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

✅60.0% more average FPS across 36 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).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform 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 36 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.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Quadro P4200 Max-Q

2018

Why buy it

✅60.0% more average FPS across 36 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).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 36 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.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU better than Quadro P4200 Max-Q?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU averages 60.0% more FPS across 36 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 13,170 vs 7,800 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is a 2022 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Quadro P4200 Max-Q is a 2018 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. 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 3060 Laptop GPU is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2018, 68.8% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 4 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. 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 3060 Laptop GPU is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 60.0% more estimated average FPS across 36 tracked games in our benchmark data and 68.8% higher G3D Mark. G3D-per-dollar is basically tied between them. If you are comfortable paying the premium for the stronger gaming result, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the one to buy. If staying closer to budget matters more, Quadro P4200 Max-Q still makes more sense on price alone, but the performance trade-off is much harder to justify by current standards.

Is Quadro P4200 Max-Q still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Quadro P4200 Max-Q is still a strong gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. This mostly comes down to price. If you want to stay closer to an unclear MSRP, it remains a strong choice; if you are comfortable paying more, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU earns that extra money with a clearly stronger gaming result and a more complete overall package.

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

Quadro P4200 Max-Q Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro P4200 Max-Q
1080p
low	109 FPS	93 FPS
medium	98 FPS	81 FPS
high	84 FPS	69 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	46 FPS
1440p
low	95 FPS	78 FPS
medium	83 FPS	69 FPS
high	70 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	35 FPS
4K
low	48 FPS	28 FPS
medium	43 FPS	26 FPS
high	30 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	15 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Quadro P4200 Max-Q

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro P4200 Max-Q
1080p
low	357 FPS	221 FPS
medium	310 FPS	187 FPS
high	248 FPS	144 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	117 FPS
1440p
low	221 FPS	161 FPS
medium	190 FPS	135 FPS
high	154 FPS	109 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	108 FPS	94 FPS
medium	89 FPS	78 FPS
high	72 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	50 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Quadro P4200 Max-Q

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro P4200 Max-Q
1080p
low	593 FPS	351 FPS
medium	474 FPS	281 FPS
high	395 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	296 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	444 FPS	263 FPS
medium	356 FPS	211 FPS
high	296 FPS	176 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	132 FPS
4K
low	296 FPS	176 FPS
medium	237 FPS	140 FPS
high	198 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	148 FPS	88 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Quadro P4200 Max-Q

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro P4200 Max-Q
1080p
low	565 FPS	178 FPS
medium	474 FPS	145 FPS
high	395 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	296 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	444 FPS	127 FPS
medium	356 FPS	104 FPS
high	296 FPS	89 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	296 FPS	71 FPS
medium	237 FPS	58 FPS
high	198 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	148 FPS	36 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Quadro P4200 Max-Q

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU and Quadro P4200 Max-Q

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.

⚡

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

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Quadro P4200 Max-Q relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro P4200 Max-Q has 4 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. 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

🖥️

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

🎬

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

🔌

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.