Is it worth upgrading to a 4080 if my 3070 still handles most games?
Posted by glow_duh04@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 84 comments
I’ve been using an RTX 3070 in my build for about two years now, and it’s been great for most games, even at high settings. But with some of the newer AAA titles coming out, I’ve started to notice the occasional dip in performance, especially at 1440p with maxed-out settings. I’m thinking about upgrading to the RTX 4080, but I’m wondering if the difference will be significant enough to justify the cost.
I’ve been pretty lucky with some extra cash recently, so I can afford the upgrade, but I don’t want to make a big purchase if the 4080 is overkill for what I need. I play mostly single-player games, with some light content creation on the side, but I’m not sure if I’m pushing my 3070 hard enough to warrant an upgrade just yet.
For those who’ve upgraded from a 30-series to a 40-series card, was the jump in performance worth it? Should I wait for future games to push my current setup harder, or is now a good time to future-proof my build?
Zack1701@reddit
I went from a 3070 to a 4080s, and for me personally it was essentially going from “DLSS Quality and I can hear the fans” to “DLAA and it’s silent”.
Also, fun fact, going from 8gb of VRAM to 16gb doesn’t remove all the stutters at 1440p, modern games just suck like that :)
Stargate_1@reddit
Damn what games you playign that you get so many stutters? I'm mostly stutter free at 1440p
Zack1701@reddit
The unfortunately numerous Unreal Engine games. I’m glad some people don’t notice the traversal/shader caching/etc. stutters in these games, but they’re still getting them.
Stargate_1@reddit
Ill have to check which of my games use that engine
semidegenerate@reddit
Stutter is often caused by CPU and RAM. I don't get stutters either with a 13900K and 64GB of DDR5-6666 32-39-37-51 RAM.
I'm guessing you have a good CPU and memory.
Cvileem@reddit
I've upgraded from 3070 to 4080 last year, but only because I also switched from 1440p/60Hz to 4K/144 Hz monitor, and the difference is considerable. However even with 4080 I'm not fully satisfied, considering going back to 1440p. I would say upgrade or wait for 50XX.
notafakeaccounnt@reddit
4k 144hz what size?
27inch is great for 1440p, not so much for 4k
I recommend 43 inch odyssey
HEBushido@reddit
Have you used one? They are absolutely bonkers. My buddy wanted to sell me his, like no man, I can't use that use monitor. It would barely fit my desk.
notafakeaccounnt@reddit
Yes
good_morning_magpie@reddit
I have been daily driving my LG C3 42" OLED for a few months and I'll never go back to a smaller display. I am absolutely smitten.
whycantidoaspace@reddit
Its like having 2 and a half monitors without borders, you can just have seperate tabs on seperate sections
Plenty-Industries@reddit
Only ever upgrade when you are no longer getting the performance you are expecting.
Upgrading just to upgrade or to "future-proof" is a fools errand.
Restorical@reddit
I very recently upgraded from a 1660 super to a 4070 super. Absolute night and day. I dont even bother with video settings anymore, I just set everything to max until I get less than 100 fps, then I start lowering things
yourmom555@reddit
what games are you playing and what’s your cpu
Restorical@reddit
The finals, Minecraft, elden ring, BO3 zombies, emulated wii games, and the halo infinite campaign. I have a Ryzen 9 5900X
rory888@reddit
Upgrade to a 5700x3d and give her your old cpu
Restorical@reddit
I went from a 3600 to the 5900X. Plus I like having the extra cores
rory888@reddit
Sure, but you'll like cache more once you try it
popop143@reddit
Yep. We like to rag on DLSS on this sub, but I'd pick using that over paying top dollar for an unnecessary upgrade.
Except freaking FSR, I rather lower settings than use it. I have a 6700 XT and playing Ghost of Tsushima on 1440p, didn't even realize that FSR is the reason for the distracting artifacts I'm seeing while playing until I turned it off. Haven't tried XESS, but I've been playing 55-65 FPS on some lowered settings on 1440p.
Kboehm@reddit
That's why when I started up "off the grid" (I know, unoptimized, whatever) I bought a 3080 to replace my 1070. 1070 has been chugging along without much issue until now, just running games on med/low. Excited to be able to play with some goodies on.
tokeytime@reddit
This is the best advice. If you're fine with what you've got, why spend more?
dandr01d@reddit
Cause I got some money and that extra FPS gives me just a big enough serotonin boost that it subsides my ongoing depression for a bit
jk
Independent_Ad_2817@reddit
I’m over here still rolling with 2 SLI 1070’s😂😂😂
semidegenerate@reddit
Damn dude. So, how effective is SLI? I've never run a multi-card setup. Is it like +50% over a single 1070?
Independent_Ad_2817@reddit
Yeah probably about 50% increase. I can run pretty much any game with no issues. GTA,day z,Witcher,Alan Wake 2 etc
semidegenerate@reddit
Nice.
bzzbzzitstime@reddit
3070 to 4080 is a huuuuge boost. Whether or not you need it, I don't know; but you'd definitely benefit from it.
Nathan_hale53@reddit
Yeah but so close to the new cards??? I would just wait the next few months. 3070 is a good card. If i could get one for 200 I'd get it right now and skip this up coming gen, but I've had a 1070 since it launched lol.
bzzbzzitstime@reddit
I get where you're coming from for sure. I just doubt the new chips are going to be that much better, and they're bound to be much more expensive.
Nathan_hale53@reddit
Perhaps but if a 5070 is a 4080 and it's $700 then it's gonna be worth it to wait and save a few hundo. A 3070 is still good. If a 5080 is almost a 4090 it'll be worth it as well.
bzzbzzitstime@reddit
If the 5070 ends up being $700 I'll eat my hat lol
Nathan_hale53@reddit
Could be $600 like the 4070. But I'm guessing it's gonna be a 4080 at $700
semidegenerate@reddit
Yeah, a 4080 is about twice as fast as a 3070 at 1440p. Here's the Tom's Comparison Chart for 1440p:
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3BUQTn5dZgQi7zL8Xs4WUL-1200-80.png.webp
That being said, you really might want to wait for the next generation to see what the specs and prices look like. But if you have that upgrade itch, it really is a substantial upgrade.
Live_Phrase_4281@reddit
My computer guy that I usually buy from says it’s not worth it. He said roughly that you’re just paying for a ~20-30% increase in performance. He says better to wait for the 5th series
semidegenerate@reddit
I agree that it makes sense to wait for 50-series, rather than jump up 1 gen and 1 tier, but the 4080 is more like +95% over the 3070 at 1440p.
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3BUQTn5dZgQi7zL8Xs4WUL-1200-80.png.webp
logankey121@reddit
I’d try and skip a generation to get the most out of it.
Centillionare@reddit
I have a 3070 Ti and after seeing the rumors, it’s looking like I may skip 2 generations. Not spending $1k. I want double performance AND VRAM from what I have for around $500 to $600.
psygeese@reddit
I would say upgrade every other generation and only if a game comes out that is killing your fps and you can’t live without it. The 5k series is probably around the corner so maybe wait until then? Or maybe buy a 4k series discounted/used if you can find one in good shape that runs the games you want and most importantly works well with your monitor.
chaotoroboto@reddit
I think we're 4-5 months from the 5080 or equivalent, and the top-end RDNA4 AMD card (which will be closer to the 5080 than the 5090). VRAM will be higher and faster on the next series of cards. If you were working with a 1060 or something it'd be one thing, but I know I certainly couldn't justify a PS5 Pro and also a PS5 Slim for "occasional dips in performance at maxed out settings"
McGundulf@reddit
No. The top RDNA4 card will NOT be anywhere near the 5080. Hell it'll most likely not even be as good as the 4080. AMD will not be making a higher end card this gen
u551@reddit
To be fair, he said it'll be closer to 5080 than 5090, which most likely is true.
Similar_Vacation6146@reddit
I have to agree with u/McGundulf here. That isn't how that locution is normally used. For instance we might say:
The worst NBA player is closer in skill to LeBron than to me. (Despite being low-rated in their profession, the worst NBA player is still a top-of-the-line athlete, not a slouch.)
A Charger is closer to a minivan than to an F1 car. (Despite being a fast street car and being perceived as sporty, it actually has more in common with a family car than it does with a true sportscar.)
We wouldn't say:
A toddler is closer in skill to me than to LeBron.
A soapbox racer is closer to a minivan than to anF1 car.
Why don't we say the latter? Because they don't tell us anything useful. No shit a toddler doesn't ball like Lebron. No shit a soapbox racer isn't an F1 car. This locution is normally used when something is between two other things, and we need help placing it. For instance, in the current generation, it was useful to know that the 7900xtx was closer to the 4080 than the 4090. It was as good or better in most raster tests against the 4080, but despite being AMD's flagship, it didn't come close to competing against the 4090. This phrasing might also be used to compare things in a surprising way, as when someone says that Cleopatra lived closer to the moon landing than to the pyramids. We're more inclined to associate the Queen of Egypt with pyramids, but they were already ancient by the time she ruled.
So we need useful information or something unexpected. Point out that the next top AMD cards will be more like 5080s than 5090s really doesn't say anything. In fact it's misleading, because if anything, they'll be weaker than 5080. It would make more sense to say the cards will be closer to a 5070 than a 5080, or, optimistically, closer to a 5080 than a 5070. Putting the 5090 in there makes no sense.
McGundulf@reddit
It won't. The 5080 is not a mid range card. The 80 series is considered well into the high end category since its conception. AMD said they will not be making a high end next gen. This isn't about me saying that AMD can't make a card as good as nvidia's. It's literally stated by AMD that they won't be making a new gen counterpart to their 7900 xtx. AMD will only make mid range GPUs next gen, which will probably be closer to the 4070 super/ti super, with ofc more vram. The 5080 should have the performance of the 4090, or something like that, but it will be way beyond what AMD is planning to do with RDNA4
Nathan_hale53@reddit
I'm sure AMD will make decent mid-high range. Probably something equal or surpassing the 5070. But I doubt they'll get a 5080/5070ti.
Beneficial_Net8661@reddit
I have a feeling the dropping "high-end" cards means they're gonna stop trying to match 80 and 90 series cards for gaming+productivity workloads and RT. For content creation the Nvidia cards simply aren't being beat for performance in rendering and capturing game footage, especially in 4k. Same with RT; Nvidia has gotten their foot in the door of every major studio to make their RT work almost exclusively with Nvidia tech.
u551@reddit
Yes, right, but anything below 5080 is closer to it than 5090. My 4060 is closer to 5080 than 5090.
McGundulf@reddit
Yes, right but did I ever mention a 5090?
u551@reddit
No but the person you replied to did.
McGundulf@reddit
Yes but when someone says "it'll be closer to the 5080 than the 5090" it's generally received by most people as "it'll be a competitor to the 5080 rather than the 5090" which is simply untrue. The commenter I replied to, made an educated guess that the new best RDNA4 card will compete with the 5080, much like the 7900 xtx is currently a competitor to the 4080. However, they most likely didn't know that AMD is not planning to release a high end card, hence why I corrected them, in order to avoid confusion. Someone will read that and may wait to buy the counterpart of the xtx, when it simply is confirmed that it will not exist.
candaianzan@reddit
ACKCHYUALLY
Luckyirishdevil@reddit
I wouldn't upgrade this late in the cycle. We are a 3 months away from a 50-series announcement, probably 4 months away from release. If the new 5070 is 4080 performance for less, you will feel dumb. If it's not, at least someone out there will dump their 4080 for a 5080, and you can swoop it up on the 2nd hand market for a lot less.
Spending $1000+ now, for performance you don't need and on the doorstep of a new generation of video cards seems a little wasteful to me
meteorprime@reddit
That’s going to depend largely on what is the maximum refresh rate of your monitor and what is your CPU?
AdOdd8064@reddit
What I used to ask myself is, what new things can I do with the new part that I couldn't do before? If you struggle to answer that or could only come up with future proofing, then don't upgrade. A graphics card from the actual future is a lot more future-proof than one from today.
GioCrush68@reddit
I give myself a baseline. If I can no longer play at 1440p at medium settings and 140 frames I need to upgrade. Medium still looks great for modern games and 1440p and 140 frames is the best my main monitor can support. It will be different for everyone but I think it's best to just set baselines for system performance and only upgrade when it drops below that. If what you're looking for is 4k max settings and 200+ frames for every game with RT turned on you will always need to upgrade. There will always be a better piece of hardware and if there isn't there will be soon.
kagoromo@reddit
I upgraded to basically get double the FPS. I think it's worth it for me. The 4080 is also built like a tank with huge heat sink so it's a lot quieter than my old 3070. It's definitely expensive, but it's enough to push 4k120 in the games I play so I think I will set for a long time.
shaffy7423@reddit
Hey man, I was in more or less the same situation as you. I had a 3070 and noticed it wasn't running the latest games (Space Marine 2 and Wukong) to the standard I had come to expect, and with many more new games coming I wanted to beef up my system.
However, I had a 10th Gen Intel CPU which I learnt would likely bottleneck the 4080 Super and that I would need a PSU upgrade to ATX 3.0 to handle the extra power that the card needs. I ended up building a whole new system and selling the old one which recuperated almost half the overall cost of the new build.
After a good 2 weeks of use, the new build gets approx. 40-50% improved performance in the games I had been playing. I agree with many of the other Redditors that you should only upgrade if the performance you are getting with your 3070 is no longer what you are expecting and has become a bit disappointing.
I hope this helps.
Ty_Lee98@reddit
I'm waiting next gen.
Nathan_hale53@reddit
Next gen should be coming fairly soon just wait for the 5080.
AppropriateTouching@reddit
No
DiggingNoMore@reddit
No. A single generation jump is silly.
rory888@reddit
4080s isn’t overkill for 1440, but only you can subjectively decide whether the value is there for you.
If you want the performance, go for it.
Molly_Matters@reddit
No.
DavidePorterBridges@reddit
If you can find one under a grand. Go for it. The performance uplift is astronomical.
Cheers mate
No_Radish578@reddit
I upgraded from a 3070 to a 7800XT because the 3070 couldn't handle the game with the limited amount of VRAM... sadly enough, the game was trash and I played like 10 hours tops. But it's been great for any other games. 10/10 would recommend.
Square_Nothing_6339@reddit
Rarely is single gen jump worthwhile. I just upgraded from a 1070ti to a 4090
takuarc@reddit
Can’t speak for everyone but I don’t upgrade unless I have to. Unless it’s broken, no longer runs the games I play at the fps I expect/ became a bottleneck, I ain’t giving these corporations more money. Things are expensive as they are.
The_MacChen@reddit
i'm wondering the same thing but my gtx 1080 still handles most games... in 1080p lol on my 4k monitor (which i got mainly for work, not gaming) but i keep asking myself ahhh wait for rx 8000/rtx 50xx or just upgrade now
Low_Yam_9157@reddit
You kinda answered it yourself. Your 3070 still handles most games you play. So no, it's not a huge enough jump. I'd take your extra cash and spend it elsewhere to be honest. Good peripherals and desk ergonomics for example, new games, or some entire other hobby. Maybe consider VR and get a quest 3 and link cable, your 3070 would handle that. Beat saber rules and vrchat can be a great social timesink.
FVTVRX@reddit
changing settings from ultra to high and turning off motion blur plus other garbage works wonders
opensrcdev@reddit
Depends if you want to spend the money or not. If you want to play at higher resolutions, with better image quality, it is worth upgrading. Personally I'd say get the RTX 4070 Ti Super, which I did, as it performs fairly close to the 4080, and is about $250 cheaper.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-gk9-u62vc
Looks like the 4070 Ti Super 16GB is roughly 1.5x the performance base 3070 model. Plus you get Frame Generation on the NVIDIA 4000 series GPUS.
Large-Hawk7352@reddit
I only upgrade after like 5 years then I do a full system overhaul. Upgrading every year just to do it seems like a waste to me
Impossible-Piece-621@reddit
I have a 3070, and it still runs every game I throw at it pretty well.
My only current concern with the 3070, is whether the 8 gb VRAM will be a real issue or is it overblown.
I will keep it until I am no longer able to play the latest games I want to play.
I am hoping to squeeze couple of more years out of it, and may get AMD's 60-series equivalent.
Sleddoggamer@reddit
The prices and expectations for the next gen are terrible right now for an upgrade, but I think if you're assuming all your other components are up to the task, the 4080 will probably dramatically increase performance and you'll probably still be using it until the generation agree this one
I don't think I'd pay these prices if the 3070 isn't about to die, though
nbmtx@reddit
I normally recommend only upgrading at least two tiers, so two gens or one gen and one perf tier. This technically falls within that, but because it's so late in the generation, you'd be better off waiting for a 5070 or 4080, unless there's a really good deal.
Even if the 50 series turns up a letdown, it should still make for a better deal on a 4080. Or the 5070 will likely match, at better pricing.
The issue with recent cards and generations, namely with Nvidia, is that a lot of the performance is tied to generational features. So even if he raster perf is adequate or comparable, it winds up getting better performance through hose means... even if it's in limited titles or w/e, the numbers get published and people care.
Sorta how a 9700X CPU "sucks" because you can make a big number if you run a game at 1080pLow using a 4090... to make that number greater. Whereas real usage will be a oftentimes negligible difference.
TLDR: stick with 3070 until the new 5070 or until 50 series drops 40 series prices.
DiscountGothamKnight@reddit
Bro, I didn’t go to 4080 because I have a 2080 super. I’m just now considering a 5090 when it releases because I think it might actually be worth the upgrade at that point. It all depends on actual performance when the 5090 drops.
Richie_jordan@reddit
I recently went from a 3070ti to a 4080 super. It made it so I just max everything at 1440p and never have to worry about fps.
bestanonever@reddit
Not really. Your GPU might start to give in but you said it, "Maxed out" settings. It's time to use DLSS and maybe move most settings from "Ultra" to "High" or even "Medium" (not textures, though). It's still a modern GPU and you should get a few years longer from it, if you use it wisely.
Not saying you have to use your 3070 until it gives you single digit frames with everything on low, but maybe wait until the mayority of games don't look good anymore at the settings you are playing at. It's better to upgrade, at least, 2 gens later or even more. Or else, you'd be always upgrading every gen for very little benefit.
VPN_User_@reddit
I’m still rocking a 2070 Super and get 144fps on 1440p for basically every game I play. Matches my monitors refresh rate. No reason for me to upgrade. I’ll probably keep using it until the 5070 Super releases down the road
Majortom_67@reddit
Buy what you need when you need.
Saneless@reddit
You will be very happy that you waited for the 5070/5080
AssertiveQueef@reddit
I'm in the same boat. Made the mistake of getting a 4k monitor with just a 3070 but dlss has been helping tremendously. I agree with the top comment to at least wait till 50 series and if u decide to go 40, at least it'll be cheaper.
AMS_Rem@reddit
Definitely not
If it’s still handling most games just wait for the 50 series roll out here in the next couple months
Neipalm@reddit
Personally, I would wait until the next generation of GPUs come out. We are likely only about 3 months away from that. Then reevaluate according to your budget and if any games aren't able to be played at the settings you want.
In the mean time if you like playing with maxxed settings but are noticing dips, lower shadows to high or medium. In my experience doing that can increase your FPS by quite a bit and the decrease in quality is a lot less noticeable than altering other settings.
I'm currently using a RTX 2080 that I've had for almost 6 years so I'm waiting to see the real world performance and prices of the RTX 5080/5080ti and 5090 vs what prices 4090s are going to pop up for in the used market.
Neraxis@reddit
I would say wait until next generation and see what comes up.