GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER

2024Core: 2295 MHzBoost: 2550 MHz

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - GPU

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.

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 320W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER across 29 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 34.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $999 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER

2024

Why buy it

  • 96.6% more average FPS across 29 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 34.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 6 GB).
  • More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 88.2% higher power demand at 320W vs 170W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER better than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU?
Yes. GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER averages 96.6% more FPS across 29 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 34,215 vs 13,170 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is a 2024 card with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, 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 4080 SUPER is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2024 generation instead of 2022, 159.8% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 16 GB instead of 6 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) instead of DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and better frame-generation support with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) instead of DLSS Super Resolution. 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 4080 SUPER is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $999 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 96.6% more estimated average FPS across 29 tracked games in our benchmark data and 159.8% 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 4080 SUPER 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4080 SUPER
1080p
low109 FPS350 FPS
medium98 FPS334 FPS
high84 FPS280 FPS
ultra70 FPS221 FPS
1440p
low95 FPS326 FPS
medium83 FPS274 FPS
high70 FPS215 FPS
ultra59 FPS173 FPS
4K
low48 FPS194 FPS
medium43 FPS160 FPS
high30 FPS121 FPS
ultra26 FPS108 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4080 SUPER
1080p
low357 FPS851 FPS
medium310 FPS680 FPS
high248 FPS535 FPS
ultra195 FPS468 FPS
1440p
low221 FPS651 FPS
medium190 FPS536 FPS
high154 FPS439 FPS
ultra123 FPS363 FPS
4K
low108 FPS358 FPS
medium89 FPS304 FPS
high72 FPS275 FPS
ultra55 FPS236 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4080 SUPER
1080p
low593 FPS999 FPS
medium474 FPS999 FPS
high395 FPS999 FPS
ultra296 FPS770 FPS
1440p
low444 FPS988 FPS
medium356 FPS902 FPS
high296 FPS770 FPS
ultra222 FPS577 FPS
4K
low296 FPS580 FPS
medium237 FPS504 FPS
high198 FPS455 FPS
ultra148 FPS385 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4080 SUPER
1080p
low565 FPS999 FPS
medium474 FPS999 FPS
high395 FPS878 FPS
ultra296 FPS770 FPS
1440p
low444 FPS846 FPS
medium356 FPS733 FPS
high296 FPS639 FPS
ultra222 FPS550 FPS
4K
low296 FPS615 FPS
medium237 FPS543 FPS
high198 FPS479 FPS
ultra148 FPS385 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU and GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER

NVIDIA

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.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER

The GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 8 2024. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2295 MHz to 2550 MHz. It has 10240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 320W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 80 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 34,215 points. Launch price was $999.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU scores 13,170 versus the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER's 34,215 — the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER leads by 159.8%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 10,240 (GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 52.22 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 2550 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 80 (GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER) with 112 Tensor cores vs 320.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4080 SUPER
G3D Mark Score
13,170
34,215+160%
Architecture
Ampere
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
8 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
3584
10240+186%
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS
52.22 TFLOPS+310%
Boost Clock
1777 MHz
2550 MHz+44%
ROPs
48
112+133%
TMUs
112
320+186%
L1 Cache
3.5 MB
10 MB+186%
L2 Cache
3 MB
64 MB+2033%
Ray Tracing Cores
28
80+186%
Tensor Cores
112
320+186%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4080 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)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER has 16 GB. The GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER offers 166.7% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 736 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER) — a 119% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 64 MB (GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER) — the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4080 SUPER
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
16 GB+167%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth
336 GB/s
736 GB/s+119%
Bus Width
192-bit
256-bit+33%
L2 Cache
3 MB
64 MB+2033%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4080 SUPER
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 3060 Laptop GPU) vs NVENC 8th Gen (GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER). Decoder: NVDEC (5th Gen) vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4080 SUPER
Encoder
NVENC (7th Gen)
NVENC 8th Gen
Decoder
NVDEC (5th Gen)
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU draws 170W versus the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER's 320W — a 61.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 850W (GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER). Power connectors: Mobile vs 16-pin (12VHPWR). Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 70.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4080 SUPER
TDP
170W-47%
320W
Recommended PSU
500W-41%
850W
Power Connector
Mobile
16-pin (12VHPWR)
Length
304mm
Height
137mm
Slots
3
Temp (Load)
75°C
70-7%
Perf/Watt
77.5
106.9+38%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the newer GPU (2024 vs 2022).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUGeForce RTX 4080 SUPER
MSRP
$999
Codename
GA106
AD103
Release
October 12 2022
January 8 2024
Ranking
#147
#8