NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series vs 20 Series Price And Specs
30 Series vs 20 Series
Architecture
Series 20 RTX
Built with 12nm Turing.
NVIDIA debuted tensor cores and real-time ray tracing.
Early versions have Tensor cores for AI-driven DLSS and RT cores for ray tracing.
The hardware supports NVIDIA NVENC, mesh shaders, and variable rate shading.
30 Series RTX
According on 8nm Samsung Ampere design.
Has second-generation RT and third-generation Tensor cores.
Superior AI performance and twice FP32 throughput.
Supports the latest NVENC/NVDEC encoders, Resizable BAR, and NVIDIA Reflex.
The more advanced RTX 30 Series with superior AI performance and cores wins in architecture.
Video Game Performance
Series 20 RTX
Works well in 1080p/1440p.
The top 4K GPU was RTX 2080 Ti.
Quality issues limited DLSS 1.0's use.
30 Series RTX
Performance per dollar improved significantly.
RTX 3080 and 3090 handle 4K extremes well.
DLSS 2.0+ enhances quality and performance.
Despite costing less, the RTX 3070 outperforms the 2080 Ti in several games.
The RTX 30 Series wins in gaming with better frame rates, fluid ray tracing, and high-resolution.
Features
Series 20 RTX
Initialised DLSS and ray tracing.
Resizable BAR and HDMI 2.1 compatibility missing.
Early adopters used tensor cores.
30 Series RTX
DLSS 2.0/3.0 and ray tracing improved.
HDMI 2.1 supports 4K120Hz and 8K60.
Broadcast, NVIDIA Reflex, and RTX IO (faster game asset streaming).
Supports latest BIOS and Resizable BAR.
Winner: RTX 30 Series—Better gaming/streaming support and ecosystem.
AI/Ray Tracing
Series 20 RTX
First-generation RT cores, tensor.
Ray tracing worked, although frames were reduced.
Due to its limitations, DLSS 1.0 was sometimes unclear.
30 Series RTX
Second-generation RT processors improve ray tracing 2x.
DLSS 2.0/3.0 improves image quality and performance.
Tensor cores handle AI-enhanced upscaling well.
Winner (AI & Ray Tracing): RTX 30 Series — Playable frame rates and utility in modern ray-traced games.
Efficiency and Power
Series 20 RTX
Total TDP is lower (~175W-260W).
More watt-efficient when generated.
30 Series RTX
RTX 3080/3090: 320W/350W+, increased TDP.
Ampere chips perform better but cost more to power.
A 750W PSU is needed for high-end GPUs.
RTX 20 Series wins efficiency with better thermals and reduced power.
The RTX 30 Series had the best performance per watt while using more power.
Benefits
Series 20 RTX
Less electricity needed.
1080p/1440p is still good.
Secondhand prices are cheaper.
30 Series RTX
Incredible performance gain (70–90% with some models).
Original 4K and 8K games.
DLSS/ray tracing support is excellent.
Wider bandwidth and VRAM.
Drawbacks
Series 20 RTX
Low ray tracing capacity and expensive launch.
DLSS 1.0 adoption and quality issues.
30 Series RTX
High electricity use.
GPU shortages and high prices early on.
Bigger cards are hard to fit in smaller cases.
Conclusion
Improved ray tracing, DLSS, and performance make the RTX 30 Series the best choice for cutting-edge features, high performance, and future-proofing.
For casual gamers and budget-conscious gamers, the RTX 20 Series runs well at 1080p and is cheaper secondhand.
