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

✅+560.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 512 MB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 6.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
❌126.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 75W.

Radeon R9 M385X

2015

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 75W instead of 170W, a 95W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,994 vs 13,170).
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB 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: 2015-era hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Radeon R9 M385X

2015

Why buy it

✅+560.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 512 MB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 75W instead of 170W, a 95W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 6.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
❌126.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 75W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,994 vs 13,170).
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB 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: 2015-era hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU better than Radeon R9 M385X?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 13,170 vs 1,994 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is a 2022 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon R9 M385X is a 2015 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 2015, 560.5% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 512 MB, 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 $300 MSRP, and you are getting 560.5% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 M385X really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon R9 M385X still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon R9 M385X is 2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM, 1,994 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 R9 M385X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 M385X
1080p
low	109 FPS	36 FPS
medium	98 FPS	22 FPS
high	84 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	8 FPS
1440p
low	95 FPS	24 FPS
medium	83 FPS	14 FPS
high	70 FPS	7 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	4 FPS
4K
low	48 FPS	9 FPS
medium	43 FPS	6 FPS
high	30 FPS	4 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	3 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon R9 M385X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 M385X
1080p
low	351 FPS	53 FPS
medium	307 FPS	29 FPS
high	246 FPS	21 FPS
ultra	194 FPS	14 FPS
1440p
low	222 FPS	26 FPS
medium	195 FPS	15 FPS
high	159 FPS	9 FPS
ultra	127 FPS	7 FPS
4K
low	110 FPS	7 FPS
medium	93 FPS	4 FPS
high	77 FPS	4 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	3 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon R9 M385X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 M385X
1080p
low	593 FPS	90 FPS
medium	474 FPS	72 FPS
high	395 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	296 FPS	45 FPS
1440p
low	444 FPS	67 FPS
medium	356 FPS	54 FPS
high	296 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	34 FPS
4K
low	296 FPS	45 FPS
medium	237 FPS	36 FPS
high	198 FPS	30 FPS
ultra	148 FPS	22 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon R9 M385X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 M385X
1080p
low	519 FPS	63 FPS
medium	439 FPS	52 FPS
high	376 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	296 FPS	32 FPS
1440p
low	425 FPS	37 FPS
medium	356 FPS	31 FPS
high	296 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	21 FPS
4K
low	277 FPS	25 FPS
medium	237 FPS	20 FPS
high	198 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	148 FPS	12 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon R9 M385X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU and Radeon R9 M385X

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 R9 M385X

The Radeon R9 M385X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 5 2015. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1000 MHz to 1100 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,994 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU scores 13,170 versus the Radeon R9 M385X's 1,994 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 560.5%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 M385X uses GCN 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 896 (Radeon R9 M385X). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 1.971 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M385X). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1100 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 M385X
G3D Mark Score	13,170+560%	1,994
Architecture	Ampere	GCN 2.0
Process Node	8 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	3584+300%	896
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS+546%	1.971 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1777 MHz+62%	1100 MHz
ROPs	48+200%	16
TMUs	112+100%	56
L1 Cache	3.5 MB+1491%	0.22 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB+1100%	0.25 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 R9 M385X relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 M385X
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 R9 M385X has 512 MB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU offers 1100% 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 0.25 MB (Radeon R9 M385X) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 M385X
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+1100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB+1100%	0.25 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon R9 M385X). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 M385X
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12 (12_0)
Vulkan	1.4+17%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 M385X). Decoder: NVDEC (5th Gen) vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs H.264,MPEG-4,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon R9 M385X).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 M385X
Encoder	NVENC (7th Gen)	VCE 2.0
Decoder	NVDEC (5th Gen)	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9	H.264,MPEG-4,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU draws 170W versus the Radeon R9 M385X's 75W — a 77.6% difference. The Radeon R9 M385X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M385X). Power connectors: Mobile vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85.