GeForce 9400M G vs GeForce RTX 3060

NVIDIA

GeForce 9400M G

2015Core: 1072 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 9400M G 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 9400M G 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 9400M G 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 9400M G

2015

Why buy it

  • Costs $279 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
  • 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 256 MB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2015 hardware with 256 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 1.9 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • 7373.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 2647.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 1.9 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 4700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 256 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 7373.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 17979.8% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 94), 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 256 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 $279 more expensive on MSRP at $329 vs $50, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 2647.7% (51.7 vs 1.9), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce 9400M G vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce 9400M G

The GeForce 9400M G is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1072 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: 94 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 9400M G scores 94 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 17979.8%. The GeForce 9400M G is built on Maxwell while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 9400M G) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 0.9032 TFLOPS (GeForce 9400M G) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1176 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

FeatureGeForce 9400M GGeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score
94
16,995+17980%
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
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 9400M G is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce 9400M GGeForce 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 9400M G has 256 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 4700% 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 9400M G and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 9400M G) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce 9400M GGeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity
0.25 GB
12 GB+4700%
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 9400M G) 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 9400M GGeForce 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 9400M G) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP3) vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce 9400M G) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureGeForce 9400M GGeForce RTX 3060
Encoder
None
NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder
PureVideo HD (VP3)
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 9400M G draws 33W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 135% difference. The GeForce 9400M G is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 9400M G) 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 9400M GGeForce 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
2.8
100.0+3471%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 9400M G came in at $50, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce 9400M G was 84.8% cheaper ($279 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.9 (GeForce 9400M G) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 2621.1% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce 9400M GGeForce RTX 3060
MSRP
$50-85%
$329
Performance per Dollar
1.9
51.7+2621%
Codename
GM108
GA106
Release
March 13 2015
January 12 2021
Ranking
#847
#114

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