GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU vs GeForce RTX 4060

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU

2022Core: 1552 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060

2023Core: 1830 MHzBoost: 2460 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU 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 RTX 3050 Laptop GPU 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 RTX 3050 Laptop GPU 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 RTX 3050 Laptop GPU

2022

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.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • GeForce RTX 4060 is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 65.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4060

2023

Why buy it

  • 35.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 65.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

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 35.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 61% in PassMark G3D (19,548 vs 12,144), 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: the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU is limited to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 8nm, 24 vs 20 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2022. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 4060 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU vs GeForce RTX 4060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1552 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 20 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12,144 points. Launch price was $249.

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 RTX 3050 Laptop GPU scores 12,144 versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 19,548 — the GeForce RTX 4060 leads by 61%. The GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 4060 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU) vs 3,072 (GeForce RTX 4060). Raw compute: 9.098 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU) vs 15.11 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 2460 MHz. Ray tracing: 20 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU) vs 24 (GeForce RTX 4060) with 80 Tensor cores vs 96.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4060
G3D Mark Score
12,144
19,548+61%
Architecture
Ampere
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
8 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
2560
3072+20%
Compute (TFLOPS)
9.098 TFLOPS
15.11 TFLOPS+66%
Boost Clock
1777 MHz
2460 MHz+38%
ROPs
32
48+50%
TMUs
80
96+20%
L1 Cache
2.5 MB
3 MB+20%
L2 Cache
2 MB
24 MB+1100%
Ray Tracing Cores
20
24+20%
Tensor Cores
80
96+20%

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 RTX 3050 Laptop GPU 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 RTX 3050 Laptop GPU is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4060
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)

Both cards ship with 8 GB of GDDR6. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU) vs 272 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4060) — a 41.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4060. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU and 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 4060. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU) vs 24 MB (GeForce RTX 4060) — the GeForce RTX 4060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4060
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
272 GB/s+42%
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
24 MB+1100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

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

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

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU) vs NVENC 8th gen (GeForce RTX 4060). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4060).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4060
Encoder
NVENC (7th Gen)
NVENC 8th gen
Decoder
NVDEC (7th Gen)
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU draws 130W versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 115W — a 12.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 4060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 4060). Power connectors: Mobile vs 8-pin. Typical load temperature: 82°C vs 73°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4060
TDP
130W
115W-12%
Recommended PSU
500W-9%
550W
Power Connector
Mobile
8-pin
Length
240mm
Height
111mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
82°C
73°C-11%
Perf/Watt
93.4
170.0+82%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4060 (2023 vs 2022).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4060
MSRP
$299
Codename
GA106
AD107
Release
January 4 2022
May 18 2023
Ranking
#211
#84

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