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

✅+129.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌81.8% higher power demand at 200W vs 110W.
❌34.4% longer card at 242mm vs 180mm.

Radeon RX 5500

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $220 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅Draws 110W instead of 200W, a 90W reduction.
✅Measures 180mm instead of 242mm, a 62mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (8,837 vs 20,312).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Radeon RX 5500

2019

Why buy it

✅+129.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Why buy it

✅Costs $220 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅Draws 110W instead of 200W, a 90W reduction.
✅Measures 180mm instead of 242mm, a 62mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌81.8% higher power demand at 200W vs 110W.
❌34.4% longer card at 242mm vs 180mm.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (8,837 vs 20,312).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti better than Radeon RX 5500?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 20,312 vs 8,837 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon RX 5500 is a 2019 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation. 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 2019, 129.9% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 GB, and the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation. 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 today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is about 122.9% more expensive on MSRP at $399 MSRP versus $179 MSRP, and you are getting 129.9% higher G3D Mark. It only holds a slight 3.1% edge in G3D-per-dollar, so the value lead is real but narrow. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Radeon RX 5500 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon RX 5500 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $179 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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 RX 5500 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon RX 5500
1080p
low	152 FPS	106 FPS
medium	137 FPS	92 FPS
high	118 FPS	76 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	45 FPS
1440p
low	131 FPS	94 FPS
medium	107 FPS	81 FPS
high	91 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	35 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	32 FPS
medium	65 FPS	29 FPS
high	50 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	17 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon RX 5500

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon RX 5500
1080p
low	425 FPS	113 FPS
medium	366 FPS	79 FPS
high	296 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	248 FPS	37 FPS
1440p
low	272 FPS	76 FPS
medium	229 FPS	47 FPS
high	190 FPS	34 FPS
ultra	156 FPS	25 FPS
4K
low	133 FPS	36 FPS
medium	114 FPS	24 FPS
high	96 FPS	19 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon RX 5500

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon RX 5500
1080p
low	859 FPS	349 FPS
medium	693 FPS	304 FPS
high	602 FPS	238 FPS
ultra	457 FPS	198 FPS
1440p
low	658 FPS	285 FPS
medium	529 FPS	239 FPS
high	452 FPS	199 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	149 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	176 FPS
medium	346 FPS	151 FPS
high	275 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	74 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon RX 5500

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon RX 5500
1080p
low	580 FPS	170 FPS
medium	514 FPS	140 FPS
high	424 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	478 FPS	121 FPS
medium	427 FPS	100 FPS
high	335 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	69 FPS
4K
low	285 FPS	69 FPS
medium	266 FPS	56 FPS
high	234 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	34 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon RX 5500

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and Radeon RX 5500

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 RX 5500

The Radeon RX 5500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 7 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1845 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 110W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,837 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 20,312 versus the Radeon RX 5500's 8,837 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 129.9%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 5500 uses RDNA 1.0, both on 8 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500). Raw compute: 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 5.196 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 1845 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon RX 5500
G3D Mark Score	20,312+130%	8,837
Architecture	Ampere	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	8 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	4864+245%	1408
Compute (TFLOPS)	16.2 TFLOPS+212%	5.196 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1665 MHz	1845 MHz+11%
ROPs	80+150%	32
TMUs	152+73%	88

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 5500 is support for FSR Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.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 RX 5500 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon RX 5500
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation
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 RX 5500 has 4 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500) — a 100% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon RX 5500
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+100%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	448 GB/s+100%	224 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX 5500). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon RX 5500
DirectX	12 Ultimate (12_2)	12.1
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5500). Decoder: NVDEC (Ampere) vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon RX 5500
Encoder	NVENC (Ampere)	VCN 2.0
Decoder	NVDEC (Ampere)	VCN 2.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti draws 200W versus the Radeon RX 5500's 110W — a 58.1% difference. The Radeon RX 5500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 450W (Radeon RX 5500). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 180mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon RX 5500
TDP	200W	110W-45%
Recommended PSU	600W	450W-25%
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	242mm	180mm
Height	112mm	110mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75	75°C
Perf/Watt	101.6+27%	80.3

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 5500 launched at $179. The Radeon RX 5500 costs 55.1% less ($220 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 49.4 (Radeon RX 5500) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 3% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2019).