GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU vs GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

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 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 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 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 130W instead of 160W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌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

✅58.6% 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).
✅Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌23.1% higher power demand at 160W vs 130W.

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 58.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 43.3% in PassMark G3D (17,400 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 Laptop GPU 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, 34 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 Laptop GPU 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 Laptop GPU Technical Specifications

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

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.

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.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU scores 12,144 versus the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU's 17,400 — the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU leads by 43.3%. The GeForce RTX 3050 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: 2,560 (GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU) vs 4,352 (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 9.098 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU) vs 22.06 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 2535 MHz. Ray tracing: 20 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU) vs 34 (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) with 80 Tensor cores vs 136.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU	GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score	12,144	17,400+43%
Architecture	Ampere	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	8 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	2560	4352+70%
Compute (TFLOPS)	9.098 TFLOPS	22.06 TFLOPS+142%
Boost Clock	1777 MHz	2535 MHz+43%
ROPs	32	48+50%
TMUs	80	136+70%
L1 Cache	2.5 MB	4.3 MB+72%
L2 Cache	2 MB	32 MB+1500%
Ray Tracing Cores	20	34+70%
Tensor Cores	80	136+70%

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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 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 Laptop GPU is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU	GeForce 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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 8 GB of GDDR6. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 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 Laptop GPU and 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 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.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU	GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	8 GB
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%

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Display & API Support

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

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU	GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.4	1.4
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

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Media & Encoding

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

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU	GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
Encoder	NVENC (7th Gen)	NVENC (8th Gen)
Decoder	NVDEC (7th Gen)	NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9	H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU draws 130W versus the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU's 160W — a 20.7% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Power connectors: Mobile vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 82°C vs 80°C.