GeForce GTS 240 vs GeForce RTX 3060

NVIDIA

GeForce GTS 240

2010Core: 783 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce GTS 240 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 GTS 240 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 GTS 240 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 GTS 240

2010

Why buy it

  • Costs $249 less on MSRP ($80 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
  • Draws 106W instead of 170W, a 64W 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 1 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2010 hardware with 1 GB 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 6.4 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($80 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • 1744.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 702.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 6.4 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $80 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 1 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 60.4% higher power demand at 170W vs 106W.

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 1744.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3200% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 515), 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 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 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 to buy today. It is $249 more expensive on MSRP at $329 vs $80, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 702.4% (51.7 vs 6.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTS 240 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTS 240

The GeForce GTS 240 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 13 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 783 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 106W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 515 points. Launch price was $129.

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 GTS 240 scores 515 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 3200%. The GeForce GTS 240 is built on Fermi while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 40 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTS 240) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 0.6013 TFLOPS (GeForce GTS 240) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureGeForce GTS 240GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score
515
16,995+3200%
Architecture
Fermi
Ampere
Process Node
40 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
192
3584+1767%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.6013 TFLOPS
12.74 TFLOPS+2019%
ROPs
16
48+200%
TMUs
32
112+250%
L1 Cache
0.25 MB
3.5 MB+1300%
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 GTS 240 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTS 240GeForce 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 GTS 240 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 1100% 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 GTS 240 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (GeForce GTS 240) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTS 240GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
12 GB+1100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
360 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit
192-bit+50%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
3 MB+1100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTS 240) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). OpenGL: 3.2 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTS 240GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX
11.1 (10_0)
12 Ultimate+8%
OpenGL
3.2
4.6+44%
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP2 (GeForce GTS 240) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTS 240) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureGeForce GTS 240GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder
PureVideo HD VP2
NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP2
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTS 240 draws 106W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 46.4% difference. The GeForce GTS 240 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTS 240) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 242mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75.

FeatureGeForce GTS 240GeForce RTX 3060
TDP
106W-38%
170W
Recommended PSU
350W-36%
550W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
8-pin
Length
229mm
242mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
85°C
75-12%
Perf/Watt
4.9
100.0+1941%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTS 240 came in at $80, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce GTS 240 was 75.7% cheaper ($249 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 6.4 (GeForce GTS 240) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 707.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2010).

FeatureGeForce GTS 240GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP
$80-76%
$329
Performance per Dollar
6.4
51.7+708%
Codename
GF106
GA106
Release
September 13 2010
January 12 2021
Ranking
#791
#114

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