GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB bottleneck & FPS

Ranked 23 of 126 desktop graphics cards in our database (82th percentile). Paired with a Core i9-10850K it lands near 112 fps at 1080p and 23 fps at 4K in a typical AAA title at high settings.

SpecificationsAmpere · 2022

Architecture	Ampere
Shading units	8,960
Boost clock	1,710 MHz
Memory	12 GB
Memory bandwidth	912.4 GB/s
Board power	350 W
Released	2022

Frame rate by resolutionwith Core i9-10850K, high

Resolution	Est. FPS	GPU load	Limited by
1920 x 1080	112	99%	Balanced
2560 x 1440	66	99%	Graphics card
3440 x 1440	50	99%	Graphics card
3840 x 2160	23	99%	Graphics card

Best matched processors1080p, high

Ranked by how little performance the pairing wastes, not by which processor is fastest. The fastest chip pairs well with everything, which makes it a useless recommendation.

Processor	Est. FPS	Unused
Core i9-10850K	112	1.2%
Core i9-10900	112	1.2%
Core i9-10900F	112	1.2%
Ryzen 9 3900	110	1.3%
Core i5-12400	109	2.1%
Core i5-12400F	109	2.1%

Estimated FPS by game1440p, high, Core i9-10850K

Game	Est. FPS	VRAM
Cyberpunk 2077	45	OK
Fortnite	91	OK
Counter-Strike 2	163	OK
Baldur's Gate 3	66	OK
Red Dead Redemption 2	51	OK
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024	55	OK

Who a GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB is actually for

This sits in the range where most enthusiast builds land, and it is the range where pairing matters most. Fast enough that a budget processor will hold it back at 1080p; not so fast that it stops caring about resolution. Get the pairing right and very little is wasted.

The sweet spot is 1440p. At that resolution the card is doing enough work to stay busy without the processor needing to be exceptional.

Is 12 GB enough?

At 1440p and high settings, 12 GB clears every title we model with room to spare. Memory is not the constraint on this card, and it is unlikely to become one within its useful life.

Where it sits

Ranked 23 of 126 desktop cards we model. Nearest faster: Radeon RX 6900 XT, Radeon RX 9070 GRE. Just below: Radeon RX 7800 XT, Radeon RX 6800 XT. Full method on the methodology page.