GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Radeon RX 6850M

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

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

Radeon RX 6850M

2022Core: 2068 MHzBoost: 2416 MHz

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Radeon RX 6850M 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 RX 6850M 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 RX 6850M: 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

  • 2.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
  • 41.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 120W.

Radeon RX 6850M

2022

Why buy it

  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
  • Draws 120W instead of 170W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR 3 (2023) instead.

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 2.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 7.3% in PassMark G3D (13,170 vs 12,274), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon RX 6850M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with FSR 3 (2023) and FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023), while GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is limited to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and no comparable frame-generation support, and a 7nm process instead of 8nm. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and lighter 1440p, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and lighter 1440p headroom, Radeon RX 6850M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Radeon RX 6850M 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 RX 6850M

The Radeon RX 6850M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2068 MHz to 2416 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12,274 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU scores 13,170 versus the Radeon RX 6850M's 12,274 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 7.3%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 6850M uses RDNA 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 1,792 (Radeon RX 6850M). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 8.659 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6850M). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 2416 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 28 (Radeon RX 6850M) with 112 Tensor cores.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon RX 6850M
G3D Mark Score
13,170+7%
12,274
Architecture
Ampere
RDNA 2.0
Process Node
8 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
3584+100%
1792
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS+47%
8.659 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1777 MHz
2416 MHz+36%
ROPs
48
64+33%
TMUs
112
112
L1 Cache
3.5 MB+600%
0.5 MB
L2 Cache
3 MB+50%
2 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
28
28

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 6850M is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 6850M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon RX 6850M
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
FSR 3
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
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 RX 6850M carries 8 GB. Radeon RX 6850M gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 432 GB/s (Radeon RX 6850M) — a 28.6% advantage for the Radeon RX 6850M. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU and 192-bit on the Radeon RX 6850M. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 6850M) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon RX 6850M
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
8 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
336 GB/s
432 GB/s+29%
Bus Width
192-bit
192-bit
L2 Cache
3 MB+50%
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 6850M). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon RX 6850M
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.4
1.4
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs VCN 3.0 (Radeon RX 6850M). Decoder: NVDEC (5th Gen) vs VCN 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 6850M).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon RX 6850M
Encoder
NVENC (7th Gen)
VCN 3.0
Decoder
NVDEC (5th Gen)
VCN 3.0
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU draws 170W versus the Radeon RX 6850M's 120W — a 34.5% difference. The Radeon RX 6850M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 500W (Radeon RX 6850M). Power connectors: Mobile vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon RX 6850M
TDP
170W
120W-29%
Recommended PSU
500W
500W
Power Connector
Mobile
Mobile
Length
267mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
75°C-12%
85°C
Perf/Watt
77.5
102.3+32%