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 280 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 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 280 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti: 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 280

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 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2008 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
62.7% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$399 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅777.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $250 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 2471.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 2.0 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 1 GB).

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 Ti is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 777.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1480.7% in PassMark G3D (20,312 vs 1,285), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 1 GB 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 38 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 Ti makes the most sense to buy today. It is $250 cheaper on MSRP at $399 vs $649, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 2471.1% (50.9 vs 2.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 280 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 280

The GeForce GTX 280 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 602 MHz. It has 240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 236W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,285 points. Launch price was $649.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 4864 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 38 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,312 points. Launch price was $399.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 280 scores 1,285 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 1480.7%. The GeForce GTX 280 is built on Tesla 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on 65 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 240 (GeForce GTX 280) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Raw compute: 0.6221 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 280) vs 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

Feature	GeForce GTX 280	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score	1,285	20,312+1481%
Architecture	Tesla 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	65 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	240	4864+1927%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6221 TFLOPS	16.2 TFLOPS+2504%
ROPs	32	80+150%
TMUs	80	152+90%
L2 Cache	0.25 MB	4 MB+1500%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 280 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 280	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
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 280 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti gives you 700% 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 280 and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (GeForce GTX 280) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 280	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
VRAM Capacity	1 GB	8 GB+700%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	448 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit+100%
L2 Cache	0.25 MB	4 MB+1500%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTX 280) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.3. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 280	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
DirectX	11.1 (10_0)	12 Ultimate (12_2)+8%
Vulkan	N/A	1.3
OpenGL	3.3	4.6+39%
Max Displays	2	4+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce GTX 280) vs NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP2) vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 280) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

Feature	GeForce GTX 280	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder	None	NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder	PureVideo HD (VP2)	NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 280 draws 236W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 16.5% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 280) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85 vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 280	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
TDP	236W	200W-15%
Recommended PSU	550W-8%	600W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	242mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85	75-12%
Perf/Watt	5.4	101.6+1781%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 280 came in at $649, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti was 38.5% cheaper ($250 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.0 (GeForce GTX 280) vs 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 2445% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (2020 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce GTX 280	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
MSRP	$649	$399-39%
Performance per Dollar	2.0	50.9+2445%
Codename	GT200	GA104
Release	June 16 2008	December 1 2020
Ranking	#802	#73

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