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 G205M 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 G205M 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 G205M

2016

Why buy it

✅Draws 16W instead of 170W, a 154W reduction.

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.
❌2016 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 vs 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown 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 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).
✅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

❌962.5% higher power demand at 170W vs 16W.

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 18372.8% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 92), 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce G205M vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce G205M

The GeForce G205M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 25 2016. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 965 MHz to 993 MHz. It has 256 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 16W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 92 points.

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 G205M scores 92 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 18372.8%. The GeForce G205M is built on Maxwell while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 256 (GeForce G205M) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 0.5084 TFLOPS (GeForce G205M) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 993 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce G205M	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	92	16,995+18373%
Architecture	Maxwell	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	256	3584+1300%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.5084 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+2406%
Boost Clock	993 MHz	1777 MHz+79%
ROPs	8	48+500%
TMUs	24	112+367%
L1 Cache	0.13 MB	3.5 MB+2592%
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 G205M is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce G205M	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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce G205M 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 G205M and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce G205M) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce G205M	GeForce 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: 10.0 (GeForce G205M) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: None vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.0 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce G205M	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	10.0	12 Ultimate+20%
Vulkan	None	1.3
OpenGL	4.0	4.6+15%
Max Displays	1	4+300%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce G205M) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP3 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (GeForce G205M) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce G205M	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	No	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP3	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce G205M draws 16W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 165.6% difference. The GeForce G205M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce G205M) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: Legacy vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 242mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce G205M	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	16W-91%	170W
Recommended PSU	350W-36%	550W
Power Connector	Legacy	8-pin
Length	0mm	242mm
Height	0mm	112mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	70°C-7%	75
Perf/Watt	5.8	100.0+1624%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2016).

Feature	GeForce G205M	GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP	—	$329
Codename	GM108	GA106
Release	March 25 2016	January 12 2021
Ranking	#864	#114

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