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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌100% higher power demand at 180W vs 90W.

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 90W instead of 180W, a 90W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).

Why buy it

✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 90W instead of 180W, a 90W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌100% higher power demand at 180W vs 90W.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 9,489 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is a 2022 model from an older generation with DLSS Super Resolution. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2016, better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 8nm process instead of 16nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce GTX 1060 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $249 MSRP. GeForce GTX 1060 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce GTX 1060 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $249 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 6.1% higher G3D Mark. GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is the newer 2022 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture, lower power draw (90W vs 180W), and future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (90W vs 180W), future-proofing, and staying closer to an unclear MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 currently gives you 6.1% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 1060 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU
1080p
low	117 FPS	101 FPS
medium	105 FPS	89 FPS
high	91 FPS	76 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	63 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	93 FPS
medium	87 FPS	78 FPS
high	76 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	45 FPS
medium	49 FPS	42 FPS
high	41 FPS	31 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	27 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU
1080p
low	216 FPS	197 FPS
medium	181 FPS	168 FPS
high	148 FPS	130 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	102 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	138 FPS
medium	107 FPS	114 FPS
high	87 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	80 FPS
medium	51 FPS	67 FPS
high	49 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	43 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU
1080p
low	453 FPS	427 FPS
medium	362 FPS	342 FPS
high	302 FPS	285 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	214 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	283 FPS
medium	272 FPS	251 FPS
high	226 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	160 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	178 FPS
medium	181 FPS	152 FPS
high	151 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	85 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU
1080p
low	358 FPS	285 FPS
medium	302 FPS	233 FPS
high	260 FPS	212 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	184 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	219 FPS
medium	254 FPS	178 FPS
high	208 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	132 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	111 FPS
medium	133 FPS	89 FPS
high	123 FPS	80 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	66 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU

GeForce GTX 1060

The GeForce GTX 1060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 27 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1733 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,064 points. Launch price was $599.

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 27 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1545 MHz to 1740 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 90W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,489 points. Launch price was $199.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU's 9,489 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 6.1%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,048 (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 7.127 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1740 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score	10,064+6%	9,489
Architecture	Pascal	Ampere
Process Node	16 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2560+25%	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+24%	7.127 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz	1740 MHz
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	160+150%	64
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	2 MB+113%
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 4GB 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 GTX 1060 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+50%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	192 GB/s
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU
DirectX	12	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs NVDEC (5th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	NVENC (7th Gen)
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU's 90W — a 66.7% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Mobile.