The NVIDIA RTX 5080 is the objective winner of this comparison, securing victories in twelve out of fifteen measured categories. Its most significant technical advantage over the NVIDIA RTX 3080 is its AV1 Encoding capability, which is 100% better. While the older card maintains a lead in three specific areas, the newer model demonstrates a clear superiority across the vast majority of the evaluated hardware specifications.

Users prioritizing the most advanced encoding features should choose the NVIDIA RTX 5080 for its substantial improvement in that area. Conversely, the NVIDIA RTX 3080 remains the better option for those focused on the initial MSRP, where it holds a 30% advantage. Your final decision should depend on whether you value the cutting-edge encoding performance of the newer hardware or the cost-related benefit provided by the older model.