GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Radeon HD 6870

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

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

Radeon HD 6870

2010Boost: 900 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Radeon HD 6870 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 Radeon HD 6870 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 Radeon HD 6870: 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

  • 282.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
  • 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 9.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $239 MSRP).

Radeon HD 6870

2010

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($239 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB 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 2 GB 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. In our data, it leads by 282.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 497% in PassMark G3D (13,170 vs 2,206), 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 2 GB 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?
Radeon HD 6870 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, Radeon HD 6870 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 Radeon HD 6870 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

Radeon HD 6870

The Radeon HD 6870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 21 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The boost clock speed is 900 MHz. It has 1120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 151W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,206 points. Launch price was $239.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU scores 13,170 versus the Radeon HD 6870's 2,206 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 497%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the Radeon HD 6870 uses TeraScale 2, both on 8 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 1,120 (Radeon HD 6870). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 2.016 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6870). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 900 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon HD 6870
G3D Mark Score
13,170+497%
2,206
Architecture
Ampere
TeraScale 2
Process Node
8 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
3584+220%
1120
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS+532%
2.016 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1777 MHz+97%
900 MHz
ROPs
48+50%
32
TMUs
112+100%
56
L1 Cache
3.5 MB+1491%
0.22 MB
L2 Cache
3 MB+500%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 6870 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon HD 6870
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 Radeon HD 6870 carries 2 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gives you 200% 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 Radeon HD 6870. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 6870) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon HD 6870
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+200%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
336 GB/s
Unknown
Bus Width
192-bit+50%
128-bit
L2 Cache
3 MB+500%
0.5 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 11.0 (Radeon HD 6870). Vulkan: 1.4 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon HD 6870
DirectX
12 Ultimate+9%
11.0
Vulkan
1.4
N/A
OpenGL
4.6+5%
4.4
Max Displays
4
6+50%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs None (Radeon HD 6870). Decoder: NVDEC (5th Gen) vs UVD 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC (Radeon HD 6870).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon HD 6870
Encoder
NVENC (7th Gen)
None
Decoder
NVDEC (5th Gen)
UVD 3.0
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9
MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU draws 170W versus the Radeon HD 6870's 151W — a 11.8% difference. The Radeon HD 6870 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 500W (Radeon HD 6870). Power connectors: Mobile vs 2x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon HD 6870
TDP
170W
151W-11%
Recommended PSU
500W
500W
Power Connector
Mobile
2x 6-pin
Length
247mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
75°C-12%
85
Perf/Watt
77.5+431%
14.6
💰

Value Analysis

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

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon HD 6870
MSRP
$239
Codename
GA106
Barts
Release
October 12 2022
October 21 2010
Ranking
#147
#661

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