GeForce GTX 1650 vs GeForce RTX 3060 8GB

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1650

2019Core: 1485 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz
GTX family
·······
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 8GB

2022Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
·······

GeForce GTX 1650 vs GeForce RTX 3060 8GB 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 1650 vs GeForce RTX 3060 8GB 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 1650 vs GeForce RTX 3060 8GB: 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 1650

2019

Why buy it

  • Costs $180 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
  • Delivers 14.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 46.2 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
  • Draws 75W instead of 170W, a 95W reduction.
  • Measures 229mm instead of 242mm, a 13mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 8GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • Older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.

GeForce RTX 3060 8GB

2022

Why buy it

  • 98.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 120.8% HIGHER MSRP
    $329 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 46.2 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
  • 126.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 8GB is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 98.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 93.3% in PassMark G3D (15,208 vs 7,869), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3060 8GB is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 12nm, 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 GTX 1650 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $180 cheaper on MSRP at $149 vs $329, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 14.3% (52.8 vs 46.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 1650 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and lighter 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 3060 8GB has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1650 vs GeForce RTX 3060 8GB Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1650

The GeForce GTX 1650 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 23 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1485 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,869 points. Launch price was $149.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 8GB

The GeForce RTX 3060 8GB 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: 15,208 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1650 scores 7,869 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB's 15,208 — the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB leads by 93.3%. The GeForce GTX 1650 is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 896 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB). Raw compute: 2.984 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
G3D Mark Score
7,869
15,208+93%
Architecture
Turing
Ampere
Process Node
12 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
896
3584+300%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.984 TFLOPS
12.74 TFLOPS+327%
Boost Clock
1665 MHz
1777 MHz+7%
ROPs
32
48+50%
TMUs
56
112+100%
L1 Cache
0.88 MB
3.5 MB+298%
L2 Cache
1 MB
3 MB+200%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 8GB supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1650 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
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 1650 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 8GB gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 128 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 240 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB) — a 87.5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 1650 and 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB) — the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
8 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
128 GB/s
240 GB/s+88%
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
1 MB
3 MB+200%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
DirectX
12
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.4+8%
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
3
4+33%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 5th gen (Volta) (GeForce GTX 1650) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB). Decoder: NVDEC 4th gen vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
Encoder
NVENC 5th gen (Volta)
NVENC 7th gen
Decoder
NVDEC 4th gen
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9
H.264,H.265/HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1650 draws 75W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB's 170W — a 77.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 1650 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB). Power connectors: None vs 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
TDP
75W-56%
170W
Recommended PSU
300W-45%
550W
Power Connector
None
8-pin
Length
229mm
242mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
70°C-7%
75°C
Perf/Watt
104.9+17%
89.5
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1650 came in at $149, while the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1650 was 54.7% cheaper ($180 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 52.8 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 46.2 (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB) — the GeForce GTX 1650 offers 14.3% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 8GB (2022 vs 2019).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
MSRP
$149-55%
$329
Performance per Dollar
52.8+14%
46.2
Codename
TU117
GA106
Release
April 23 2019
October 12 2022
Ranking
#323
#147

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