The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is an enthusiast-tier Ampere architecture consumer GPU, launched in September 2020. It defined the Ampere generation for mainstream enthusiasts, delivering massive performance improvements over the RTX 2080.
The RTX 3080 uses the GA102 die with 10GB of GDDR6X memory providing 760 GB/s bandwidth (12GB variant released later). It includes 8,704 CUDA cores, 272 third-generation Tensor Cores, and 68 second-generation RT cores. TDP is 320W.
The RTX 3080 represented approximately 50-80% improvement over the RTX 2080 depending on workload, a generational leap that exceeded typical expectations. This made 4K gaming at high refresh rates practical for the first time at the enthusiast tier.
The 10GB memory configuration has become limiting for some recent games at maximum settings, which drove NVIDIA to release a 12GB variant. The RTX 3080 remains capable but users should consider memory requirements for specific use cases.