GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel) vs GeForce RTX 3060

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1771 MHz
GTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel) 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 GTX 1080 (móvel) 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 GTX 1080 (móvel) 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 GTX 1080 (móvel)

2016

Why buy it

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2016 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • 14.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

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 14.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 8.8% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 15,614), 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 8 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 16nm, 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel) vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)

The GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel) is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 15 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1771 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 15,614 points. Launch price was $499.99.

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 GTX 1080 (móvel) scores 15,614 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 8.8%. The GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel) is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 9.068 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1771 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score
15,614
16,995+9%
Architecture
Pascal
Ampere
Process Node
16 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
2560
3584+40%
Compute (TFLOPS)
9.068 TFLOPS
12.74 TFLOPS+40%
Boost Clock
1771 MHz
1777 MHz
ROPs
64+33%
48
TMUs
160+43%
112
L1 Cache
0.94 MB
3.5 MB+272%
L2 Cache
2 MB
3 MB+50%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel) is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)GeForce 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 GTX 1080 (móvel) has 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 320 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 12.5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel) and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
12 GB+50%
Memory Type
GDDR5X
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
320 GB/s
360 GB/s+13%
Bus Width
256-bit+33%
192-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
3 MB+50%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX
12.0
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.1
1.3+18%
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
1
4+300%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 5.0 (GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP8 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder
NVENC 5.0
NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP8
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel) draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 12.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 242mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)GeForce RTX 3060
TDP
150W-12%
170W
Recommended PSU
650W
550W-15%
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
8-pin
Length
0mm
242mm
Height
0mm
112mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
85°C
75-12%
Perf/Watt
104.1+4%
100.0
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP
$329
Codename
GP104
GA106
Release
August 15 2016
January 12 2021
Ranking
#180
#114

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