
iPhone 17 Pro render
iPhone 17 Ultra just tipped to replace Pro Max in new leak — with these key upgrades
RCS messaging on an iPhone
Forget green bubbles — iPhones will soon get encrypted RCS messaging to Androids
CAD renderings of the Google Pixel 10 Pro
Latest Google Pixel 10 leak could make you want to skip it altogether
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 — analysts say it will be massive hit even with price hike
Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso in Ted Lasso season 3
‘Ted Lasso’ season 4 is official — here’s what Jason Sudeikis revealed