GeForce RTX 3060 Ti vs GeForce3

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020Core: 1410 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz
RTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce3

2015Core: 928 MHzBoost: 941 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3060 Ti vs GeForce3 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 Ti vs GeForce3 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 Ti vs GeForce3: 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 Ti

2020

Why buy it

  • 16878.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $100 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 507954.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 0.0 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 12598.4% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 65 MB).

Trade-offs

  • 506.1% higher power demand at 200W vs 33W.
  • 46.7% longer card at 242mm vs 165mm.

GeForce3

2015

Why buy it

  • Draws 33W instead of 200W, a 167W reduction.
  • Measures 165mm instead of 242mm, a 77mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 65 MB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2015 hardware with 65 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 25.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $499 MSRPvs$399 MSRP

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 16878.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 406140% in PassMark G3D (20,312 vs 5), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 65 MB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, and 38 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti makes the most sense to buy today. It is $100 cheaper on MSRP at $399 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 507954.5% (50.9 vs 0.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti vs GeForce3 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 4864 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 38 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,312 points. Launch price was $399.

NVIDIA

GeForce3

The GeForce3 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 928 MHz to 941 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 20,312 versus the GeForce3's 5 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 406140%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is built on Ampere while the GeForce3 uses Maxwell, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 384 (GeForce3). Raw compute: 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 0.7227 TFLOPS (GeForce3). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 941 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiGeForce3
G3D Mark Score
20,312+406140%
5
Architecture
Ampere
Maxwell
Process Node
8 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
4864+1167%
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
16.2 TFLOPS+2142%
0.7227 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1665 MHz+77%
941 MHz
ROPs
80+900%
8
TMUs
152+533%
24
L1 Cache
4.8 MB+2426%
0.19 MB
L2 Cache
4 MB+300%
1 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce3 supports the newer Upscaling support, whereas the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiGeForce3
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce3 carries 65 MB. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti gives you 12598.4% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and 64-bit on the GeForce3. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 1 MB (GeForce3) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiGeForce3
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+12598%
0.063 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Bus Width
256-bit+300%
64-bit
L2 Cache
4 MB+300%
1 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 8.1 (GeForce3). Vulkan: 1.3 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 1.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiGeForce3
DirectX
12 Ultimate (12_2)+48%
8.1
Vulkan
1.3
N/A
OpenGL
4.6+254%
1.3
Max Displays
4+100%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs None (GeForce3). Decoder: NVDEC (Ampere) vs None. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs MPEG-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce3).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiGeForce3
Encoder
NVENC (Ampere)
None
Decoder
NVDEC (Ampere)
None
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1
MPEG-1,MPEG-2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti draws 200W versus the GeForce3's 33W — a 143.3% difference. The GeForce3 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 350W (GeForce3). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 165mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 85.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiGeForce3
TDP
200W
33W-84%
Recommended PSU
600W
350W-42%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
242mm
165mm
Height
112mm
100mm
Slots
2
1-50%
Temp (Load)
75-12%
85
Perf/Watt
101.6+50700%
0.2
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti came in at $399, while the GeForce3 launched at $499. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti was 20% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 0.0 (GeForce3) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 100+% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (2020 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiGeForce3
MSRP
$399-20%
$499
Performance per Dollar
50.9
0.0
Codename
GA104
GM108
Release
December 1 2020
March 13 2015
Ranking
#73
#810

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