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 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 4060 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 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 4060: 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 with Max-Q Design

2017

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌2017 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 65.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌30.4% higher power demand at 150W vs 115W.

GeForce RTX 4060

2023

Why buy it

✅35.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 65.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 115W instead of 150W, a 35W reduction.

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 4060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 35.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 69% in PassMark G3D (19,548 vs 11,566), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce RTX 4060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 16nm, 24 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2017. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 4060 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 4060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 27 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1290 MHz to 1468 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,566 points.

GeForce RTX 4060

The GeForce RTX 4060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1830 MHz to 2460 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: 19,548 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design scores 11,566 versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 19,548 — the GeForce RTX 4060 leads by 69%. The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 4060 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 16 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 3,072 (GeForce RTX 4060). Raw compute: 7.516 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 15.11 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060). Boost clocks: 1468 MHz vs 2460 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 4060
G3D Mark Score	11,566	19,548+69%
Architecture	Pascal	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	16 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	2560	3072+20%
Compute (TFLOPS)	7.516 TFLOPS	15.11 TFLOPS+101%
Boost Clock	1468 MHz	2460 MHz+68%
ROPs	64+33%	48
TMUs	160+67%	96
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	3 MB+219%
L2 Cache	2 MB	24 MB+1100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4060 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 4060
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 8 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 256 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 272 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4060) — a 6.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4060. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design and 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 4060. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 24 MB (GeForce RTX 4060) — the GeForce RTX 4060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 4060
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5X	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	256 GB/s	272 GB/s+6%
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	24 MB+1100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 4060
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.1	1.3+18%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 4.0 (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs NVENC 8th gen (GeForce RTX 4060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 4060
Encoder	NVENC 4.0	NVENC 8th gen
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 115W — a 26.4% difference. The GeForce RTX 4060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 4060). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 240mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 73°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 4060
TDP	150W	115W-23%
Recommended PSU	500W-9%	550W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	8-pin
Length	0mm	240mm
Height	0mm	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	73°C-9%
Perf/Watt	77.1	170.0+120%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4060 (2023 vs 2017).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 4060
MSRP	—	$299
Codename	GP104	AD107
Release	June 27 2017	May 18 2023
Ranking	#257	#84

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