GeForce GTX 555 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 555

2011Core: 720 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020Core: 1410 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz
RTX family
·······

GeForce GTX 555 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

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 555 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 555 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 555

2011

Why buy it

  • Costs $249 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • Draws 70W instead of 200W, a 130W reduction.
  • Measures 210mm instead of 242mm, a 32mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

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.
  • 2011 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 10.7 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

  • 1144.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 376.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 10.7 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 1 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 185.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 70W.
  • 15.2% longer card at 242mm vs 210mm.

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 1144.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1166.3% in PassMark G3D (20,312 vs 1,604), 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 40nm, 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 $249 more expensive on MSRP at $399 vs $150, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 376.1% (50.9 vs 10.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 555 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 555

The GeForce GTX 555 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 14 2011. It features the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 720 MHz. It has 144 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,604 points. Launch price was $149.

NVIDIA

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 555 scores 1,604 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 1166.3%. The GeForce GTX 555 is built on Fermi 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on 40 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 144 (GeForce GTX 555) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Raw compute: 0.4147 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 555) vs 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

FeatureGeForce GTX 555GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score
1,604
20,312+1166%
Architecture
Fermi 2.0
Ampere
Process Node
40 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
144
4864+3278%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.4147 TFLOPS
16.2 TFLOPS+3806%
ROPs
16
80+400%
TMUs
24
152+533%
L1 Cache
0.19 MB
4.8 MB+2426%
L2 Cache
0.38 MB
4 MB+953%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 555 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 555GeForce 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 555 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 555 and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. L2 Cache: 0.38 MB (GeForce GTX 555) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 555GeForce 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
0.38 MB
4 MB+953%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 555) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 555GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan
1.2
1.3+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP4 (GeForce GTX 555) vs NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GTX 555) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

FeatureGeForce GTX 555GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder
PureVideo HD VP4
NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP4
NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP
H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 555 draws 70W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 96.3% difference. The GeForce GTX 555 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce GTX 555) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 210mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75.

FeatureGeForce GTX 555GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
TDP
70W-65%
200W
Recommended PSU
450W-25%
600W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
8-pin
Length
210mm
242mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
75
Perf/Watt
22.9
101.6+344%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 555 came in at $150, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 555 was 62.4% cheaper ($249 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 10.7 (GeForce GTX 555) vs 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 375.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (2020 vs 2011).

FeatureGeForce GTX 555GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
MSRP
$150-62%
$399
Performance per Dollar
10.7
50.9+376%
Codename
GF116
GA104
Release
May 14 2011
December 1 2020
Ranking
#849
#73

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