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Nvidia launched RTX 3080 12 GB as a minor revision to the original 3080 in January 2022. The company slightly bumped up the specs for the graphics card and populated the two remaining VRAM slots with 1 GB memory modules.
The RTX 3080 packs the GA102 GPU inside. On the PCB of the video card, one can notice 12 VRAM slots all around the GPU die. This includes four VRAM modules on the left and right sides, one below it and three at the top. Interestingly, two slots at the top of the GPU have been left empty.
While reviewing the original 3080, experts have raised their voices about the two empty VRAM slots. It was obvious that Nvidia would launch an RTX 3080 12 GB sometime in the future.
The 3080 12 GB graphics card was originally launched for a hefty price tag of $1,250. In comparison, the original RTX 3080 10 GB model was priced at $700 when it launched. However, the 12 GB variant can easily be found at $720 these days.
According to rumors, Nvidia has stopped production of the 3080 12 GB GPU. However, gamers can still buy this video card from leading retailers as all partners have huge leftover inventories.
Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer
Despite being solid on paper, the RTX 3080 12 GB GPU currently represents bad value
RTX 3080 12 GB is a solid video card on paper. It packs 8,960 CUDA cores, 280 Texture Mapping Units (TMUs), and 96 Render Output Units (ROPs). The 12 GB VRAM is GDDR6X and is based on a wide 384-bit bus. The card has a TDP of 350 W.
In comparison, the RTX 3080 10 GB has 8,704 CUDA cores and 272 TMUs. The memory is based on a narrower 320-bit bus. The card also has a slightly lower TDP of 320 W.
The slight spec bump makes the 12 GB variant (on average) about 3% faster than the original 3080. Thus, the $550 premium Nvidia originally charged for the new version was criticized upon launch. However, the 3080 10 GB was not available anywhere close to its MSRP back in the day. So, the price difference did not make a difference.
However, these days, it is possible to score an RTX 3080 10 GB for $600 or even lower. Thus, the price difference of $100 or more makes the 12 GB variant less valuable for the price tag.
Taking a look at the competition, the Radeon RX 6900 XT is almost equivalent to or faster than the RTX 3080 12 GB in most video games.
AMD recently slashed the prices of their RX 6000 series video cards, and the high-end 6900 XT is now priced at around $700. This makes the RX 6900 XT a great value-for-money offering.
A quick look at Newegg reveals that the RX 6900 XT starts from around $670, which makes it $50 cheaper than the 3080 12 GB.
However, the AMD equivalent is slower than RTX 3080 in games with heavy ray tracing implementation like Cyberpunk 2077 and Watchdogs Legion. Thus, gamers lose as much as they gain with the 6900 XT. This makes either video card as good as the other.
Conclusion
RTX 3080 12 GB represents a bad value as of today. Gamers can easily opt for either the RTX 3080 10 GB or the RX 6900 XT 16 GB graphics cards as they are cheaper and deliver almost equivalent performance levels.
Moreover, with the upcoming RTX 40 series and RX 7000 series GPUs, dumping almost $700 behind a last-gen graphics card is a bad decision. Gamers are recommended to wait a few more weeks, judge the pricing and performance of the upcoming GPUs and make a decision accordingly.
