GeForce 830M vs GeForce RTX 3060

NVIDIA

GeForce 830M

2014Core: 1082 MHzBoost: 1150 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
·······

GeForce 830M 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 830M 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 830M 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 830M

2014

Why buy it

  • Draws 33W instead of 170W, a 137W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2014 hardware with 2 GB 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 vs 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • 950.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 GB).
  • 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.

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 950.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1591% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 1,005), 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 2 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce 830M vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce 830M

The GeForce 830M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 12 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: 1,005 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 830M scores 1,005 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 1591%. The GeForce 830M is built on Maxwell while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 256 (GeForce 830M) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 0.5888 TFLOPS (GeForce 830M) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1150 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

FeatureGeForce 830MGeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score
1,005
16,995+1591%
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 830M is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce 830MGeForce 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 830M has 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 500% 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 830M and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 830M) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce 830MGeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
12 GB+500%
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: 12 (11_0) (GeForce 830M) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce 830MGeForce RTX 3060
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.1
1.3+18%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Maxwell) (GeForce 830M) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP6) vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,MPEG-2 (GeForce 830M) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureGeForce 830MGeForce RTX 3060
Encoder
NVENC (Maxwell)
NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder
PureVideo HD (VP6)
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,H.265,MPEG-2
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 830M draws 33W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 135% difference. The GeForce 830M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 830M) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: Legacy vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 242mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75.

FeatureGeForce 830MGeForce RTX 3060
TDP
33W-81%
170W
Recommended PSU
350W-36%
550W
Power Connector
Legacy
8-pin
Length
0mm
242mm
Height
0mm
112mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
75
75
Perf/Watt
30.5
100.0+228%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce 830MGeForce RTX 3060
MSRP
$329
Codename
GM108
GA106
Release
March 12 2014
January 12 2021
Ranking
#885
#114

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