GeForce 8800M GTX vs GeForce RTX 3060

NVIDIA

GeForce 8800M GTX

2008Core: 500 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce 8800M GTX 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 8800M GTX 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 8800M GTX 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 8800M GTX

2008

Why buy it

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

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.
  • 2008 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

  • 1416.4% 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

  • Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

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 1416.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3578.6% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 462), 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 65nm, 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 8800M GTX vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce 8800M GTX

The GeForce 8800M GTX is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 15 2008. It features the G9x architecture. The core clock speed is 500 MHz. It has 224 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 462 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 8800M GTX scores 462 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 3578.6%. The GeForce 8800M GTX is built on G9x while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 65 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 8800M GTX) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureGeForce 8800M GTXGeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score
462
16,995+3579%
Architecture
G9x
Ampere
Process Node
65 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
224
3584+1500%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce 8800M GTX is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce 8800M GTXGeForce 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 8800M GTX 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 64-bit on the GeForce 8800M GTX and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060.

FeatureGeForce 8800M GTXGeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
12 GB+2300%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
360 GB/s
Bus Width
64-bit
192-bit+200%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.0 (GeForce 8800M GTX) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: None vs 1.3. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce 8800M GTXGeForce RTX 3060
DirectX
10.0
12 Ultimate+20%
Vulkan
None
1.3
OpenGL
3.3
4.6+39%
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce 8800M GTX) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce 8800M GTX) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureGeForce 8800M GTXGeForce RTX 3060
Encoder
No
NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP2
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 8800M GTX draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 12.5% difference. The GeForce 8800M GTX is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 8800M GTX) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 242mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 95°C vs 75.

FeatureGeForce 8800M GTXGeForce RTX 3060
TDP
150W-12%
170W
Recommended PSU
350W-36%
550W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
8-pin
Length
0mm
242mm
Height
0mm
112mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
95°C
75-21%
Perf/Watt
3.1
100.0+3126%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce 8800M GTXGeForce RTX 3060
MSRP
$329
Codename
NB9E-GTX
GA106
Release
July 15 2008
January 12 2021
Ranking
#825
#114

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