GeForce RTX 3060 12GB vs RTX A4500 Mobile

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 RTX A4500 Mobile 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 RTX A4500 Mobile: 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

✅11.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌150% higher power demand at 350W vs 140W.

RTX A4500 Mobile

2022

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 12 GB).
✅Draws 140W instead of 350W, a 210W reduction.
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 12GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 51.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 11.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1% in PassMark G3D (16,777 vs 16,613), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and 70 vs 46 ray-tracing units. That still leaves it as the safer long-term option on hardware alone.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB vs RTX A4500 Mobile Technical Specifications

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

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.

RTX A4500 Mobile

The RTX A4500 Mobile is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 22 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 930 MHz to 1500 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 140W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,613 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB scores 16,777 and the RTX A4500 Mobile reaches 16,613 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is built on Ampere while the RTX A4500 Mobile uses Ampere, both on a 8 nm process. Shader units: 8,960 (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 5,888 (RTX A4500 Mobile). Raw compute: 30.64 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 17.66 TFLOPS (RTX A4500 Mobile). Boost clocks: 1710 MHz vs 1500 MHz. Ray tracing: 70 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 46 (RTX A4500 Mobile) with 280 Tensor cores vs 184.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	RTX A4500 Mobile
G3D Mark Score	16,777	16,613
Architecture	Ampere	Ampere
Process Node	8 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	8960+52%	5888
Compute (TFLOPS)	30.64 TFLOPS+73%	17.66 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1710 MHz+14%	1500 MHz
ROPs	96	96
TMUs	280+52%	184
L1 Cache	8.8 MB+52%	5.8 MB
L2 Cache	6 MB+50%	4 MB
Ray Tracing Cores	70+52%	46
Tensor Cores	280+52%	184

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTX A4500 Mobile supports the newer Upscaling support, whereas the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	RTX A4500 Mobile
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB has 12 GB of VRAM, while the RTX A4500 Mobile carries 16 GB. RTX A4500 Mobile gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB and 128-bit on the RTX A4500 Mobile. L2 Cache: 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 4 MB (RTX A4500 Mobile) — the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	RTX A4500 Mobile
VRAM Capacity	12 GB	16 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	6 MB+50%	4 MB

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 12.2 (RTX A4500 Mobile). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 1.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	RTX A4500 Mobile
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12.2+2%
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4+300%	1

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 7th Gen NVENC (RTX A4500 Mobile). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (RTX A4500 Mobile).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	RTX A4500 Mobile
Encoder	NVENC 7th gen	7th Gen NVENC
Decoder	NVDEC 5th gen	5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB draws 350W versus the RTX A4500 Mobile's 140W — a 85.7% difference. The RTX A4500 Mobile is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 650W (RTX A4500 Mobile). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	RTX A4500 Mobile
TDP	350W	140W-60%
Recommended PSU	550W-15%	650W
Power Connector	8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	242mm	0mm
Height	112mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75°C-6%	80°C
Perf/Watt	47.9	118.7+148%