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 980 Ti 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 980 Ti 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 980 Ti

2015

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 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2015 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
97.3% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅41.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $320 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 144.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 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 3060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 41.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 24% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 13,711), 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 6 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 $320 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $649, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 144.5% (51.7 vs 21.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 2 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1000 MHz to 1075 MHz. It has 2816 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,711 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 980 Ti scores 13,711 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 24%. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,816 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 6.06 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1075 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	13,711	16,995+24%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2816	3584+27%
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.06 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+110%
Boost Clock	1075 MHz	1777 MHz+65%
ROPs	96+100%	48
TMUs	176+57%	112
L1 Cache	1 MB	3.5 MB+250%
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 980 Ti is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	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 980 Ti has 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 7.1% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the GeForce GTX 980 Ti and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	12 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s	360 GB/s+7%
Bus Width	384-bit+100%	192-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.1	1.3+18%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 3.0 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti draws 250W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 38.1% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	250W	170W-32%
Recommended PSU	600W	550W-8%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	242mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	75-12%
Perf/Watt	54.8	100.0+82%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 980 Ti came in at $649, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 49.3% cheaper ($320 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 145% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2015).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP	$649	$329-49%
Performance per Dollar	21.1	51.7+145%
Codename	GM200	GA106
Release	June 2 2015	January 12 2021
Ranking	#179	#114

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