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 680 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 680 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 680

2012

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 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
25.1% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$399 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅232.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 352.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 11.2 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 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 232.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 262.1% in PassMark G3D (20,312 vs 5,609), 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 4 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 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 $100 cheaper on MSRP at $399 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 352.9% (50.9 vs 11.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 680 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 680

The GeForce GTX 680 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 22 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 1006 MHz to 1058 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 195W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,609 points. Launch price was $499.

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 680 scores 5,609 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 262.1%. The GeForce GTX 680 is built on Kepler while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 680) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Raw compute: 3.25 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 680) vs 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Boost clocks: 1058 MHz vs 1665 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score	5,609	20,312+262%
Architecture	Kepler	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1536	4864+217%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.25 TFLOPS	16.2 TFLOPS+398%
Boost Clock	1058 MHz	1665 MHz+57%
ROPs	32	80+150%
TMUs	128	152+19%
L1 Cache	0.13 MB	4.8 MB+3592%
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	4 MB+700%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 680 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	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 680 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 192.2 GB/s (GeForce GTX 680) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — a 133.1% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 680 and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (GeForce GTX 680) 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 680	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192.2 GB/s	448 GB/s+133%
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	4 MB+700%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 11_0) (GeForce GTX 680) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
DirectX	12 (FL 11_0)	12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan	1.1	1.3+18%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st gen (GeForce GTX 680) vs NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: PureVideo VP5 vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 680) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder	NVENC 1st gen	NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder	PureVideo VP5	NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 680 draws 195W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 2.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 680 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 680) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 256mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 98°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
TDP	195W-3%	200W
Recommended PSU	550W-8%	600W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	8-pin
Length	256mm	242mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	98°C	75-23%
Perf/Watt	28.8	101.6+253%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 680 came in at $499, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti was 20% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 11.2 (GeForce GTX 680) vs 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 354.5% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (2020 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
MSRP	$499	$399-20%
Performance per Dollar	11.2	50.9+354%
Codename	GK104	GA104
Release	March 22 2012	December 1 2020
Ranking	#410	#73

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