GeForce GT 740 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 740

2014Core: 993 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce GT 740 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 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 740 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 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 740 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU: 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 740

2014

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 16.1 vs 0 G3D/$ ($89 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Draws 64W instead of 170W, a 106W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2014 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

  • 1082.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 1 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 16.1 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $89 MSRP).
  • 165.6% higher power demand at 170W vs 64W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1082.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 821.6% in PassMark G3D (13,170 vs 1,429), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 1 GB 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 GT 740 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GT 740 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and lighter 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GT 740 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 740

The GeForce GT 740 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 29 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 993 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 64W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,429 points. Launch price was $89.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 12 2022. 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: 13,170 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GT 740 scores 1,429 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 13,170 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 821.6%. The GeForce GT 740 is built on Kepler while the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 740) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 0.7626 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 740) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU).

FeatureGeForce GT 740GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score
1,429
13,170+822%
Architecture
Kepler
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
384
3584+833%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.7626 TFLOPS
12.74 TFLOPS+1571%
ROPs
16
48+200%
TMUs
32
112+250%
L1 Cache
0.03 MB
3.5 MB+11567%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
3 MB+1100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GT 740 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GT 740GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
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 740 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU carries 6 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gives you 500% 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 740 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (GeForce GT 740) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GT 740GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
6 GB+500%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
336 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 740) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GT 740GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.1
1.4+27%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
3
4+33%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GT 740) vs NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Decoder: VP5 vs NVDEC (5th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4 (GeForce GT 740) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU).

FeatureGeForce GT 740GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
Encoder
NVENC 1st Gen
NVENC (7th Gen)
Decoder
VP5
NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 740 draws 64W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 170W — a 90.6% difference. The GeForce GT 740 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GT 740) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Power connectors: None vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce GT 740GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
TDP
64W-62%
170W
Recommended PSU
300W-40%
500W
Power Connector
None
Mobile
Length
145mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1
Temp (Load)
75
75°C
Perf/Watt
22.3
77.5+248%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (2022 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce GT 740GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
MSRP
$89
Codename
GK107
GA106
Release
May 29 2014
October 12 2022
Ranking
#777
#147

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