GeForce G200 vs GeForce RTX 3060

NVIDIA

GeForce G200

2017Core: 1228 MHzBoost: 1468 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce G200 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 G200 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 G200 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 G200

2017

Why buy it

  • Costs $30 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
  • Draws 30W instead of 170W, a 140W 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.
  • 2017 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 0.5 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($299 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 11256.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 0.5 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $299 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

  • 466.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 30W.
  • 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 12396.3% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 136), 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 14nm, 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 $30 more expensive on MSRP at $329 vs $299, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 11256.8% (51.7 vs 0.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce G200 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce G200

The GeForce G200 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 17 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1228 MHz to 1468 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 136 points. Launch price was $79.

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 G200 scores 136 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 12396.3%. The GeForce G200 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 14 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce G200) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 1.127 TFLOPS (GeForce G200) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1468 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

FeatureGeForce G200GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score
136
16,995+12396%
Architecture
Pascal
Ampere
Process Node
14 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
384
3584+833%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.127 TFLOPS
12.74 TFLOPS+1030%
Boost Clock
1468 MHz
1777 MHz+21%
ROPs
16
48+200%
TMUs
24
112+367%
L1 Cache
0.14 MB
3.5 MB+2400%
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
3 MB+500%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce G200 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce G200GeForce 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 G200 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 G200 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (GeForce G200) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce G200GeForce 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
0.5 MB
3 MB+500%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (GeForce G200) 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 G200GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX
10.1
12 Ultimate+19%
Vulkan
N/A
1.3
OpenGL
3.3
4.6+39%
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce G200) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP4) vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce G200) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureGeForce G200GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder
None
NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder
PureVideo HD (VP4)
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce G200 draws 30W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 140% difference. The GeForce G200 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce G200) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: Legacy vs 8-pin. Card length: 168mm vs 242mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75.

FeatureGeForce G200GeForce RTX 3060
TDP
30W-82%
170W
Recommended PSU
350W-36%
550W
Power Connector
Legacy
8-pin
Length
168mm
242mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
75
75
Perf/Watt
4.5
100.0+2122%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce G200 came in at $299, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce G200 was 9.1% cheaper ($30 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.5 (GeForce G200) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 10240% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2017).

FeatureGeForce G200GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP
$299-9%
$329
Performance per Dollar
0.5
51.7+10240%
Codename
GP108
GA106
Release
May 17 2017
January 12 2021
Ranking
#641
#114

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