GeForce GTX 280M vs GeForce RTX 3060

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 280M 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 280M 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 280M

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 1 GB vs 12 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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅1234.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere 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 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1234.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2850.5% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 576), 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 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 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 280M vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 280M

The GeForce GTX 280M 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: 576 points. Launch price was $649.

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 280M scores 576 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 2850.5%. The GeForce GTX 280M is built on Tesla 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 65 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 240 (GeForce GTX 280M) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 0.6221 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 280M) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 280M	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	576	16,995+2851%
Architecture	Tesla 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	65 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	240	3584+1393%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6221 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+1948%
ROPs	32	48+50%
TMUs	80	112+40%
L2 Cache	0.25 MB	3 MB+1100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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

Feature	GeForce GTX 280M	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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 280M has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 1100% 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 280M and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (GeForce GTX 280M) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 280M	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	1 GB	12 GB+1100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	360 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	192-bit+50%
L2 Cache	0.25 MB	3 MB+1100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTX 280M) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 280M	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	11.1 (10_0)	12 Ultimate+8%
OpenGL	3.3	4.6+39%
Max Displays	2	4+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP2 (GeForce GTX 280M) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 280M) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 280M	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	PureVideo HD VP2	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP2	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 280M draws 236W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 32.5% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 280M) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: None vs 8-pin. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 280M	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	236W	170W-28%
Recommended PSU	350W-36%	550W
Power Connector	None	8-pin
Length	—	242mm
Height	—	112mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	75-12%
Perf/Watt	2.4	100.0+4067%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce GTX 280M	GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP	—	$329
Codename	GT200	GA106
Release	June 16 2008	January 12 2021
Ranking	#802	#114

Search GeForce GTX 280M on Amazon

Search GeForce RTX 3060 on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.