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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅+7286.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 2843.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 1.7 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅1500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 512 MB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌194.1% higher power demand at 200W vs 68W.
❌66.9% longer card at 242mm vs 145mm.

NVS 310

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $240 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 68W instead of 200W, a 132W reduction.
✅Measures 145mm instead of 242mm, a 97mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (275 vs 20,312).
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.7 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

NVS 310

2015

Why buy it

✅+7286.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 2843.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 1.7 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅1500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 512 MB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Costs $240 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 68W instead of 200W, a 132W reduction.
✅Measures 145mm instead of 242mm, a 97mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌194.1% higher power demand at 200W vs 68W.
❌66.9% longer card at 242mm vs 145mm.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (275 vs 20,312).
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.7 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti better than NVS 310?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 20,312 vs 275 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while NVS 310 is a 2015 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2015, 7286.2% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 512 MB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is about 150.9% more expensive on MSRP at $399 MSRP versus $159 MSRP, and you are getting 7286.2% higher G3D Mark. NVS 310 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is NVS 310 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. NVS 310 is 2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM, 275 in G3D Mark, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Benchmark Check

NVS 310 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	NVS 310
1080p
low	152 FPS	12 FPS
medium	137 FPS	10 FPS
high	118 FPS	8 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	5 FPS
1440p
low	131 FPS	9 FPS
medium	107 FPS	7 FPS
high	91 FPS	3 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	2 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	5 FPS
medium	65 FPS	3 FPS
high	50 FPS	1 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	1 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open NVS 310

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	NVS 310
1080p
low	425 FPS	12 FPS
medium	366 FPS	10 FPS
high	296 FPS	8 FPS
ultra	248 FPS	6 FPS
1440p
low	272 FPS	9 FPS
medium	229 FPS	7 FPS
high	190 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	156 FPS	5 FPS
4K
low	133 FPS	6 FPS
medium	114 FPS	3 FPS
high	96 FPS	3 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	2 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open NVS 310

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	NVS 310
1080p
low	859 FPS	12 FPS
medium	693 FPS	10 FPS
high	602 FPS	8 FPS
ultra	457 FPS	6 FPS
1440p
low	658 FPS	9 FPS
medium	529 FPS	7 FPS
high	452 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	5 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	6 FPS
medium	346 FPS	5 FPS
high	275 FPS	4 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	3 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open NVS 310

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	NVS 310
1080p
low	580 FPS	12 FPS
medium	514 FPS	10 FPS
high	424 FPS	8 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	6 FPS
1440p
low	478 FPS	9 FPS
medium	427 FPS	7 FPS
high	335 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	5 FPS
4K
low	285 FPS	6 FPS
medium	266 FPS	5 FPS
high	234 FPS	4 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	3 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open NVS 310

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and NVS 310

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.

NVS 310

The NVS 310 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 4 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 902 MHz to 1033 MHz. It has 512 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 68W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 275 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 20,312 versus the NVS 310's 275 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 7286.2%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is built on Ampere while the NVS 310 uses Maxwell, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 512 (NVS 310). Raw compute: 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 1.058 TFLOPS ×2 (NVS 310). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 1033 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	NVS 310
G3D Mark Score	20,312+7286%	275
Architecture	Ampere	Maxwell
Process Node	8 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	4864+850%	512 ×2
Compute (TFLOPS)	16.2 TFLOPS+1431%	1.058 TFLOPS ×2
Boost Clock	1665 MHz+61%	1033 MHz
ROPs	80+400%	16 ×2
TMUs	152+375%	32 ×2
L1 Cache	4.8 MB+1820%	0.25 MB
L2 Cache	4 MB+300%	1 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The NVS 310 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	NVS 310
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 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the NVS 310 has 512 MB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 1500% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 1 MB (NVS 310) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	NVS 310
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+1500%	0.5 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 12 (11_0) (NVS 310). OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	NVS 310
DirectX	12 Ultimate (12_2)	12 (11_0)
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4+100%	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs Fermi NVENC (NVS 310). Decoder: NVDEC (Ampere) vs VP4. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (NVS 310).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	NVS 310
Encoder	NVENC (Ampere)	Fermi NVENC
Decoder	NVDEC (Ampere)	VP4
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti draws 200W versus the NVS 310's 68W — a 98.5% difference. The NVS 310 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 350W (NVS 310). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 145mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	NVS 310
TDP	200W	68W-66%
Recommended PSU	600W	350W-42%
Power Connector	8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	242mm	145mm
Height	112mm	69mm
Slots	2	1-50%
Temp (Load)	75	75°C
Perf/Watt	101.6+2440%	4.0

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399 MSRP, while the NVS 310 launched at $159. The NVS 310 costs 60.2% less ($240 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 1.7 (NVS 310) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 2894.1% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2015).