GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

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 GTX 1060 (Mobile) 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 GTX 1060 (Mobile) 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 GTX 1060 (Mobile)

2023

Why buy it

✅Draws 115W instead of 170W, a 55W reduction.
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅20.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).

Trade-offs

❌47.8% higher power demand at 170W vs 115W.

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 20.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 61.4% in PassMark G3D (13,170 vs 8,160), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 5nm process instead of 8nm and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2022. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and lighter 1440p, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)

The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 3 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1545 MHz to 1890 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 24 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,160 points.

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.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) scores 8,160 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 13,170 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 61.4%. The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) is built on Ada Lovelace while the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU uses Ampere, both on 5 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 11.61 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1890 MHz vs 1777 MHz. Ray tracing: 24 RT cores (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) vs 28 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) with 96 Tensor cores vs 112.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score	8,160	13,170+61%
Architecture	Ada Lovelace	Ampere
Process Node	5 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	3072	3584+17%
Compute (TFLOPS)	11.61 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+10%
Boost Clock	1890 MHz+6%	1777 MHz
ROPs	48	48
TMUs	96	112+17%
L1 Cache	3 MB	3.5 MB+17%
L2 Cache	32 MB+967%	3 MB
Ray Tracing Cores	24	28+17%
Tensor Cores	96	112+17%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)	GeForce 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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 6 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) vs 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) — a 75% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU. L2 Cache: 32 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) — the GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	336 GB/s+75%
Bus Width	192-bit	192-bit
L2 Cache	32 MB+967%	3 MB

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
DirectX	12	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.3	1.4+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6th Gen (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) vs NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Decoder: NVDEC 3rd Gen vs NVDEC (5th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265 (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
Encoder	NVENC 6th Gen	NVENC (7th Gen)
Decoder	NVDEC 3rd Gen	NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs	H.264,H.265	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) draws 115W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 170W — a 38.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 70 vs 75°C.