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 260 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 260 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 260

2008

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 896 MB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2008 hardware with 896 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
36.5% HIGHER MSRP
$449 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅720.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $120 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1832.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅1271.4% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 896 MB).

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 720.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1316.3% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 1,200), 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 896 MB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 65nm, 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 to buy today. It is $120 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $449, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1832.8% (51.7 vs 2.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 260 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 260

The GeForce GTX 260 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 576 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 182W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,200 points. Launch price was $449.

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 260 scores 1,200 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 1316.3%. The GeForce GTX 260 is built on Tesla 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 65 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTX 260) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 0.4769 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 260) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	1,200	16,995+1316%
Architecture	Tesla 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	65 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	192	3584+1767%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.4769 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+2571%
ROPs	28	48+71%
TMUs	64	112+75%
L2 Cache	0.22 MB	3 MB+1264%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 260 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 260 has 896 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 1271.4% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 260 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 0.22 MB (GeForce GTX 260) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	0.875 GB	12 GB+1271%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	360 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	192-bit+50%
L2 Cache	0.22 MB	3 MB+1264%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10_0 (GeForce GTX 260) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	10_0	12 Ultimate+20%
Max Displays	2	4+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 260) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264 (GeForce GTX 260) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	NVENC 1st Gen	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	NVDEC 1st Gen	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	H.264	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 260 draws 182W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 6.8% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 260) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	182W	170W-7%
Recommended PSU	500W-9%	550W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	242mm
Height	—	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	75
Perf/Watt	6.6	100.0+1415%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 260 came in at $449, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 26.7% cheaper ($120 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.7 (GeForce GTX 260) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 1814.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP	$449	$329-27%
Performance per Dollar	2.7	51.7+1815%
Codename	GT200	GA106
Release	June 16 2008	January 12 2021
Ranking	#821	#114

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