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 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 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

2014

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 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
66.9% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅92.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $220 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Delivers 156% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 20.2 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 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 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 92.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 53.4% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 11,077), 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 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 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 $220 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $549, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 156% (51.7 vs 20.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 980 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 980

The GeForce GTX 980 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 19 2014. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1064 MHz to 1216 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,077 points. Launch price was $549.

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 scores 11,077 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 53.4%. The GeForce GTX 980 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 4.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1216 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	11,077	16,995+53%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2048	3584+75%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.981 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+156%
Boost Clock	1216 MHz	1777 MHz+46%
ROPs	64+33%	48
TMUs	128+14%	112
L1 Cache	0.75 MB	3.5 MB+367%
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	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 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 200% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 60.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 980 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 980) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	12 GB+200%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	360 GB/s+61%
Bus Width	256-bit+33%	192-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980) 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	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) 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) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	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 draws 220W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 25.6% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	220W	170W-23%
Recommended PSU	500W-9%	550W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	242mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	75-6%
Perf/Watt	50.4	100.0+98%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 980 came in at $549, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 40.1% cheaper ($220 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 20.2 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 155.9% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP	$549	$329-40%
Performance per Dollar	20.2	51.7+156%
Codename	GM204	GA106
Release	September 19 2014	January 12 2021
Ranking	#245	#114

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