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 690 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 690 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 690

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 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
203.6% HIGHER MSRP
$999 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅186.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $670 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 832.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 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 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 186.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 207% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 5,536), 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 2 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 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 to buy today. It is $670 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 832.2% (51.7 vs 5.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 690 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 690

The GeForce GTX 690 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 3 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 915 MHz to 1019 MHz. It has 3072 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,536 points. Launch price was $999.

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 690 scores 5,536 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 207%. The GeForce GTX 690 is built on Kepler while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 3.13 TFLOPS ×2 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1019 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 690	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	5,536	16,995+207%
Architecture	Kepler	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	3072 ×2	3584+17%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.13 TFLOPS ×2	12.74 TFLOPS+307%
Boost Clock	1019 MHz	1777 MHz+74%
ROPs	32 ×2	48+50%
TMUs	128 ×2+14%	112
L1 Cache	0.13 MB	3.5 MB+2592%
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	3 MB+500%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 690 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 690	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 690 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 500% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 192.2 GB/s x2 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 87.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Memory bus width is 256-bit x2 on the GeForce GTX 690 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (GeForce GTX 690) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 690	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	12 GB+500%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192.2 GB/s x2	360 GB/s+87%
Bus Width	256-bit x2+33%	192-bit
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	3 MB+500%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_0 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 690	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	12_0	12 Ultimate
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 690) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: VP5 vs NVDEC 5th Gen.

Feature	GeForce GTX 690	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	NVENC 1st Gen	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	VP5	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	—	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 690 draws 300W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 55.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce GTX 690) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 279mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 690	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	300W	170W-43%
Recommended PSU	650W	550W-15%
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	8-pin
Length	279mm	242mm
Height	—	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	75
Perf/Watt	18.5	100.0+441%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 690 came in at $999, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 67.1% cheaper ($670 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.5 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 840% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GTX 690	GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP	$999	$329-67%
Performance per Dollar	5.5	51.7+840%
Codename	GK104	GA106
Release	May 3 2012	January 12 2021
Ranking	#414	#114

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