The RTX 3080 and the RTX 4070 are two generations apart, and in games they land in nearly the same place. On the used market they are not priced the same. The 3080 is the older card, and sellers on eBay ask roughly $200 less for it.
This post compares the two on frame rates and used price, then covers what the cheaper card costs you in other ways, and what to check before buying a used 3080.
The price gap
These are median asking prices for used cards from US eBay sellers in our used GPU price index, as of October 30, 2026. They are asking prices, not sold prices, and they change. Open a card's page for today's numbers.
| Card | Median asking price | 25th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| RTX 3080 10GB | $399 | $370 |
| RTX 4070 12GB | $599 | $500 |
The 25th percentile is the price a quarter of listings sit at or below, so it's a rough guide to what a patient buyer might find. The median gap is $200. The gap at the 25th percentile is $130, which is smaller but still real.
The frame rates
These are average frame rates at Ultra settings, rasterization only (no ray tracing, no upscaling), from Tom's Hardware's GPU benchmarks hierarchy, dated June 2026. We didn't run these tests ourselves.
| Card | 1080p | 1440p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 3080 | 111.6 | 82.0 | 43.9 |
| RTX 4070 | 111.5 | 77.8 | 41.3 |
At 1080p they're tied: 111.6 against 111.5 is not a difference you could see. At 1440p the 3080 is ahead by about 4 FPS, around 5%. At 4K it leads by about 2.6 FPS, around 6%, though both are under 45 FPS there, so neither is a comfortable 4K card at Ultra.
So for the same games at the same settings, the card that costs $200 less is the same speed or slightly faster. Our GPU value ranking puts frame rates and used prices together as FPS per dollar at each resolution, and the 3080 currently ranks first overall on it.
For context, the other 12GB cards nearby are a step up in both speed and price. The RTX 4070 Super is at 126.7 / 91.2 / 49.2 FPS and a $660 median. The RTX 3080 Ti is at 119.6 / 89.1 / 51.0 FPS and a $600 median, about the same price as the 4070. If you're considering the 4070, the 3080 Ti at that price is worth a look, but beware that eBay search mixes the two 3080 cards together.
What the 4070 gives you for the extra $200
Frame rates are only part of it. The 4070 is the better card in several other ways, and for some buyers these matter more than the price.
Power draw. The reference RTX 3080 is rated for 320W of total graphics power. The reference RTX 4070 is rated for 200W. That's a much smaller load on your power supply, a cooler and quieter case, and a smaller electricity bill if you play a lot. If you have a 550W or 650W power supply, the 3080 may need an upgrade, and that cost eats into the $200. Check the card's recommended PSU and your own before buying.
More memory. The 4070 has 12GB of VRAM and the 3080 has 10GB. Most games today run fine in 10GB at 1080p and 1440p, but some newer titles at high texture settings want more, and 2GB less leaves less room as games grow. If you run local AI models or work with large textures, the extra 2GB is a real reason to pay more. Note that there is also an RTX 3080 12GB, a different and less common card.
DLSS 3 Frame Generation. The 4070 supports it and the 3080 doesn't. In games that offer it, frame generation can raise frame rates a lot. It adds latency and it only helps in supported games, so how much it's worth depends on what you play. The benchmark numbers above don't include it, so they understate the 4070 in those games. The 3080 still gets DLSS upscaling, just not frame generation.
Age and risk. The 4070 launched in 2023. The 3080 launched in 2020, so a used one is likely three to five years old, with a thermal pad and paste job that may be overdue. 3080s from 2020 to 2022 may also have spent time mining crypto, since that was a popular card for it. Mining isn't automatically a problem, and many mined cards run fine, but it's a risk you can't rule out from the photos. A used 4070 is less likely to carry either history, and may still have some of its original manufacturer warranty, although that varies by brand and often doesn't transfer. Ask the seller.
So which one?
Buy the used 3080 if your priority is frame rates per dollar, you play at 1080p or 1440p, your power supply has the headroom (and a case with good airflow), and you're comfortable checking a used card carefully. You save $200 or so for equal or slightly better performance.
Buy the 4070 if you have a smaller power supply or a small case, you want frame generation, you want the extra 2GB of memory, or you'd rather buy a younger card with a lower chance of hidden wear. Paying $200 for those things is reasonable. It just isn't for speed.
If you already own one of them, upgrading between the two makes little sense. Our GPU upgrade cost calculator works out the net cost of swapping a 3080 for a 4070 after selling the old card, using the same price data. Given how close the performance is, it's mainly useful for seeing how little you gain.
What to check in a used RTX 3080 listing
Since the 3080 is the cheaper and riskier of the two, a few checks matter more.
- Confirm it's the 10GB card. A listing for an "RTX 3080" could be the 10GB card, the 12GB card, a 3080 Ti, or a laptop chip. Read the title, the item specifics and the photos. The 10GB card is what the price above is for.
- Look for real photos of the actual card, including the back and the fans, not stock images. Ask for a GPU-Z screenshot if the memory size or model isn't clear.
- Ask about mining and use. A seller who knows will tell you. A vague or defensive answer is information too.
- Plan to repaste and re-pad if the temperatures are high after you get it. It's a common job on a card this age.
- Test it as soon as it arrives. Run a stress test and watch temperatures and memory errors while you're still inside the return window.
Our guide to buying a used graphics card on eBay safely covers seller checks, returns and scams in more detail, and the free eBay listing checker flags common red flags on any listing you paste in.
Getting alerted when one is cheap
The median is what a typical listing costs. The listings under the 25th percentile are the ones worth waiting for, and they don't last. You can set up a free tracker from the RTX 3080 10GB or RTX 4070 page, with your own maximum price, and get a message when a new listing matches.