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

✅+602.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 91.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 26.5 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $109 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 1 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌110.5% higher power demand at 200W vs 95W.
❌42.4% longer card at 242mm vs 170mm.

Radeon R7 260

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $290 less on MSRP ($109 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 200W, a 105W reduction.
✅Measures 170mm instead of 242mm, a 72mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (2,892 vs 20,312).
❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.5 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($109 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Radeon R7 260

2013

Why buy it

✅+602.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 91.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 26.5 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $109 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 1 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Costs $290 less on MSRP ($109 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 200W, a 105W reduction.
✅Measures 170mm instead of 242mm, a 72mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌110.5% higher power demand at 200W vs 95W.
❌42.4% longer card at 242mm vs 170mm.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (2,892 vs 20,312).
❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.5 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($109 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti better than Radeon R7 260?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 20,312 vs 2,892 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon R7 260 is a 2013 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. 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 2013, 602.4% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 1 GB, and the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling. 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 266.1% more expensive on MSRP at $399 MSRP versus $109 MSRP, and you are getting 602.4% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R7 260 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon R7 260 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon R7 260 is 2013 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM, 2,892 in G3D Mark, and FSR upscaling. 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

Radeon R7 260 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R7 260
1080p
low	152 FPS	46 FPS
medium	137 FPS	28 FPS
high	118 FPS	19 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	9 FPS
1440p
low	131 FPS	30 FPS
medium	107 FPS	18 FPS
high	91 FPS	9 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	5 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	10 FPS
medium	65 FPS	7 FPS
high	50 FPS	4 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	3 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon R7 260

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R7 260
1080p
low	425 FPS	53 FPS
medium	366 FPS	28 FPS
high	296 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	248 FPS	14 FPS
1440p
low	272 FPS	24 FPS
medium	229 FPS	13 FPS
high	190 FPS	8 FPS
ultra	156 FPS	7 FPS
4K
low	133 FPS	7 FPS
medium	114 FPS	4 FPS
high	96 FPS	3 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	2 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon R7 260

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R7 260
1080p
low	859 FPS	130 FPS
medium	693 FPS	104 FPS
high	602 FPS	87 FPS
ultra	457 FPS	65 FPS
1440p
low	658 FPS	98 FPS
medium	529 FPS	78 FPS
high	452 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	49 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	65 FPS
medium	346 FPS	52 FPS
high	275 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	33 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon R7 260

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R7 260
1080p
low	580 FPS	73 FPS
medium	514 FPS	61 FPS
high	424 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	38 FPS
1440p
low	478 FPS	43 FPS
medium	427 FPS	36 FPS
high	335 FPS	30 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	24 FPS
4K
low	285 FPS	29 FPS
medium	266 FPS	23 FPS
high	234 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	13 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon R7 260

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and Radeon R7 260

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.

Radeon R7 260

The Radeon R7 260 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 17 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1100 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 95W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,892 points. Launch price was $109.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 20,312 versus the Radeon R7 260's 2,892 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 602.4%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is built on Ampere while the Radeon R7 260 uses GCN 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 768 (Radeon R7 260). Raw compute: 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 1.536 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 260). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 1100 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R7 260
G3D Mark Score	20,312+602%	2,892
Architecture	Ampere	GCN 2.0
Process Node	8 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	4864+533%	768
Compute (TFLOPS)	16.2 TFLOPS+955%	1.536 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1665 MHz+51%	1100 MHz
ROPs	80+400%	16
TMUs	152+217%	48
L1 Cache	4.8 MB+2426%	0.19 MB
L2 Cache	4 MB+1500%	0.25 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 Radeon R7 260 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R7 260
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 Ti comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 260 has 1 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 700% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 96 GB/s (Radeon R7 260) — a 366.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon R7 260) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R7 260
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+700%	1 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	448 GB/s+367%	96 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	4 MB+1500%	0.25 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon R7 260). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R7 260
DirectX	12 Ultimate (12_2)	12 (12_0)
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4+33%	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R7 260). Decoder: NVDEC (Ampere) vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MVC (Radeon R7 260).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R7 260
Encoder	NVENC (Ampere)	VCE 2.0
Decoder	NVDEC (Ampere)	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti draws 200W versus the Radeon R7 260's 95W — a 71.2% difference. The Radeon R7 260 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 400W (Radeon R7 260). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 170mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 80.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R7 260
TDP	200W	95W-53%
Recommended PSU	600W	400W-33%
Power Connector	8-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	242mm	170mm
Height	112mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75-6%	80
Perf/Watt	101.6+234%	30.4

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399 MSRP, while the Radeon R7 260 launched at $109. The Radeon R7 260 costs 72.7% less ($290 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 26.5 (Radeon R7 260) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 92.1% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2013).