GeForce 9300 vs GeForce RTX 3060

NVIDIA

GeForce 9300

2015Core: 928 MHzBoost: 941 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce 9300 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 9300 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 9300 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 9300

2015

Why buy it

  • Costs $269 less on MSRP ($60 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
  • Draws 33W instead of 170W, a 137W reduction.
  • Measures 168mm instead of 242mm, a 74mm 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 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 2.1 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($60 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • 4951.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 2340.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 2.1 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $60 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.
  • 44% longer card at 242mm vs 168mm.

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 4951.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 13281.9% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 127), 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 to buy today. It is $269 more expensive on MSRP at $329 vs $60, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 2340.5% (51.7 vs 2.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce 9300 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce 9300

The GeForce 9300 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 928 MHz to 941 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 127 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 9300 scores 127 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 13281.9%. The GeForce 9300 is built on Maxwell while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 9300) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 0.7227 TFLOPS (GeForce 9300) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 941 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

FeatureGeForce 9300GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score
127
16,995+13282%
Architecture
Maxwell
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
384
3584+833%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.7227 TFLOPS
12.74 TFLOPS+1663%
Boost Clock
941 MHz
1777 MHz+89%
ROPs
8
48+500%
TMUs
24
112+367%
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 9300 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce 9300GeForce 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 9300 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 9300 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 9300) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce 9300GeForce 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: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce 9300) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.3. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce 9300GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX
11.1 (10_0)
12 Ultimate+8%
Vulkan
N/A
1.3
OpenGL
3.3
4.6+39%
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce 9300) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP2) vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce 9300) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureGeForce 9300GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder
None
NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder
PureVideo HD (VP2)
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 9300 draws 33W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 135% difference. The GeForce 9300 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 9300) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: Legacy vs 8-pin. Card length: 168mm vs 242mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 75.

FeatureGeForce 9300GeForce RTX 3060
TDP
33W-81%
170W
Recommended PSU
350W-36%
550W
Power Connector
Legacy
8-pin
Length
168mm
242mm
Height
69mm
112mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
80
75-6%
Perf/Watt
3.8
100.0+2532%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 9300 came in at $60, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce 9300 was 81.8% cheaper ($269 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.1 (GeForce 9300) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 2361.9% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce 9300GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP
$60-82%
$329
Performance per Dollar
2.1
51.7+2362%
Codename
GM108
GA106
Release
March 13 2015
January 12 2021
Ranking
#810
#114

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