GTX 1080 Ti vs RTX 3090

PascalvsAmpereUpdated 35 days ago

The RTX 3090 claims victory for prevalent cloud AI use cases. Superior 35.6 TFLOPS, 24 GB VRAM, and 936 GB/s bandwidth provide three times the GTX 1080 Ti's 11.3 TFLOPS, 11 GB, and 484 GB/s, aligning performance with favorable pricing across more providers.

GTX 1080 Ti from $0.30/hrRTX 3090 from $0.20/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecGTX-1080RTX-3090
TDP180W350W
VRAM8-11 GB24 GB
CUDA Cores2,56010,496
Memory TypeGDDR5XGDDR6X
ArchitecturePascalAmpere
Form FactorsPCIePCIe
InterconnectNVLink
FP16 Performance8.9 TFLOPS35.6 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance8.9 TFLOPS35.6 TFLOPS
Memory Bandwidth320 GB/s936 GB/s

Performance Analysis

Compute disparity dominates: the RTX 3090 delivers 35.6 TFLOPS FP16 and FP32 versus the GTX 1080 Ti's 11.3 TFLOPS, yielding over three times faster training epochs and inference requests. This accelerates neural network optimization where matrix multiplications prevail.

VRAM and bandwidth cement the lead. RTX 3090's 24 GB holds larger models than 11 GB, avoiding errors in LLM tasks; 936 GB/s bandwidth supports batch sizes twice that of 484 GB/s, boosting efficiency without stalling.

TDP and interconnects influence deployment. The 3090's 350 W suits high-output setups with NVLink multi-GPU links, outperforming PCIe-bound 1080 Ti in scaled scientific or production workloads.

Live Cloud Pricing

Real-time prices from 25+ providers. Updated every 60 seconds.

GTX 1080 Ti

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
LeaderGPU
LeaderGPU
4×NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080
8GB VRAM
$0.30/GPU/hr
$1.20/hr total (4×)
Available
LeaderGPU
LeaderGPU
8×NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
11GB VRAM
$0.60/GPU/hr
$4.80/hr total (8×)
Available

RTX 3090

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
TensorDock
TensorDock
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
24GB VRAM
$0.20/GPU/hr
Available
TensorDock
TensorDock
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
24GB VRAM
$0.21/GPU/hr
Available
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
4×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
24GB VRAM
$0.25/GPU/hr
$1.01/hr total (4×)
Available
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
4×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
24GB VRAM
$0.27/GPU/hr
$1.07/hr total (4×)
Available
LeaderGPU
LeaderGPU
8×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
24GB VRAM
$0.29/GPU/hr
$2.29/hr total (8×)
Available

Compare real-time pricing across 25+ providers

When to Choose the GTX 1080 Ti

The GTX 1080 Ti fits power-capped environments at 250 W TDP or Pascal-specific legacy code. Its 11 GB VRAM manages small-model inference and fine-tuning within 484 GB/s bandwidth, where $0.60 per hour provides single-offer stability.

Hobbyist or educational tasks with 11.3 TFLOPS suffice without excess capacity.

When to Choose the RTX 3090

Select the RTX 3090 for VRAM-intensive work like LLM training needing 24 GB and 35.6 TFLOPS. Its 936 GB/s bandwidth handles large batches, slashing iteration times over the 1080 Ti.

Production inference, Stable Diffusion, and scaled computing benefit from 44 cloud offers averaging $0.44 per hour and NVLink.

Use Cases

LLM Training
RTX 3090

RTX 3090's 24 GB VRAM fits large models; 35.6 TFLOPS FP16 triples GTX 1080 Ti's 11.3 TFLOPS training speed.

LLM Inference
RTX 3090

35.6 TFLOPS and 936 GB/s bandwidth deliver higher throughput and batch sizes than 11.3 TFLOPS and 484 GB/s.

Fine-tuning
RTX 3090

24 GB VRAM supports bigger datasets; three times compute accelerates over 1080 Ti limits.

Stable Diffusion
RTX 3090

Ample 24 GB VRAM enables high-res outputs; superior bandwidth speeds generations.

Scientific Computing
Either

Modest sims use 1080 Ti's 11.3 TFLOPS; complex ones need 3090's 35.6 TFLOPS and NVLink.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has higher performance?

RTX 3090 reaches 35.6 TFLOPS FP16 and FP32, over three times the GTX 1080 Ti's 11.3 TFLOPS. This speeds training and inference significantly. Bandwidth at 936 GB/s reinforces the gap over 484 GB/s.

What is the VRAM difference?

RTX 3090 offers 24 GB GDDR6X versus GTX 1080 Ti's 11 GB GDDR5X. Larger VRAM handles bigger models in AI tasks. It pairs with 936 GB/s bandwidth against 484 GB/s.

How do rental prices compare?

GTX 1080 Ti averages $0.60 per hour across one offer. RTX 3090 starts at $0.08 per hour, averaging $0.44 across 44 offers. More options yield better rates.

Is GTX 1080 Ti good for modern AI?

It works for small models in 11 GB VRAM with 11.3 TFLOPS. Larger tasks exceed its 484 GB/s bandwidth. RTX 3090 suits current demands better.

Power usage comparison?

GTX 1080 Ti TDP is 250 W, below RTX 3090's 350 W. Lower draw aids constrained setups. Cloud handles both typically.

Multi-GPU support?

RTX 3090 uses NVLink for fast interconnects. GTX 1080 Ti relies on PCIe. NVLink excels in scaled training.

Which is cheaper to rent, the GTX 1080 or the RTX 3090?

Cloud rental prices for both the GTX 1080 and RTX 3090 vary by provider, configuration, and availability. This page shows live pricing from 25+ providers updated every 60 seconds. Scroll to the Live Cloud Pricing section to compare current rates.

How much VRAM does the GTX 1080 have compared to the RTX 3090?

The GTX 1080 has 8 to 11 GB of GDDR5X memory. The RTX 3090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory.

Can I find GTX 1080 and RTX 3090 GPUs available to rent right now?

Yes. This page shows real-time availability across 25+ cloud GPU providers. The Live Cloud Pricing section displays only in-stock offers with current pricing.

What is the main difference between the GTX 1080 and the RTX 3090?

The GTX 1080 uses the Pascal architecture (2016) while the RTX 3090 uses Ampere (2020). The RTX 3090 delivers 4.0x the FP16 throughput and 2.9x the memory bandwidth of the GTX 1080.

GTX 1080 Ti vs RTX 3090: 4.0x FP16 Gap, 24GB vs 11GB | GPUPerHour