GeForce MX250 vs GeForce RTX 3060

NVIDIA

GeForce MX250

2019Core: 937 MHzBoost: 1038 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce MX250 vs GeForce RTX 3060 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 MX250 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 MX250 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 MX250

2019

Why buy it

  • Costs $179 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
  • Draws 10W instead of 170W, a 160W reduction.

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.
  • 2019 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 15.8 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • 584.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 226.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 15.8 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 1600% higher power demand at 170W vs 10W.

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 584.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 615.6% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 2,375), 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 14nm, 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 $179 more expensive on MSRP at $329 vs $150, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 226.3% (51.7 vs 15.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce MX250 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce MX250

The GeForce MX250 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 20 2019. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 937 MHz to 1038 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 10W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,375 points.

NVIDIA

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 MX250 scores 2,375 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 615.6%. The GeForce MX250 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 14 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce MX250) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 0.7972 TFLOPS (GeForce MX250) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1038 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

FeatureGeForce MX250GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score
2,375
16,995+616%
Architecture
Pascal
Ampere
Process Node
14 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
384
3584+833%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.7972 TFLOPS
12.74 TFLOPS+1498%
Boost Clock
1038 MHz
1777 MHz+71%
ROPs
16
48+200%
TMUs
24
112+367%
L1 Cache
0.14 MB
3.5 MB+2400%
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 MX250 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce MX250GeForce 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 MX250 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: 48 GB/s (GeForce MX250) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 650% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce MX250 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (GeForce MX250) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce MX250GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
12 GB+500%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
48 GB/s
360 GB/s+650%
Bus Width
64-bit
192-bit+200%
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
3 MB+500%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce MX250) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce MX250GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX
12 (12_1)
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.2
1.3+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
3
4+33%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce MX250) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: NVDEC 3rd Gen vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce MX250) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureGeForce MX250GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder
None
NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder
NVDEC 3rd Gen
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce MX250 draws 10W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 177.8% difference. The GeForce MX250 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce MX250) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: Mobile vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 242mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75.

FeatureGeForce MX250GeForce RTX 3060
TDP
10W-94%
170W
Recommended PSU
350W-36%
550W
Power Connector
Mobile
8-pin
Length
0mm
242mm
Height
0mm
112mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
75
75
Perf/Watt
237.5+138%
100.0
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce MX250 came in at $150, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce MX250 was 54.4% cheaper ($179 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 15.8 (GeForce MX250) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 227.2% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2019).

FeatureGeForce MX250GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP
$150-54%
$329
Performance per Dollar
15.8
51.7+227%
Codename
GP108B
GA106
Release
February 20 2019
January 12 2021
Ranking
#643
#114

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