GeForce GTX 260M SLI vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

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 260M SLI vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 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 260M SLI vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU: 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 260M SLI

2009

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2009 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅1006.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) 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 Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1006.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2139.8% in PassMark G3D (13,170 vs 588), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 55nm, 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 Laptop GPU makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 260M SLI vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 260M SLI

The GeForce GTX 260M SLI is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 2 2009. It features the G9x architecture. The core clock speed is 550 MHz. It has 224 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 588 points.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 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: 13,170 points.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 260M SLI scores 588 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 13,170 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 2139.8%. The GeForce GTX 260M SLI is built on G9x while the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU uses Ampere, both on 55 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce GTX 260M SLI) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M SLI	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score	588	13,170+2140%
Architecture	G9x	Ampere
Process Node	55 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	224	3584+1500%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M SLI	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
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 260M SLI has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU carries 6 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gives you 1100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce GTX 260M SLI and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M SLI	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	6 GB+1100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	336 GB/s
Bus Width	64-bit	192-bit+200%

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTX 260M SLI) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M SLI	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
DirectX	11.1 (10_0)	12 Ultimate+8%
OpenGL	3.3	4.6+39%
Max Displays	2	4+100%

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP2 (GeForce GTX 260M SLI) vs NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs NVDEC (5th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 260M SLI) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M SLI	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
Encoder	PureVideo HD VP2	NVENC (7th Gen)
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP2	NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 260M SLI draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 170W — a 12.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 260M SLI is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 260M SLI) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 90°C vs 75°C.