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 vs GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 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 vs GeForce RTX 3060 12GB: 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

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 170W instead of 350W, a 180W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 12GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (112 vs 280), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB

2022

Why buy it

✅24.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅150% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (280 vs 112).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌105.9% higher power demand at 350W vs 170W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 24.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce RTX 3060 instead at 16,995 vs 16,777, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is priced the same on MSRP at $329 vs $329, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1.3% (51.7 vs 51.0), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GeForce RTX 3060 12GB still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs GeForce RTX 3060 12GB Technical Specifications

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

GeForce RTX 3060

The GeForce RTX 3060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,995 points. Launch price was $329.

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB

The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 11 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1260 MHz to 1710 MHz. It has 8960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 70 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,777 points. Launch price was $799.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 and the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB reaches 16,777 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB uses Ampere, both on a 8 nm process. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 8,960 (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 30.64 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1710 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 70 (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) with 112 Tensor cores vs 280.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
G3D Mark Score	16,995+1%	16,777
Architecture	Ampere	Ampere
Process Node	8 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	3584	8960+150%
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS	30.64 TFLOPS+141%
Boost Clock	1777 MHz+4%	1710 MHz
ROPs	48	96+100%
TMUs	112	280+150%
L1 Cache	3.5 MB	8.8 MB+151%
L2 Cache	3 MB	6 MB+100%
Ray Tracing Cores	28	70+150%
Tensor Cores	112	280+150%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 12 GB of GDDR6. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) — the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
VRAM Capacity	12 GB	12 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	360 GB/s	360 GB/s
Bus Width	192-bit	192-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB	6 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
Encoder	NVENC 7th Gen	NVENC 7th gen
Decoder	NVDEC 5th Gen	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB's 350W — a 69.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
TDP	170W-51%	350W
Recommended PSU	550W	550W
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	242mm	242mm
Height	112mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75	75°C
Perf/Watt	100.0+109%	47.9

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB launched at $329. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 51.0 (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 1.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 12GB (2022 vs 2021).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
MSRP	$329	$329
Performance per Dollar	51.7+1%	51.0
Codename	GA106	GA102
Release	January 12 2021	January 11 2022
Ranking	#114	#38

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