The RTX 4070 and RTX 4080 are both excellent cards, but the price gap between them is significant. The 4070 sits around £500–£550 while the 4080 runs £900–£1,000. That's a £400 difference for a GPU - money that could go toward a better CPU, more RAM, or a faster NVMe drive. So which one is actually worth buying in 2026?
The Headline Numbers
| Spec | RTX 4070 | RTX 4080 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM | 12GB GDDR6X | 16GB GDDR6X |
| CUDA Cores | 5,888 | 9,728 |
| TDP | 200W | 320W |
| Memory Bandwidth | 504 GB/s | 716 GB/s |
| UK Street Price | ~£520 | ~£950 |
Real-World Gaming Performance
In practice, the RTX 4080 is roughly 35–40% faster than the RTX 4070 at 4K. At 1440p the gap narrows to around 25–30%. At 1080p both cards are so fast that you're largely CPU-limited - the difference is minimal.
| Game / Resolution | RTX 4070 (avg FPS) | RTX 4080 (avg FPS) |
|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 - 1440p Ultra RT | 62 | 89 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 - 4K Ultra RT | 38 | 55 |
| Call of Duty: BO6 - 1440p High | 165 | 210 |
| Elden Ring - 4K Ultra | 60 | 60 |
| Microsoft Flight Sim - 4K High | 48 | 66 |
Approximate averages. Actual results vary by CPU and settings.
The VRAM Question
The 4070's 12GB VRAM is starting to feel limiting in some titles at 4K with texture mods enabled. The 4080's 16GB gives more headroom. If you play at 1440p, 12GB is fine. If you're building a 4K machine and plan to use it for 3–4 years, the 4080's VRAM advantage matters more.
Our Verdict
Choose RTX 4070 if...
- Gaming at 1080p or 1440p
- Budget is your main concern
- Most gaming titles (not demanding RT)
- Building a balanced £1,000–£1,400 system
Choose RTX 4080 if...
- Gaming at 4K high refresh rate
- Future-proofing for 3–4 years
- Content creation alongside gaming
- Building a flagship £2,000+ system
For most UK gamers in 2026, the RTX 4070 is the better value card. The £400 you save is better spent elsewhere in the system. The 4080 is for people who specifically need 4K performance and have the budget for a balanced system around it.
