Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5080 | AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| CUDA / Stream cores | 10752 | 5376 |
| TDP | 360 W | 315 W |
| 3DMark Time Spy | 23800 | 18800 |
| VRAM | 16 GB | 20 GB |
| Memory bus | 256 bit | 320 bit |
| Boost clock | 2617 MHz | 2400 MHz |
Between the GeForce RTX 5080 and Radeon RX 7900 XT, the GeForce RTX 5080 comes out ahead in cuda / stream cores / 3dmark time spy, while the Radeon RX 7900 XT wins on tdp / vram. Overall, the GeForce RTX 5080 scores 71.4 and the Radeon RX 7900 XT scores 67.2 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The GeForce RTX 5080 edges ahead on the Mars Score (71.4 vs 67.2), but the 4.2-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the GeForce RTX 5080 if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. The biggest gaps in its favor are cuda / stream cores, 3dmark time spy, boost clock, among others. The single most decisive one: CUDA / Stream cores — 100.00% more. 10752 vs 5376.
Pick the Radeon RX 7900 XT if you care most about tdp / vram. Its strongest claims are tdp, vram, memory bus. The single most decisive one: TDP — 45.00 W less. 315 vs 360.
Both ship with comparable ray tracing cores, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5080 or AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XT?
NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5080 leads the current Mars Score by 4.2 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare vram, cuda / stream cores, boost clock, tdp against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5080 if…
NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5080 has the measurable edge on cuda cores, timespy score, boost clock mhz.
Choose AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XT if…
AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XT has the measurable edge on tdp w, vram gb, memory bus bit.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5080 wins
- ▲CUDA / Stream cores — 100.00% more. 10752 vs 5376.
- ▲3DMark Time Spy — 26.60% more. 23800 vs 18800.
- ▲Boost clock — 9.04% more. 2617 MHz vs 2400 MHz.
- ▲Has DLSS.
Why AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XT wins
- ▲TDP — 45.00 W less. 315 vs 360.
- ▲VRAM — 25.00% more. 20 GB vs 16 GB.
- ▲Memory bus — 25.00% more. 320 bit vs 256 bit.
Spec comparison
Core
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5080 | AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | GB203 | Navi 31 |
| Base clockⓘ | 2295 MHzlead | 1500 MHz |
| Boost clockⓘ | 2617 MHzlead | 2400 MHz |
| CUDA / Stream coresⓘ | 10752lead | 5376 |
| Ray tracing coresⓘ | 84 | 84 |
Memory
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5080 | AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| VRAMⓘ | 16 GB | 20 GBlead |
| VRAM typeⓘ | GDDR7lead | GDDR6 |
| Memory busⓘ | 256 bit | 320 bitlead |
Power & Form
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5080 | AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| TDPⓘ | 360 W | 315 Wlead |
| Recommended PSUⓘ | 850 W | 750 Wlead |
| Length | 304 mm | 276 mmlead |
| Slot size | 2-slot | 2.5-slot |
Benchmarks
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5080 | AMD - Radeon RX 7900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spyⓘ | 23800lead | 18800 |
| DLSSⓘ | truelead | false |
| FSRⓘ | false | truelead |
Frequently asked
Which has more VRAM, GeForce RTX 5080 or Radeon RX 7900 XT?+
Radeon RX 7900 XT ships with 20GB GDDR6 vs 16GB.
Which scores higher in 3DMark Time Spy, GeForce RTX 5080 or Radeon RX 7900 XT?+
GeForce RTX 5080 scores 23800 vs 18800.
Which draws less power, GeForce RTX 5080 or Radeon RX 7900 XT?+
Radeon RX 7900 XT draws 315W TDP vs 360W.