GeForce 845M vs GeForce RTX 3060

NVIDIA

GeForce 845M

2015Core: 1071 MHzBoost: 1176 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce 845M 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 845M 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 845M 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 845M

2015

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 512 MB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2015 hardware with 512 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 vs 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • 697.0% 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).
  • 2300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 512 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.

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 697.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1042.9% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 1,487), 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 512 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce 845M vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce 845M

The GeForce 845M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 26 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1071 MHz to 1176 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,487 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 845M scores 1,487 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 1042.9%. The GeForce 845M is built on Maxwell while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 845M) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 0.9032 TFLOPS (GeForce 845M) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1176 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

FeatureGeForce 845MGeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score
1,487
16,995+1043%
Architecture
Maxwell
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
384
3584+833%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.9032 TFLOPS
12.74 TFLOPS+1311%
Boost Clock
1176 MHz
1777 MHz+51%
ROPs
16
48+200%
TMUs
32
112+250%
L1 Cache
0.19 MB
3.5 MB+1742%
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 845M is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce 845MGeForce 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 845M has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 2300% 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 845M and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 845M) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce 845MGeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
12 GB+2300%
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 845M) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce 845MGeForce RTX 3060
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
3
4+33%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 4th Gen NVENC (Maxwell) (GeForce 845M) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC (GeForce 845M) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureGeForce 845MGeForce RTX 3060
Encoder
4th Gen NVENC (Maxwell)
NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP6
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,HEVC
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 845M draws 33W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 135% difference. The GeForce 845M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 845M) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: Legacy vs 8-pin. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75.

FeatureGeForce 845MGeForce RTX 3060
TDP
33W-81%
170W
Recommended PSU
350W-36%
550W
Power Connector
Legacy
8-pin
Length
242mm
Height
112mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
85°C
75-12%
Perf/Watt
45.1
100.0+122%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce 845MGeForce RTX 3060
MSRP
$329
Codename
GM108
GA106
Release
August 26 2015
January 12 2021
Ranking
#768
#114

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