GeForce RTX 3060 12GB vs GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB

2022Core: 1260 MHzBoost: 1710 MHz
RTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER

2024Core: 1980 MHzBoost: 2475 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce RTX 3060 12GB vs GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 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 3060 12GB vs GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 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 3060 12GB vs GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER: 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 3060 12GB

2022

Why buy it

  • Costs $270 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • 25% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (280 vs 224).
  • Measures 242mm instead of 245mm, a 3mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
  • 59.1% higher power demand at 350W vs 220W.

GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER

2024

Why buy it

  • 12.3% 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.
  • Draws 220W instead of 350W, a 130W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (224 vs 280), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
  • 82.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $599 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 12.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 78.6% in PassMark G3D (29,958 vs 16,777), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 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 3060 12GB is limited to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 8nm, and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2022. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB makes the most sense to buy today. It is $270 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 2% (51.0 vs 50.0), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and lighter 1440p, GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1440p and 4K headroom, GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB vs GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB

The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 11 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1260 MHz to 1710 MHz. It has 8960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 70 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,777 points. Launch price was $799.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER

The GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 8 2024. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1980 MHz to 2475 MHz. It has 7168 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 56 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 29,958 points. Launch price was $599.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB scores 16,777 versus the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER's 29,958 — the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER leads by 78.6%. The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 8,960 (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 7,168 (GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER). Raw compute: 30.64 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 35.48 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER). Boost clocks: 1710 MHz vs 2475 MHz. Ray tracing: 70 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 56 (GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER) with 280 Tensor cores vs 224.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 12GBGeForce RTX 4070 SUPER
G3D Mark Score
16,777
29,958+79%
Architecture
Ampere
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
8 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
8960+25%
7168
Compute (TFLOPS)
30.64 TFLOPS
35.48 TFLOPS+16%
Boost Clock
1710 MHz
2475 MHz+45%
ROPs
96+20%
80
TMUs
280+25%
224
L1 Cache
8.8 MB+26%
7 MB
L2 Cache
6 MB
48 MB+700%
Ray Tracing Cores
70+25%
56
Tensor Cores
280+25%
224

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 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 3060 12GB does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 12GBGeForce RTX 4070 SUPER
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 12 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 504 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER) — a 40% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER. L2 Cache: 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 48 MB (GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER) — the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 12GBGeForce RTX 4070 SUPER
VRAM Capacity
12 GB
12 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth
360 GB/s
504 GB/s+40%
Bus Width
192-bit
192-bit
L2 Cache
6 MB
48 MB+700%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 12GBGeForce RTX 4070 SUPER
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs NVENC 8th gen (GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs AV1,H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 12GBGeForce RTX 4070 SUPER
Encoder
NVENC 7th gen
NVENC 8th gen
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1
AV1,H.264,H.265/HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB draws 350W versus the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER's 220W — a 45.6% difference. The GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 16-pin (12VHPWR). Card length: 242mm vs 245mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 70°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 12GBGeForce RTX 4070 SUPER
TDP
350W
220W-37%
Recommended PSU
550W-15%
650W
Power Connector
8-pin
16-pin (12VHPWR)
Length
242mm
245mm
Height
112mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
70°C-7%
Perf/Watt
47.9
136.2+184%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB came in at $329, while the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER launched at $599. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 12GB was 45.1% cheaper ($270 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.0 (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 50.0 (GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER) — the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB offers 2% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER (2024 vs 2022).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 12GBGeForce RTX 4070 SUPER
MSRP
$329-45%
$599
Performance per Dollar
51.0+2%
50.0
Codename
GA102
AD104
Release
January 11 2022
January 8 2024
Ranking
#38
#18

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