GeForce FX 5950 Ultra vs GeForce RTX 3060

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 FX 5950 Ultra 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 FX 5950 Ultra 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 FX 5950 Ultra

2011

Why buy it

✅Draws 116W instead of 170W, a 54W reduction.
✅Measures 229mm instead of 242mm, a 13mm 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 256 MB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2011 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 0 vs 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅14548.0% 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).
✅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

❌46.6% higher power demand at 170W vs 116W.

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 14548.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 28705.1% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 59), 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 40nm, 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 FX 5950 Ultra vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce FX 5950 Ultra

The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 15 2011. It features the Rankine architecture. The core clock speed is 900 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 116W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 59 points. Launch price was $149.

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.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra scores 59 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 28705.1%. The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is built on Rankine while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 40 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 0.6912 TFLOPS (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	59	16,995+28705%
Architecture	Rankine	Ampere
Process Node	40 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	192	3584+1767%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6912 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+1743%
ROPs	24	48+100%
TMUs	32	112+250%
L1 Cache	0.25 MB	3.5 MB+1300%
L2 Cache	0.38 MB	3 MB+689%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	GeForce 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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra 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 FX 5950 Ultra and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 0.38 MB (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	GeForce 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	0.38 MB	3 MB+689%

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0a (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). OpenGL: 1.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	9.0a	12 Ultimate+33%
OpenGL	1.5	4.6+207%
Max Displays	2	4+100%

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra draws 116W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 37.8% difference. The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: Legacy vs 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	116W-32%	170W
Recommended PSU	350W-36%	550W
Power Connector	Legacy	8-pin
Length	229mm	242mm
Height	—	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C	75
Perf/Watt	0.5	100.0+19900%

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Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra came in at $0, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce FX 5950 Ultra was 100+% cheaper ($329 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): Infinity (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2011).

Feature	GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP	$0-100%	$329
Performance per Dollar	Infinity	51.7
Codename	GF116	GA106
Release	March 15 2011	January 12 2021
Ranking	#761	#114

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