G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce 6800 vs GeForce RTX 3060 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce 6800 vs GeForce RTX 3060: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce 6800

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $30 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 33W instead of 170W, a 137W reduction.
✅Measures 198mm instead of 242mm, a 44mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 256 MB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2014 hardware with 256 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.4 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅5021.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 13568.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 0.4 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅4700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 256 MB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌415.2% higher power demand at 170W vs 33W.
❌22.2% longer card at 242mm vs 198mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 3060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 5021.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 14939.8% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 113), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 256 MB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, and 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $30 more expensive on MSRP at $329 vs $299, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 13568.4% (51.7 vs 0.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce 6800 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

GeForce 6800

The GeForce 6800 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 22 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1082 MHz to 1150 MHz. It has 256 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 113 points.

GeForce RTX 3060

The GeForce RTX 3060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,995 points. Launch price was $329.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce 6800 scores 113 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 14939.8%. The GeForce 6800 is built on Maxwell while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 256 (GeForce 6800) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 0.5888 TFLOPS (GeForce 6800) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1150 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce 6800	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	113	16,995+14940%
Architecture	Maxwell	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	256	3584+1300%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.5888 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+2064%
Boost Clock	1150 MHz	1777 MHz+55%
ROPs	8	48+500%
TMUs	16	112+600%
L1 Cache	0.13 MB	3.5 MB+2592%
L2 Cache	1 MB	3 MB+200%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce 6800 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce 6800	GeForce RTX 3060
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 6800 has 256 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 4700% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 6800 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 6800) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 6800	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	0.25 GB	12 GB+4700%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	360 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	192-bit+50%
L2 Cache	1 MB	3 MB+200%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0c (GeForce 6800) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.3. OpenGL: 2.1 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce 6800	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	9.0c	12 Ultimate+33%
Vulkan	N/A	1.3
OpenGL	2.1	4.6+119%
Max Displays	2	4+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce 6800) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo (VP1) vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,WMV (GeForce 6800) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce 6800	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	None	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	PureVideo (VP1)	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,WMV	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 6800 draws 33W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 135% difference. The GeForce 6800 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 6800) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: Legacy vs 8-pin. Card length: 198mm vs 242mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 75.

Feature	GeForce 6800	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	33W-81%	170W
Recommended PSU	350W-36%	550W
Power Connector	Legacy	8-pin
Length	198mm	242mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	1-50%	2
Temp (Load)	80	75-6%
Perf/Watt	3.4	100.0+2841%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 6800 came in at $299, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce 6800 was 9.1% cheaper ($30 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.4 (GeForce 6800) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 12825% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce 6800	GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP	$299-9%	$329
Performance per Dollar	0.4	51.7+12825%
Codename	GM108	GA106
Release	July 22 2014	January 12 2021
Ranking	#832	#114

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