GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

2023Core: 1155 MHzBoost: 2550 MHz

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU 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 RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU 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 RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU: 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

  • +18.1% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Draws 170W instead of 250W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
  • RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.

RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

2023

Why buy it

  • 26.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (11,153 vs 13,170).
  • 47.1% higher power demand at 250W vs 170W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 26.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU instead at 13,170 vs 11,153, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU 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 DLSS 4 Super Resolution (2025) and DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025), while GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is limited to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 8nm, and 100 vs 28 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU 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.

NVIDIA

RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

The RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 9 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1155 MHz to 2550 MHz. It has 12800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 100 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,153 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU scores 13,170 versus the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU's 11,153 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 18.1%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 12,800 (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 65.28 TFLOPS (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 2550 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 100 (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU) with 112 Tensor cores vs 400.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score
13,170+18%
11,153
Architecture
Ampere
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
8 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
3584
12800+257%
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS
65.28 TFLOPS+412%
Boost Clock
1777 MHz
2550 MHz+44%
ROPs
48
176+267%
TMUs
112
400+257%
L1 Cache
3.5 MB
12.5 MB+257%
L2 Cache
3 MB
72 MB+2300%
Ray Tracing Cores
28
100+257%
Tensor Cores
112
400+257%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is support for DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation. 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 RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 4 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
DLSS 4 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 4)
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has 6 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU carries 8 GB. RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU 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 128 GB/s (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU) — a 162.5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU and 64-bit on the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 72 MB (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU) — the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
8 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
336 GB/s+163%
128 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit+200%
64-bit
L2 Cache
3 MB
72 MB+2300%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 12.2 (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.4+8%
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 8th Gen NVENC (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Decoder: NVDEC (5th Gen) vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
Encoder
NVENC (7th Gen)
8th Gen NVENC
Decoder
NVDEC (5th Gen)
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU draws 170W versus the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU's 250W — a 38.1% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 500W (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Power connectors: Mobile vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
TDP
170W-32%
250W
Recommended PSU
500W
500W
Power Connector
Mobile
PCIe-powered
Length
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
0
Temp (Load)
75°C-6%
80°C
Perf/Watt
77.5+74%
44.6