GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Radeon R9 M470X

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon R9 M470X

2016Core: 1000 MHzBoost: 1100 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

  • 326.0% more average FPS across 50 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

  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 9.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
  • 126.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 75W.

Radeon R9 M470X

2016

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($350 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Draws 75W instead of 170W, a 95W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 50 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 FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • Very weak future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 4 GB 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 M470X?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU averages 326.0% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 13,170 vs 3,244 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is a 2022 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon R9 M470X is a 2016 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 2016, 306.0% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 4 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 $350 MSRP, and you are getting 326.0% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 306.0% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 M470X really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.
Is Radeon R9 M470X still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon R9 M470X is 2016 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM, 3,244 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 R9 M470X
1080p
low109 FPS39 FPS
medium98 FPS25 FPS
high84 FPS18 FPS
ultra70 FPS10 FPS
1440p
low95 FPS27 FPS
medium83 FPS17 FPS
high70 FPS9 FPS
ultra59 FPS5 FPS
4K
low48 FPS10 FPS
medium43 FPS7 FPS
high30 FPS4 FPS
ultra26 FPS3 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 M470X
1080p
low351 FPS56 FPS
medium307 FPS31 FPS
high246 FPS22 FPS
ultra194 FPS15 FPS
1440p
low222 FPS28 FPS
medium195 FPS16 FPS
high159 FPS10 FPS
ultra127 FPS7 FPS
4K
low110 FPS8 FPS
medium93 FPS5 FPS
high77 FPS4 FPS
ultra59 FPS3 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 M470X
1080p
low593 FPS146 FPS
medium474 FPS117 FPS
high395 FPS97 FPS
ultra296 FPS73 FPS
1440p
low444 FPS109 FPS
medium356 FPS88 FPS
high296 FPS73 FPS
ultra222 FPS55 FPS
4K
low296 FPS73 FPS
medium237 FPS58 FPS
high198 FPS49 FPS
ultra148 FPS36 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 M470X
1080p
low519 FPS120 FPS
medium439 FPS93 FPS
high376 FPS70 FPS
ultra296 FPS54 FPS
1440p
low425 FPS65 FPS
medium356 FPS51 FPS
high296 FPS42 FPS
ultra222 FPS30 FPS
4K
low277 FPS37 FPS
medium237 FPS27 FPS
high198 FPS22 FPS
ultra148 FPS15 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU and Radeon R9 M470X

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 R9 M470X

The Radeon R9 M470X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 15 2016. 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: 3,244 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU scores 13,170 versus the Radeon R9 M470X's 3,244 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 306%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 M470X uses GCN 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 896 (Radeon R9 M470X). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 1.971 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M470X). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1100 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 M470X
G3D Mark Score
13,170+306%
3,244
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 M470X relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 M470X
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 M470X 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 128-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon R9 M470X) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 M470X
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+50%
4 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
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU draws 170W versus the Radeon R9 M470X's 75W — a 77.6% difference. The Radeon R9 M470X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M470X). Power connectors: Mobile vs Mobile.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 M470X
TDP
170W
75W-56%
Recommended PSU
500W
350W-30%
Power Connector
Mobile
Mobile
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
77.5+79%
43.3
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 M470X
MSRP
$350
Codename
GA106
Emerald
Release
October 12 2022
May 15 2016
Ranking
#147
#563