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

✅+365.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 170W instead of 200W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 5.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Radeon HD 8950

2012

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (2,828 vs 13,170).
❌Less VRAM, with 3 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: 2012-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌17.6% higher power demand at 200W vs 170W.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Radeon HD 8950

2012

Why buy it

✅+365.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 170W instead of 200W, a 30W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 5.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (2,828 vs 13,170).
❌Less VRAM, with 3 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: 2012-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌17.6% higher power demand at 200W vs 170W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU better than Radeon HD 8950?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 13,170 vs 2,828 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is a 2022 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon HD 8950 is a 2012 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 2012, 365.7% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 3 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 $499 MSRP, and you are getting 365.7% higher G3D Mark. Radeon HD 8950 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon HD 8950 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon HD 8950 is 2012 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM, 2,828 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.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 8950 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD 8950
1080p
low	109 FPS	100 FPS
medium	98 FPS	83 FPS
high	84 FPS	66 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	39 FPS
1440p
low	95 FPS	84 FPS
medium	83 FPS	71 FPS
high	70 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	48 FPS	27 FPS
medium	43 FPS	26 FPS
high	30 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon HD 8950

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD 8950
1080p
low	357 FPS	127 FPS
medium	310 FPS	102 FPS
high	248 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	59 FPS
1440p
low	221 FPS	78 FPS
medium	190 FPS	56 FPS
high	154 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	31 FPS
4K
low	108 FPS	29 FPS
medium	89 FPS	20 FPS
high	72 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	12 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon HD 8950

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD 8950
1080p
low	593 FPS	127 FPS
medium	474 FPS	102 FPS
high	395 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	296 FPS	64 FPS
1440p
low	444 FPS	95 FPS
medium	356 FPS	76 FPS
high	296 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	48 FPS
4K
low	296 FPS	64 FPS
medium	237 FPS	51 FPS
high	198 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	148 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon HD 8950

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD 8950
1080p
low	519 FPS	127 FPS
medium	439 FPS	102 FPS
high	376 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	296 FPS	64 FPS
1440p
low	425 FPS	95 FPS
medium	356 FPS	76 FPS
high	296 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	48 FPS
4K
low	277 FPS	64 FPS
medium	237 FPS	51 FPS
high	198 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	148 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon HD 8950

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU and Radeon HD 8950

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.

Radeon HD 8950

The Radeon HD 8950 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 31 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1250 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,828 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU scores 13,170 versus the Radeon HD 8950's 2,828 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 365.7%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the Radeon HD 8950 uses GCN 1.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 1,792 (Radeon HD 8950). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 2.867 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8950). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1250 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD 8950
G3D Mark Score	13,170+366%	2,828
Architecture	Ampere	GCN 1.0
Process Node	8 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	3584+100%	1792
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS+344%	2.867 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1777 MHz+42%	1250 MHz
ROPs	48+50%	32
TMUs	112	112
L1 Cache	3.5 MB+695%	0.44 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB+300%	0.75 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 8950 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD 8950
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 8950 has 3 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU offers 100% 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 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 8950) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD 8950
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+100%	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	3 MB+300%	0.75 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 12_0 (Radeon HD 8950). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD 8950
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12_0
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 8950). Decoder: NVDEC (5th Gen) vs UVD 3.1.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon HD 8950
Encoder	NVENC (7th Gen)	VCE 1.0
Decoder	NVDEC (5th Gen)	UVD 3.1
Codecs	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU draws 170W versus the Radeon HD 8950's 200W — a 16.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 500W (Radeon HD 8950). Power connectors: Mobile vs 6-pin + 8-pin.