GeForce RTX 3060 Ti vs Iris Xe MAX Graphics

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

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

Iris Xe MAX Graphics

2020Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1650 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3060 Ti vs Iris Xe MAX Graphics 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 Iris Xe MAX Graphics: 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

  • +930% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Delivers 42% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 35.9 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $55 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs Unknown).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 700% higher power demand at 200W vs 25W.

Iris Xe MAX Graphics

2020

Why buy it

  • Costs $344 less on MSRP ($55 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • Draws 25W instead of 200W, a 175W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,972 vs 20,312).
  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2020 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 35.9 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($55 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 930% in PassMark G3D (20,312 vs 1,972), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
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 Unknown of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 10nm, 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 $344 more expensive on MSRP at $399 vs $55, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 42% (50.9 vs 35.9), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti vs Iris Xe MAX Graphics 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.

Intel

Iris Xe MAX Graphics

The Iris Xe MAX Graphics is manufactured by Intel. It was released in October 31 2020. It features the Generation 12.1 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1650 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 10 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,972 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 20,312 versus the Iris Xe MAX Graphics's 1,972 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 930%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is built on Ampere while the Iris Xe MAX Graphics uses Generation 12.1, both on 8 nm vs 10 nm. Shader units: 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 768 (Iris Xe MAX Graphics). Raw compute: 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 2.534 TFLOPS (Iris Xe MAX Graphics). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 1650 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiIris Xe MAX Graphics
G3D Mark Score
20,312+930%
1,972
Architecture
Ampere
Generation 12.1
Process Node
8 nm
10 nm
Shading Units
4864+533%
768
Compute (TFLOPS)
16.2 TFLOPS+539%
2.534 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1665 MHz
1650 MHz
ROPs
80+233%
24
TMUs
152+217%
48
L2 Cache
4 MB+300%
1 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Iris Xe MAX Graphics leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiIris Xe MAX Graphics
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Iris Xe MAX Graphics carries 0 MB. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti gives you 100+% 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 System on the Iris Xe MAX Graphics. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 1 MB (Iris Xe MAX Graphics) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiIris Xe MAX Graphics
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR6
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
448 GB/s
System
Bus Width
256-bit
System
L2 Cache
4 MB+300%
1 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 12.1 (Iris Xe MAX Graphics). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiIris Xe MAX Graphics
DirectX
12 Ultimate (12_2)
12.1
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs QuickSync (Iris Xe MAX Graphics). Decoder: NVDEC (Ampere) vs QuickSync. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (Iris Xe MAX Graphics).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiIris Xe MAX Graphics
Encoder
NVENC (Ampere)
QuickSync
Decoder
NVDEC (Ampere)
QuickSync
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1
H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti draws 200W versus the Iris Xe MAX Graphics's 25W — a 155.6% difference. The Iris Xe MAX Graphics is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 1W (Iris Xe MAX Graphics). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Integrated. Card length: 242mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 80.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiIris Xe MAX Graphics
TDP
200W
25W-88%
Recommended PSU
600W
1W-100%
Power Connector
8-pin
Integrated
Length
242mm
0mm
Height
112mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75-6%
80
Perf/Watt
101.6+29%
78.9
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti came in at $399, while the Iris Xe MAX Graphics launched at $55. On MSRP, Iris Xe MAX Graphics was 86.2% cheaper ($344 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 35.9 (Iris Xe MAX Graphics) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 41.8% better value.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiIris Xe MAX Graphics
MSRP
$399
$55-86%
Performance per Dollar
50.9+42%
35.9
Codename
GA104
DG1
Release
December 1 2020
October 31 2020
Ranking
#73
#686

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