GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU vs GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU

2022Core: 1545 MHzBoost: 1740 MHz
RTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

2023Core: 2310 MHzBoost: 2535 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU vs GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU 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 RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU vs GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU 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 RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU vs GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU: 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 RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

  • Draws 90W instead of 160W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

2023

Why buy it

  • 123.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 77.8% higher power demand at 160W vs 90W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 123.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 83.4% in PassMark G3D (17,400 vs 9,489), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is limited to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 8nm, and 34 vs 16 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 Laptop GPU makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU vs GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 27 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1545 MHz to 1740 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 90W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,489 points. Launch price was $199.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2310 MHz to 2535 MHz. It has 4352 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 34 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 17,400 points. Launch price was $399.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU scores 9,489 versus the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU's 17,400 — the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU leads by 83.4%. The GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU) vs 4,352 (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 7.127 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU) vs 22.06 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1740 MHz vs 2535 MHz. Ray tracing: 16 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU) vs 34 (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) with 64 Tensor cores vs 136.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score
9,489
17,400+83%
Architecture
Ampere
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
8 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
2048
4352+113%
Compute (TFLOPS)
7.127 TFLOPS
22.06 TFLOPS+210%
Boost Clock
1740 MHz
2535 MHz+46%
ROPs
32
48+50%
TMUs
64
136+113%
L1 Cache
2 MB
4.3 MB+115%
L2 Cache
2 MB
32 MB+1500%
Ray Tracing Cores
16
34+113%
Tensor Cores
64
136+113%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
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 RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU) vs 256 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) — a 33.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU and 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU) vs 32 MB (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) — the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
8 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
256 GB/s+33%
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
32 MB+1500%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.3
1.4+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU) vs NVENC (8th Gen) (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Decoder: NVDEC (5th Gen) vs NVDEC (5th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
Encoder
NVENC (7th Gen)
NVENC (8th Gen)
Decoder
NVDEC (5th Gen)
NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9
H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU draws 90W versus the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU's 160W — a 56% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Power connectors: Mobile vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
TDP
90W-44%
160W
Recommended PSU
500W-23%
650W
Power Connector
Mobile
Mobile
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
85°C
80°C-6%
Perf/Watt
105.4
108.8+3%