GeForce GT 730A vs GeForce RTX 3060

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 730A

2014Core: 628 MHzBoost: 657 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce GT 730A 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 GT 730A 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 GT 730A 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 GT 730A

2014

Why buy it

  • Costs $254 less on MSRP ($75 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
  • Draws 55W instead of 170W, a 115W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 49 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.
  • 2014 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 9.9 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($75 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • 1080.9% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 421.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 9.9 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $75 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

  • 209.1% higher power demand at 170W vs 55W.

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 1080.9% in average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2187.3% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 743), 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 to buy today. It is $254 more expensive on MSRP at $329 vs $75, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 421.4% (51.7 vs 9.9), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GT 730A vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 730A

The GeForce GT 730A is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 17 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 628 MHz to 657 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 55W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 743 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 GT 730A scores 743 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 2187.3%. The GeForce GT 730A is built on Kepler while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GT 730A) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 1.009 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 730A) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 657 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GT 730AGeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score
743
16,995+2187%
Architecture
Kepler
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
768
3584+367%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.009 TFLOPS
12.74 TFLOPS+1163%
Boost Clock
657 MHz
1777 MHz+170%
ROPs
16
48+200%
TMUs
64
112+75%
L1 Cache
0.06 MB
3.5 MB+5733%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
3 MB+1100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GT 730A is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GT 730AGeForce 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 GT 730A 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 GT 730A and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (GeForce GT 730A) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GT 730AGeForce 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%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
3 MB+1100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GT 730A) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GT 730AGeForce RTX 3060
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.1
1.3+18%
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No NVENC (GeForce GT 730A) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP5 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GT 730A) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureGeForce GT 730AGeForce RTX 3060
Encoder
No NVENC
NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP5
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 730A draws 55W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 102.2% difference. The GeForce GT 730A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 730A) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 75.

FeatureGeForce GT 730AGeForce RTX 3060
TDP
55W-68%
170W
Recommended PSU
350W-36%
550W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
8-pin
Length
242mm
Height
112mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
70°C-7%
75
Perf/Watt
13.5
100.0+641%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 730A came in at $75, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce GT 730A was 77.2% cheaper ($254 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 9.9 (GeForce GT 730A) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 422.2% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce GT 730AGeForce RTX 3060
MSRP
$75-77%
$329
Performance per Dollar
9.9
51.7+422%
Codename
GK106
GA106
Release
March 17 2014
January 12 2021
Ranking
#813
#114

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