Chipversus Index
Jump to Section

GeForce 9500M GS vs GeForce RTX 3060

CPUCPUGPUGPU
NVIDIA

GeForce 9500M GS

2008Core: 500 MHz
Buy on Amazon
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
Buy on Amazon

GeForce 9500M GS vs GeForce RTX 3060 Performance Spectrum

GeForce 9500M GS
0.5 GB 150
133
0.0%
brand logoGeForce 7350 LE
brand logoGeForce 8600M GS
brand logoGeForce 9300 GS
brand logoGeForce 9300M GS
brand logoGeForce GTX 1630
brand logoGeForce GTX 970
brand logoGeForce RTX 4050 Mobile
brand logoGeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU
GeForce RTX 3060
12 GB 170
16,995
+12678.2%
brand logoGeForce RTX 3050 4GB Mobile
brand logoGeForce RTX 2060 (Mobile)
brand logoGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
brand logoRTX 2000 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
brand logoTITAN V
brand logoGeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB
brand logoGeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile
brand logoGeForce RTX 5070

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 9500M GS 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

1080P
GeForce 9500M GS
low6 FPS
medium5 FPS
high4 FPS
ultra3 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3060
low149 FPS
medium131 FPS
high118 FPS
ultra99 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

1080P
GeForce 9500M GS
low6 FPS
medium5 FPS
high4 FPS
ultra3 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3060
low354 FPS
medium310 FPS
high249 FPS
ultra195 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

1080P
GeForce 9500M GS
low6 FPS
medium5 FPS
high4 FPS
ultra3 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3060
low765 FPS
medium612 FPS
high510 FPS
ultra382 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

1080P
GeForce 9500M GS
low6 FPS
medium5 FPS
high4 FPS
ultra3 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3060
low523 FPS
medium452 FPS
high383 FPS
ultra319 FPS
Among Us

Among Us

1080P
GeForce 9500M GS
low6 FPS
medium5 FPS
high4 FPS
ultra3 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3060
low60 FPS
medium60 FPS
high60 FPS
ultra60 FPS
Apex Legends

Apex Legends

1080P
GeForce 9500M GS
low6 FPS
medium5 FPS
high4 FPS
ultra3 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3060
low294 FPS
medium262 FPS
high235 FPS
ultra214 FPS
ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders

1080P
GeForce 9500M GS
low6 FPS
medium5 FPS
high4 FPS
ultra3 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3060
low150 FPS
medium126 FPS
high103 FPS
ultra77 FPS
Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3

1080P
GeForce 9500M GS
low6 FPS
medium5 FPS
high4 FPS
ultra3 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3060
low162 FPS
medium141 FPS
high124 FPS
ultra100 FPS
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

1080P
GeForce 9500M GS
low6 FPS
medium5 FPS
high4 FPS
ultra3 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3060
low119 FPS
medium107 FPS
high82 FPS
ultra72 FPS
Call of Duty: Warzone

Call of Duty: Warzone

1080P
GeForce 9500M GS
low6 FPS
medium5 FPS
high4 FPS
ultra3 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3060
low126 FPS
medium108 FPS
high95 FPS
ultra82 FPS
Check FPS with Custom Builds

GeForce 9500M GS 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 9500M GS

2008

Why buy it

  • ✅Costs $269 less on MSRP ($60 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

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 2.2 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($60 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • ✅4815.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • ✅Delivers 2230.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 2.2 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

  • ❌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 4815.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 12678.2% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 133), 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 to buy today. It is $269 more expensive on MSRP at $329 vs $60, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 2230.4% (51.7 vs 2.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce 9500M GS vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce 9500M GS

The GeForce 9500M GS 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: 133 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 9500M GS scores 133 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 12678.2%. The GeForce 9500M GS is built on G9x while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 65 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 9500M GS) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureGeForce 9500M GSGeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score
133
16,995+12678%
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 9500M GS is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce 9500M GSGeForce 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 9500M GS 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 9500M GS and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060.

FeatureGeForce 9500M GSGeForce 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 9500M GS) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: None vs 1.3. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce 9500M GSGeForce RTX 3060
DirectX
10.0
12 Ultimate+20%
Vulkan
None
1.3
OpenGL
3.3
4.6+39%
Max Displays
1
4+300%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce 9500M GS) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce 9500M GS) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureGeForce 9500M GSGeForce 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 9500M GS draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 12.5% difference. The GeForce 9500M GS is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 9500M GS) 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°C vs 75.

FeatureGeForce 9500M GSGeForce RTX 3060
TDP
150W-12%
170W
Recommended PSU
350W-36%
550W
Power Connector
Legacy
8-pin
Length
0mm
242mm
Height
0mm
112mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
75
Perf/Watt
0.9
100.0+11011%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 9500M GS came in at $60, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce 9500M GS was 81.8% cheaper ($269 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.2 (GeForce 9500M GS) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 2250% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce 9500M GSGeForce RTX 3060
MSRP
$60-82%
$329
Performance per Dollar
2.2
51.7+2250%
Codename
NB9E-GTX
GA106
Release
July 15 2008
January 12 2021
Ranking
#825
#114
Search GeForce 9500M GS on AmazonSearch GeForce RTX 3060 on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.