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

2021

Why buy it

✅+11.8% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).
✅Draws 170W instead of 290W, a 120W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (112 vs 192), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.

GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU

2021

Why buy it

✅71.4% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (192 vs 112).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (15,196 vs 16,995).
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌70.6% higher power demand at 290W vs 170W.

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU

2021

Why buy it

✅+11.8% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).
✅Draws 170W instead of 290W, a 120W reduction.

Why buy it

✅71.4% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (192 vs 112).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (112 vs 192), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (15,196 vs 16,995).
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌70.6% higher power demand at 290W vs 170W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 11.8% higher PassMark G3D performance and 12 GB vs 8 GB of VRAM.

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

GeForce RTX 3060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 11.8% more raw performance headroom and more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 8 GB. 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 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $329 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 11.8% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around an unclear MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3060 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 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	149 FPS	200 FPS
medium	131 FPS	182 FPS
high	118 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	121 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	169 FPS
medium	104 FPS	137 FPS
high	92 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	96 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	87 FPS
medium	58 FPS	74 FPS
high	39 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	50 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	354 FPS	526 FPS
medium	310 FPS	449 FPS
high	249 FPS	370 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	222 FPS	308 FPS
medium	196 FPS	251 FPS
high	160 FPS	220 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	187 FPS
4K
low	110 FPS	142 FPS
medium	94 FPS	117 FPS
high	77 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	80 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	765 FPS	684 FPS
medium	612 FPS	547 FPS
high	510 FPS	456 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	342 FPS
1440p
low	535 FPS	513 FPS
medium	432 FPS	410 FPS
high	366 FPS	342 FPS
ultra	287 FPS	256 FPS
4K
low	367 FPS	342 FPS
medium	298 FPS	274 FPS
high	221 FPS	228 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	171 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	523 FPS	602 FPS
medium	452 FPS	528 FPS
high	383 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	342 FPS
1440p
low	428 FPS	490 FPS
medium	371 FPS	410 FPS
high	298 FPS	340 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	256 FPS
4K
low	279 FPS	293 FPS
medium	259 FPS	270 FPS
high	225 FPS	228 FPS
ultra	186 FPS	171 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 and GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU

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 3070 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 31 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1575 MHz to 1770 MHz. It has 6144 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 290W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 48 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 15,196 points. Launch price was $599.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU's 15,196 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 11.8%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU uses Ampere, both on a 8 nm process. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 6,144 (GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 21.75 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1770 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 48 (GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU) with 112 Tensor cores vs 192.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score	16,995+12%	15,196
Architecture	Ampere	Ampere
Process Node	8 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	3584	6144+71%
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS	21.75 TFLOPS+71%
Boost Clock	1777 MHz	1770 MHz
ROPs	48	96+100%
TMUs	112	192+71%
L1 Cache	3.5 MB	6 MB+71%
L2 Cache	3 MB	4 MB+33%
Ray Tracing Cores	28	48+71%
Tensor Cores	112	192+71%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU
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)

The GeForce RTX 3060 comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU) — a 24.4% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU) — the GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+50%	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	360 GB/s	448 GB/s+24%
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	3 MB	4 MB+33%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 1.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12.2+2%
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4+300%	1

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 7th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU
Encoder	NVENC 7th Gen	7th Gen NVENC
Decoder	NVDEC 5th Gen	5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU's 290W — a 52.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 242mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU
TDP	170W-41%	290W
Recommended PSU	550W-15%	650W
Power Connector	8-pin	Mobile
Length	242mm	0mm
Height	112mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75-6%	80°C
Perf/Watt	100.0+91%	52.4