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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 170W instead of 350W, a 180W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3080 12GB across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (112 vs 280), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 21.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $1,250 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

2022

Why buy it

✅49.4% more average FPS across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($1,250 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅150% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (280 vs 112).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌105.9% higher power demand at 350W vs 170W.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 170W instead of 350W, a 180W reduction.

Why buy it

✅49.4% more average FPS across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($1,250 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅150% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (280 vs 112).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3080 12GB across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (112 vs 280), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 21.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $1,250 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌105.9% higher power demand at 350W vs 170W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3080 12GB better than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3080 12GB averages 49.4% more FPS across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 26,569 vs 13,170 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is a 2022 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is a 2022 model from an older generation with DLSS Super Resolution. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 101.7% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 6 GB, and 150.0% more ray-tracing hardware. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $1,250 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 49.4% more estimated average FPS across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data and 101.7% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around an unclear MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3080 12GB is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
1080p
low	109 FPS	165 FPS
medium	98 FPS	150 FPS
high	84 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	113 FPS
1440p
low	95 FPS	139 FPS
medium	83 FPS	115 FPS
high	70 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	85 FPS
4K
low	48 FPS	80 FPS
medium	43 FPS	67 FPS
high	30 FPS	51 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	45 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
1080p
low	357 FPS	553 FPS
medium	310 FPS	473 FPS
high	248 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	345 FPS
1440p
low	221 FPS	415 FPS
medium	190 FPS	344 FPS
high	154 FPS	273 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	233 FPS
4K
low	108 FPS	198 FPS
medium	89 FPS	168 FPS
high	72 FPS	144 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	120 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
1080p
low	593 FPS	892 FPS
medium	474 FPS	724 FPS
high	395 FPS	631 FPS
ultra	296 FPS	551 FPS
1440p
low	444 FPS	705 FPS
medium	356 FPS	567 FPS
high	296 FPS	484 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	416 FPS
4K
low	296 FPS	485 FPS
medium	237 FPS	394 FPS
high	198 FPS	331 FPS
ultra	148 FPS	275 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
1080p
low	565 FPS	456 FPS
medium	474 FPS	413 FPS
high	395 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	296 FPS	295 FPS
1440p
low	444 FPS	366 FPS
medium	356 FPS	334 FPS
high	296 FPS	273 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	233 FPS
4K
low	296 FPS	245 FPS
medium	237 FPS	226 FPS
high	198 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	148 FPS	166 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU and GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 12 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,170 points.

GeForce RTX 3080 12GB

The GeForce RTX 3080 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: 26,569 points. Launch price was $799.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU scores 13,170 versus the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB's 26,569 — the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB leads by 101.7%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB uses Ampere, both on a 8 nm process. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 8,960 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 30.64 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1710 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 70 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) with 112 Tensor cores vs 280.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
G3D Mark Score	13,170	26,569+102%
Architecture	Ampere	Ampere
Process Node	8 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	3584	8960+150%
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS	30.64 TFLOPS+141%
Boost Clock	1777 MHz+4%	1710 MHz
ROPs	48	96+100%
TMUs	112	280+150%
L1 Cache	3.5 MB	8.8 MB+151%
L2 Cache	3 MB	6 MB+100%
Ray Tracing Cores	28	70+150%
Tensor Cores	112	280+150%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 912 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) — a 171.4% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB. Bus width: 192-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB) — the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	12 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s	912 GB/s+171%
Bus Width	192-bit	384-bit+100%
L2 Cache	3 MB	6 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.4	1.4
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB). Decoder: NVDEC (5th Gen) vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
Encoder	NVENC (7th Gen)	NVENC 7th gen
Decoder	NVDEC (5th Gen)	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU draws 170W versus the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB's 350W — a 69.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 750W (GeForce RTX 3080 12GB). Power connectors: Mobile vs 2x 8-pin. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
TDP	170W-51%	350W
Recommended PSU	500W-33%	750W
Power Connector	Mobile	2x 8-pin
Length	—	285mm
Height	—	112mm
Slots	—	2
Temp (Load)	75°C-6%	80°C
Perf/Watt	77.5+2%	75.9