GeForce GTX 780 vs GeForce RTX 4060

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 780

2013Core: 863 MHzBoost: 900 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060

2023Core: 1830 MHzBoost: 2460 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce GTX 780 vs GeForce RTX 4060 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 780 vs GeForce RTX 4060 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 780 vs GeForce RTX 4060: 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 780

2013

Why buy it

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 2013 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 66.9% HIGHER MSRP
    $499 MSRPvs$299 MSRP

GeForce RTX 4060

2023

Why buy it

  • 84.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $200 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 310% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 65.4 vs 15.9 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 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 4060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 84.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 145.7% in PassMark G3D (19,548 vs 7,957), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce GTX 780 is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 28nm, and 24 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 4060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $200 cheaper on MSRP at $299 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 310% (65.4 vs 15.9), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 780 vs GeForce RTX 4060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 780

The GeForce GTX 780 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 23 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 863 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,957 points. Launch price was $649.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060

The GeForce RTX 4060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1830 MHz to 2460 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 24 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 19,548 points. Launch price was $299.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 780 scores 7,957 versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 19,548 — the GeForce RTX 4060 leads by 145.7%. The GeForce GTX 780 is built on Kepler while the GeForce RTX 4060 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 28 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce GTX 780) vs 3,072 (GeForce RTX 4060). Raw compute: 4.156 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 780) vs 15.11 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 2460 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 780GeForce RTX 4060
G3D Mark Score
7,957
19,548+146%
Architecture
Kepler
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
28 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
2304
3072+33%
Compute (TFLOPS)
4.156 TFLOPS
15.11 TFLOPS+264%
Boost Clock
900 MHz
2460 MHz+173%
ROPs
48
48
TMUs
192+100%
96
L1 Cache
0.19 MB
3 MB+1479%
L2 Cache
1.5 MB
24 MB+1500%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4060 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GTX 780 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 780 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 780GeForce RTX 4060
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 780 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4060 carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 4060 gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s (GeForce GTX 780) vs 272 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4060) — a 5.9% advantage for the GeForce GTX 780. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the GeForce GTX 780 and 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 4060. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 780) vs 24 MB (GeForce RTX 4060) — the GeForce RTX 4060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 780GeForce RTX 4060
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
8 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
288 GB/s+6%
272 GB/s
Bus Width
384-bit+200%
128-bit
L2 Cache
1.5 MB
24 MB+1500%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 780) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060). Vulkan: 1.0 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 780GeForce RTX 4060
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.0
1.3+30%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 780) vs NVENC 8th gen (GeForce RTX 4060). Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 780) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4060).

FeatureGeForce GTX 780GeForce RTX 4060
Encoder
NVENC 1st Gen
NVENC 8th gen
Decoder
NVDEC 1st Gen
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 780 draws 250W versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 115W — a 74% difference. The GeForce RTX 4060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 780) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 4060). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 73°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 780GeForce RTX 4060
TDP
250W
115W-54%
Recommended PSU
600W
550W-8%
Power Connector
6-pin + 8-pin
8-pin
Length
267mm
240mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
80
73°C-9%
Perf/Watt
31.8
170.0+435%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 780 came in at $499, while the GeForce RTX 4060 launched at $299. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 4060 was 40.1% cheaper ($200 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 15.9 (GeForce GTX 780) vs 65.4 (GeForce RTX 4060) — the GeForce RTX 4060 offers 311.3% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4060 (2023 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce GTX 780GeForce RTX 4060
MSRP
$499
$299-40%
Performance per Dollar
15.9
65.4+311%
Codename
GK110
AD107
Release
May 23 2013
May 18 2023
Ranking
#320
#84

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