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 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 260 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 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 4060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 896 MB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌2008 hardware with 896 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
50.2% HIGHER MSRP
$449 MSRPvs$299 MSRP

GeForce RTX 4060

2023

Why buy it

✅733.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $150 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Delivers 2346.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 65.4 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅814.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 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 4060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 733.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1529% in PassMark G3D (19,548 vs 1,200), 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: 8 GB vs 896 MB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce GTX 260 is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 65nm, and 24 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 4060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $150 cheaper on MSRP at $299 vs $449, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 2346.2% (65.4 vs 2.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 260 vs GeForce RTX 4060 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 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 260 scores 1,200 versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 19,548 — the GeForce RTX 4060 leads by 1529%. The GeForce GTX 260 is built on Tesla 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 4060 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 65 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTX 260) vs 3,072 (GeForce RTX 4060). Raw compute: 0.4769 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 260) vs 15.11 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce RTX 4060
G3D Mark Score	1,200	19,548+1529%
Architecture	Tesla 2.0	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	65 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	192	3072+1500%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.4769 TFLOPS	15.11 TFLOPS+3068%
ROPs	28	48+71%
TMUs	64	96+50%
L2 Cache	0.22 MB	24 MB+10809%

✨

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 260 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 260 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	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)

The GeForce GTX 260 has 896 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4060 carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 4060 gives you 814.3% 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 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 4060. L2 Cache: 0.22 MB (GeForce GTX 260) vs 24 MB (GeForce RTX 4060) — the GeForce RTX 4060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce RTX 4060
VRAM Capacity	0.875 GB	8 GB+814%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	272 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	0.22 MB	24 MB+10809%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10_0 (GeForce GTX 260) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce RTX 4060
DirectX	10_0	12 Ultimate+20%
Max Displays	2	4+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 260) vs NVENC 8th gen (GeForce RTX 4060). Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264 (GeForce GTX 260) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce RTX 4060
Encoder	NVENC 1st Gen	NVENC 8th gen
Decoder	NVDEC 1st Gen	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	H.264	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 260 draws 182W versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 115W — a 45.1% difference. The GeForce RTX 4060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 260) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 4060). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce RTX 4060
TDP	182W	115W-37%
Recommended PSU	500W-9%	550W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	240mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	73°C
Perf/Watt	6.6	170.0+2476%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 260 came in at $449, while the GeForce RTX 4060 launched at $299. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 4060 was 33.4% cheaper ($150 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.7 (GeForce GTX 260) vs 65.4 (GeForce RTX 4060) — the GeForce RTX 4060 offers 2322.2% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4060 (2023 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	GeForce RTX 4060
MSRP	$449	$299-33%
Performance per Dollar	2.7	65.4+2322%
Codename	GT200	AD107
Release	June 16 2008	May 18 2023
Ranking	#821	#84

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