GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Quadro P4200 Max-Q

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 Quadro P4200 Max-Q 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 Laptop GPU vs Quadro P4200 Max-Q: 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

✅66.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌70% higher power demand at 170W vs 100W.

Quadro P4200 Max-Q

2018

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 170W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 66.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 68.8% in PassMark G3D (13,170 vs 7,800), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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 4 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 16nm, and 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

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

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Quadro P4200 Max-Q Technical Specifications

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

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.

Quadro P4200 Max-Q

The Quadro P4200 Max-Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 21 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1215 MHz to 1480 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,800 points.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU scores 13,170 versus the Quadro P4200 Max-Q's 7,800 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 68.8%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the Quadro P4200 Max-Q uses Pascal, both on 8 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 2,304 (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 6.82 TFLOPS (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1480 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro P4200 Max-Q
G3D Mark Score	13,170+69%	7,800
Architecture	Ampere	Pascal
Process Node	8 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	3584+56%	2304
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS+87%	6.82 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1777 MHz+20%	1480 MHz
ROPs	48	64+33%
TMUs	112	144+29%
L1 Cache	3.5 MB+317%	0.84 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Quadro P4200 Max-Q leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro P4200 Max-Q
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	Standard

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro P4200 Max-Q carries 4 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gives you 50% 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 256-bit on the Quadro P4200 Max-Q. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 2 MB (Quadro P4200 Max-Q) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro P4200 Max-Q
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+50%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 12.1 (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro P4200 Max-Q
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12.1
Vulkan	1.4+8%	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs NVENC 6.0 (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Decoder: NVDEC (5th Gen) vs PureVideo HD VP8. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Quadro P4200 Max-Q).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro P4200 Max-Q
Encoder	NVENC (7th Gen)	NVENC 6.0
Decoder	NVDEC (5th Gen)	PureVideo HD VP8
Codecs	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU draws 170W versus the Quadro P4200 Max-Q's 100W — a 51.9% difference. The Quadro P4200 Max-Q is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 350W (Quadro P4200 Max-Q). Power connectors: Mobile vs PCIe-powered.