NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series vs 20 Series Price And Specs

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series vs 20 Series

Architecture

RTX 20 Series

• Constructed using a 12nm Turing architecture.
• Tensor cores and real-time ray tracing were first introduced in the NVIDIA series.
• Includes Tensor cores for AI-driven DLSS (early versions) and RT cores for ray tracing.
• Hardware support for NVIDIA NVENC, mesh shaders, and variable rate shading is included.

RTX 30 Series

• According to the Samsung Ampere design of 8nm.
• Has third-generation Tensor cores and second-generation RT cores.
• Offers far improved AI performance and double the FP32 throughput.
• Supports the most recent NVENC/NVDEC encoders, Resizable BAR, and NVIDIA Reflex.

The winner in architecture is the RTX 30 Series, which has a more sophisticated design with better AI performance and cores.

Gaming Performance

RTX 20 Series

• Good 1080p/1440p performance.
• The flagship 4K GPU was the RTX 2080 Ti.
• DLSS 1.0 had quality problems and was not extensively used.

RTX 30 Series

• Significant improvement in performance per money.
• RTX 3080 and 3090 seamlessly manage 4K extreme settings.
• DLSS 2.0+ improves quality and boosts performance.
• In many games, the RTX 3070 is just as good as or better than the RTX 2080 Ti, yet it costs less.

The RTX 30 Series is the gaming winner; it offers higher frame rates, more fluid ray tracing, and high-resolution gaming.

You can also read AMD RTX 4070 Super vs. RTX 3090 A 40-Series Showdown!

Features

RTX 20 Series

• Introduced DLSS and ray tracing.
• Lacking a resizable BAR and complete compatibility for HDMI 2.1.
• Tensor cores were adopted early.

RTX 30 Series

• Improved performance for ray tracing and improved DLSS 2.0/3.0.
• HDMI 2.1 supports 8K60 and 4K 120Hz.
• Consists of Broadcast, NVIDIA Reflex, and RTX IO (faster streaming of game assets).
• Supports the most recent BIOS upgrades and Resizable BAR.

Winner (Features): RTX 30 Series – Stronger gaming/streaming support and a more developed ecosystem.

AI and Ray Tracing

RTX 20 Series

• Tensor and first-generation RT cores.
• Ray tracing was successful, however there were noticeable frame reductions.
• DLSS 1.0 has limitations and was occasionally hazy.

RTX 30 Series

• 2x better ray tracing is possible with second-generation RT processors.
• DLSS 2.0/3.0 greatly enhances image quality and performance.
• Tensor cores are far more adept at handling AI-enhanced upscaling.

Winner (AI & Ray Tracing): RTX 30 Series – Provides playable frame rates and true usefulness in contemporary ray-traced games.

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Memory and Bandwidth

Power and Efficiency

RTX 20 Series

• Overall TDP is lower (~175W–260W).
• More effective per watt while being generated.

RTX 30 Series

• RTX 3080: 320W, RTX 3090: 350W+, higher TDP.
• Although they cost more to power, Ampere chips offer significantly better performance.
• High-end GPUs require a PSU of at least 750W.

Winner in terms of efficiency: RTX 20 Series better thermals, lower power consumption.

The RTX 30 Series was the winner in terms of performance per watt; it consumed more power but offered more performance per watt.

Benefits

RTX 20 Series

• Reduced electricity needs.
• 1080p/1440p performance is still respectable.
• More reasonably priced on the secondhand market.

RTX 30 Series

• Outstanding performance boost (in certain models, up to 70–90%).
• Genuine 4K and 8K video games.
• Superior support for DLSS and ray tracing.
• More bandwidth and VRAM.

Drawbacks

RTX 20 Series

• Limited capacity to trace rays and costly during launch.
• Adoption and quality difficulties with DLSS 1.0.

RTX 30 Series

• High use of electricity.
• Early shortages of GPUs and exorbitant costs.
• Bigger cards, which are difficult to put in smaller cases.

You can also read NVIDIA L40 Price, Architecture, Benchmarks & L40 GPU Specs

Price

Conclusion

If you want cutting-edge features, high performance, and future-proofing, the RTX 30 Series is the winner with its improved ray tracing, DLSS, and performance.

The RTX 20 Series still performs well at 1080p and is cheaper in the second-hand market for casual gamers and budget-conscious players.

Specifications