GeForce 7950 GX2 vs GeForce RTX 3060

NVIDIA

GeForce 7950 GX2

2016Core: 795 MHzBoost: 861 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce 7950 GX2 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

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 7950 GX2 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 7950 GX2 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 7950 GX2

2016

Why buy it

  • Draws 23W instead of 170W, a 147W reduction.
  • Measures 229mm instead of 242mm, a 13mm 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 1 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2016 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 82.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $599 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • 3084.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $270 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • Delivers 15218% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 0.3 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 1 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 639.1% higher power demand at 170W vs 23W.

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 3084.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 8313.4% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 202), 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 1 GB 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 $270 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 15218% (51.7 vs 0.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce 7950 GX2 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce 7950 GX2

The GeForce 7950 GX2 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 28 2016. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 795 MHz to 861 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 23W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 202 points.

NVIDIA

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 7950 GX2 scores 202 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 8313.4%. The GeForce 7950 GX2 is built on Maxwell while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 512 (GeForce 7950 GX2) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 0.8817 TFLOPS (GeForce 7950 GX2) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 861 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

FeatureGeForce 7950 GX2GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score
202
16,995+8313%
Architecture
Maxwell
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
512
3584+600%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.8817 TFLOPS
12.74 TFLOPS+1345%
Boost Clock
861 MHz
1777 MHz+106%
ROPs
8
48+500%
TMUs
32
112+250%
L1 Cache
0.25 MB
3.5 MB+1300%
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 7950 GX2 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce 7950 GX2GeForce 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 7950 GX2 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 1100% 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 7950 GX2 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 7950 GX2) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce 7950 GX2GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
12 GB+1100%
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 7950 GX2) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.3. OpenGL: 2.1 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce 7950 GX2GeForce 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 7950 GX2) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP1) vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,WMV (GeForce 7950 GX2) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureGeForce 7950 GX2GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder
None
NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder
PureVideo HD (VP1)
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,WMV
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 7950 GX2 draws 23W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 152.3% difference. The GeForce 7950 GX2 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 7950 GX2) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: Legacy vs 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85 vs 75.

FeatureGeForce 7950 GX2GeForce RTX 3060
TDP
23W-86%
170W
Recommended PSU
350W-36%
550W
Power Connector
Legacy
8-pin
Length
229mm
242mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
85
75-12%
Perf/Watt
8.8
100.0+1036%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 7950 GX2 came in at $599, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 45.1% cheaper ($270 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.3 (GeForce 7950 GX2) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 17133.3% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce 7950 GX2GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP
$599
$329-45%
Performance per Dollar
0.3
51.7+17133%
Codename
GM107
GA106
Release
June 28 2016
January 12 2021
Ranking
#764
#114

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