GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Radeon HD 6990

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon HD 6990

2011Core: 830 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

  • +337% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
  • More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
  • Draws 170W instead of 375W, a 205W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 4.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $699 MSRP).

Radeon HD 6990

2011

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,014 vs 13,170).
  • 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.
  • Very weak future-proofing: 2011-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
  • 120.6% higher power demand at 375W vs 170W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU better than Radeon HD 6990?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 13,170 vs 3,014 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is a 2022 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon HD 6990 is a 2011 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. 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 2011, 337.0% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 2 GB, and the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling. 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 the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $699 MSRP, and you are getting 337.0% higher G3D Mark. Radeon HD 6990 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.
Is Radeon HD 6990 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon HD 6990 is 2011 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM, 3,014 in G3D Mark, and FSR upscaling. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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 GPURadeon HD 6990
1080p
low109 FPS80 FPS
medium98 FPS66 FPS
high84 FPS52 FPS
ultra70 FPS34 FPS
1440p
low95 FPS67 FPS
medium83 FPS56 FPS
high70 FPS40 FPS
ultra59 FPS25 FPS
4K
low48 FPS25 FPS
medium43 FPS23 FPS
high30 FPS15 FPS
ultra26 FPS13 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon HD 6990
1080p
low351 FPS122 FPS
medium307 FPS93 FPS
high246 FPS73 FPS
ultra194 FPS47 FPS
1440p
low222 FPS71 FPS
medium195 FPS49 FPS
high159 FPS36 FPS
ultra127 FPS25 FPS
4K
low110 FPS26 FPS
medium93 FPS18 FPS
high77 FPS14 FPS
ultra59 FPS10 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon HD 6990
1080p
low593 FPS136 FPS
medium474 FPS109 FPS
high395 FPS90 FPS
ultra296 FPS68 FPS
1440p
low444 FPS102 FPS
medium356 FPS81 FPS
high296 FPS68 FPS
ultra222 FPS51 FPS
4K
low296 FPS68 FPS
medium237 FPS54 FPS
high198 FPS45 FPS
ultra148 FPS34 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon HD 6990
1080p
low519 FPS136 FPS
medium439 FPS109 FPS
high376 FPS90 FPS
ultra296 FPS68 FPS
1440p
low425 FPS102 FPS
medium356 FPS81 FPS
high296 FPS68 FPS
ultra222 FPS51 FPS
4K
low277 FPS68 FPS
medium237 FPS54 FPS
high198 FPS45 FPS
ultra148 FPS31 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU and Radeon HD 6990

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 6990

The Radeon HD 6990 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 8 2011. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The core clock speed is 830 MHz. It has 1536 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,014 points. Launch price was $699.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU scores 13,170 versus the Radeon HD 6990's 3,014 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 337%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the Radeon HD 6990 uses TeraScale 3, both on 8 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 1,536 (Radeon HD 6990). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 2.55 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 6990).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon HD 6990
G3D Mark Score
13,170+337%
3,014
Architecture
Ampere
TeraScale 3
Process Node
8 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
3584+133%
1536 ×2
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS+400%
2.55 TFLOPS ×2
ROPs
48+50%
32 ×2
TMUs
112+17%
96 ×2
L1 Cache
3.5 MB+821%
0.38 MB
L2 Cache
3 MB+500%
0.5 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 Radeon HD 6990 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon HD 6990
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 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6990 has 2 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 6990) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon HD 6990
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 11.2 (Radeon HD 6990). Vulkan: 1.4 vs None. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 5.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon HD 6990
DirectX
12 Ultimate+7%
11.2
Vulkan
1.4
None
OpenGL
4.6+5%
4.4
Max Displays
4
5+25%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs None (Radeon HD 6990). Decoder: NVDEC (5th Gen) vs UVD 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 6990).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon HD 6990
Encoder
NVENC (7th Gen)
None
Decoder
NVDEC (5th Gen)
UVD 3.0
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU draws 170W versus the Radeon HD 6990's 375W — a 75.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 750W (Radeon HD 6990). Power connectors: Mobile vs 2x 8-pin. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon HD 6990
TDP
170W-55%
375W
Recommended PSU
500W-33%
750W
Power Connector
Mobile
2x 8-pin
Length
310mm
Height
115mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
75°C-12%
85
Perf/Watt
77.5+869%
8.0
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2011).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon HD 6990
MSRP
$699
Codename
GA106
Antilles
Release
October 12 2022
March 8 2011
Ranking
#147
#583