GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Radeon Steam Deck 8CU 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 Steam Deck 8CU 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Radeon Steam Deck 8CU: 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
2022Why buy it
- ✅166.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
- ✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
- ✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
Trade-offs
- ❌466.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 30W.
Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
2023Why buy it
- ✅Draws 30W instead of 170W, a 140W reduction.
- ✅More future proof: RDNA 2 (2022−2023) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌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.
- ❌GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
Quick Answers
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GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Radeon Steam Deck 8CU Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
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 Steam Deck 8CU
The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 9 2023. It features the RDNA 2 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1900 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,000 points.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU scores 13,170 versus the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU's 3,000 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 339%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU uses RDNA 2, both on 8 nm vs 6 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 512 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1900 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 13,170+339% | 3,000 |
| Architecture | Ampere | RDNA 2 |
| Process Node | 8 nm | 6 nm |
| Shading Units | 3584+600% | 512 |
| Boost Clock | 1777 MHz | 1900 MHz+7% |
| L1 Cache | 3.5 MB+600% | 0.5 MB |
| L2 Cache | 3 MB+200% | 1 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| 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 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU carries 2 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gives you 200% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU and 64-bit on the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 1 MB (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 6 GB+200% | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |
| Bus Width | 192-bit+200% | 64-bit |
| L2 Cache | 3 MB+200% | 1 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 12_0 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate | 12_0 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 0 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs VCN 3.0 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Decoder: NVDEC (5th Gen) vs VCN 3.0.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC (7th Gen) | VCN 3.0 |
| Decoder | NVDEC (5th Gen) | VCN 3.0 |
| Codecs | H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 | — |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU draws 170W versus the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU's 30W — a 140% difference. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 350W (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Power connectors: Mobile vs PCIe-powered.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 170W | 30W-82% |
| Recommended PSU | 500W | 350W-30% |
| Power Connector | Mobile | PCIe-powered |
| Length | — | 1mm |
| Slots | — | 0 |
| Temp (Load) | 75°C | — |
| Perf/Watt | 77.5 | 100.0+29% |
Value Analysis
The newer card here is Radeon Steam Deck 8CU (2023 vs 2022).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | — | $0 |
| Codename | GA106 | RDNA 2 Sephiroth |
| Release | October 12 2022 | November 9 2023 |
| Ranking | #147 | #480 |
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