GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Mobility Radeon HD 3850

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
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VS
AMD

Mobility Radeon HD 3850

2010Core: 700 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Mobility Radeon HD 3850 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 Laptop GPU vs Mobility Radeon HD 3850: 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 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

  • +3498.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 512 MB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 2.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • 240% higher power demand at 170W vs 50W.

Mobility Radeon HD 3850

2010

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Draws 50W instead of 170W, a 120W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (366 vs 13,170).
  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • 2010 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 3498.4% in PassMark G3D (13,170 vs 366), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM, a 8nm process instead of 40nm, 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2010. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Mobility Radeon HD 3850 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Mobility Radeon HD 3850 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and lighter 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Mobility Radeon HD 3850 Technical Specifications

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

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.

AMD

Mobility Radeon HD 3850

The Mobility Radeon HD 3850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 700 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 366 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU scores 13,170 versus the Mobility Radeon HD 3850's 366 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 3498.4%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the Mobility Radeon HD 3850 uses TeraScale 2, both on 8 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 800 (Mobility Radeon HD 3850). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 1.12 TFLOPS (Mobility Radeon HD 3850).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUMobility Radeon HD 3850
G3D Mark Score
13,170+3498%
366
Architecture
Ampere
TeraScale 2
Process Node
8 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
3584+348%
800
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS+1038%
1.12 TFLOPS
ROPs
48+200%
16
TMUs
112+180%
40
L1 Cache
3.5 MB+4275%
0.08 MB
L2 Cache
3 MB+1100%
0.25 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Mobility Radeon HD 3850 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUMobility Radeon HD 3850
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Mobility Radeon HD 3850 carries 512 MB. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gives you 1100% 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 Laptop GPU and 128-bit on the Mobility Radeon HD 3850. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 0.25 MB (Mobility Radeon HD 3850) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUMobility Radeon HD 3850
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+1100%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
336 GB/s
Unknown
Bus Width
192-bit+50%
128-bit
L2 Cache
3 MB+1100%
0.25 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU draws 170W versus the Mobility Radeon HD 3850's 50W — a 109.1% difference. The Mobility Radeon HD 3850 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 3850). Power connectors: Mobile vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUMobility Radeon HD 3850
TDP
170W
50W-71%
Recommended PSU
500W
350W-30%
Power Connector
Mobile
PCIe-powered
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
77.5+962%
7.3
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (2022 vs 2010).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUMobility Radeon HD 3850
MSRP
$150
Codename
GA106
Broadway
Release
October 12 2022
January 7 2010
Ranking
#147
#846

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