AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

FPS benchmarks across 139 games (reference CPU: r9-9950x3D2), live prices, popularity and community builds.

AMD

RX 6500 XT

RDNA 2 · 4 GB GDDR6

#35 / 69

Overall score Relative gaming performance score, based on the average FPS measured across our benchmarked games. 100 = the fastest card in our catalog.9/100

Lowest price

$208

FPS / €

1.466

See the cheapest model See all 20 models

Nvidia

RTX 3080 12GB

Ampere · 12 GB GDDR6X

#18 / 69

Overall score Relative gaming performance score, based on the average FPS measured across our benchmarked games. 100 = the fastest card in our catalog.61/100

Lowest price

$945

FPS / €

0.508

See the cheapest model See all 14 models

Our verdict

The RTX 3080 12GB is on average 51% faster than the RX 6500 XT at 1440p across our reference games.
The RX 6500 XT is currently $737 cheaper ($208 vs $945).
With 1.466 FPS per euro, the RX 6500 XT offers the best price-to-performance ratio.
The RTX 3080 12GB packs more video memory (12 GB vs 4 GB), an advantage for 4K and heavy textures.

Gaming performance

Benchmarks measured with a r9-9950x3D2 to avoid bottlenecking the graphics cards.

RX 6500 XT

RTX 3080 12GB

Counter-Strike 2

+19%

314 FPS

1% low 188

373 FPS

1% low 225

Apex Legends

+64%

154 FPS

1% low 110

253 FPS

1% low 175

Grand Theft Auto V

+123%

44 FPS

1% low 33

98 FPS

1% low 75

Red Dead Redemption 2

+95%

78 FPS

1% low 59

152 FPS

1% low 113

Cyberpunk 2077

+223%

26 FPS

1% low 20

84 FPS

1% low 62

Rocket League

+40%

560 FPS

1% low 230

782 FPS

1% low 344

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

+137%

57 FPS

1% low 44

135 FPS

1% low 100

Crimson Desert

+94%

66 FPS

1% low 50

128 FPS

1% low 95

FPS / €

The higher the number, the better the performance you get for your money.

RX 6500 XT

1.466

RTX 3080 12GB

0.508

Want to see FPS in other games? Explore all our benchmarks

Specifications

	RX 6500 XT	RTX 3080 12GB
Architecture	RDNA 2	Ampere
Release date	2022-01	2022-01
Video memory	4 GB	12 GB
Memory type	GDDR6	GDDR6X
Memory bus	64 bit	384 bit
Bandwidth	144 GB/s	912 GB/s
Shading units	1024	8960
Boost clock	2815 MHz	1710 MHz
Power draw (TDP)	107 W	350 W
Recommended PSU	400 W	750 W
Interface	PCIe 4.0 x4	PCIe 4.0 x16
Launch price	$199	$799

Popularity on DropReference

RX 6500 XT

#35 / 69

Popularity score1.8/100

Share of builds Percentage of builds created by the DropReference community that use this GPU.0%

Number of builds created with this GPU

Average build price

$705

Most paired CPUs

Most used power supply

MSI MAG A650BN 650W 80 Plus Bronze Black

650 W · $60

Latest builds

Unnamed build

Unnamed build

Unnamed build

RTX 3080 12GB

#18 / 69

Popularity score3.5/100

Share of builds Percentage of builds created by the DropReference community that use this GPU.0%

Number of builds created with this GPU

Average build price

$3,723

Most paired CPUs

Most used power supply

MSI A750GL PCIE5 750W 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Black

750 W · $99

Latest builds

Unnamed build

Unnamed build

All models

Real-time prices and stock in your region

RX 6500 XT

20 models tracked

See all models in stock

RTX 3080 12GB

14 models tracked

See all models in stock

Frequently asked questions

Which is the better graphics card, the RX 6500 XT or the RTX 3080 12GB?

The RTX 3080 12GB is on average 51% faster than the RX 6500 XT at 1440p across our reference games. The RX 6500 XT is currently $737 cheaper ($208 vs $945). With 1.466 FPS per euro, the RX 6500 XT offers the best price-to-performance ratio. The RTX 3080 12GB packs more video memory (12 GB vs 4 GB), an advantage for 4K and heavy textures.

Which card should you pick for 1440p gaming: RX 6500 XT or RTX 3080 12GB?

At 1440p, the RX 6500 XT averages 278 FPS versus 421 FPS for the RTX 3080 12GB across our reference games.

What power supply do you need for the RX 6500 XT?

A power supply of around 400 W is recommended for the RX 6500 XT. On DropReference, the most used PSU with this card is the MSI MAG A650BN 650W 80 Plus Bronze Black.

What power supply do you need for the RTX 3080 12GB?

A power supply of around 750 W is recommended for the RTX 3080 12GB. On DropReference, the most used PSU with this card is the MSI A750GL PCIE5 750W 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Black.

Which CPU should you pair with the RX 6500 XT?

In community builds, the CPU most often paired with the RX 6500 XT is the r5-5500 (13 builds).

Which CPU should you pair with the RTX 3080 12GB?

In community builds, the CPU most often paired with the RTX 3080 12GB is the r7-9800x3D (1 builds).

How much does the RX 6500 XT cost right now?

The RX 6500 XT is available from $208. We track 20 models in real time.

How much does the RTX 3080 12GB cost right now?

The RTX 3080 12GB is available from $945. We track 14 models in real time.

AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT

The AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT, based on RDNA 2 architecture, offers entry-level gaming performance with 4 GB of GDDR6 memory. Perfect for 1080p gaming, it supports ray tracing and provides excellent value for money for beginner gamers.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, with Ampere architecture, offers high-end gaming performance with 10 GB of GDDR6X memory. The flagship card of the RTX 3000 series excels at 4K and supports ray tracing and DLSS for ultra-realistic graphics.