GeForce RTX 3060 vs GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile

2023Core: 1290 MHzBoost: 2010 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce RTX 3060 vs GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

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 4080 Mobile 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 4080 Mobile: 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

  • Costs $801 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $1,130 MSRP).
  • Delivers 135.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 22.0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $1,130 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.

GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile

2023

Why buy it

  • 32.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 4nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 243.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,130 MSRPvs$329 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 22.0 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($1,130 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 32.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 46% in PassMark G3D (24,805 vs 16,995), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce RTX 3060 is limited to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and no comparable frame-generation support, a 4nm process instead of 8nm, 58 vs 28 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2021. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $801 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $1,130, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 135.3% (51.7 vs 22.0), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and lighter 1440p, GeForce RTX 3060 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and strong 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile

The GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 3 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1290 MHz to 2010 MHz. It has 7424 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 58 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 24,805 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile's 24,805 — the GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile leads by 46%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 4 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 7,424 (GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 24.72 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 2010 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 58 (GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile) with 112 Tensor cores vs 232.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile
G3D Mark Score
16,995
24,805+46%
Architecture
Ampere
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
8 nm
4 nm
Shading Units
3584
7424+107%
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS
24.72 TFLOPS+94%
Boost Clock
1777 MHz
2010 MHz+13%
ROPs
48
80+67%
TMUs
112
232+107%
L1 Cache
3.5 MB
7.3 MB+109%
L2 Cache
3 MB
48 MB+1500%
Ray Tracing Cores
28
58+107%
Tensor Cores
112
232+107%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce RTX 3060 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce RTX 3060 is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 12 GB of GDDR6. Memory bandwidth: 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 432 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile) — a 20% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 48 MB (GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile) — the GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile
VRAM Capacity
12 GB
12 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
360 GB/s
432 GB/s+20%
Bus Width
192-bit
192-bit
L2 Cache
3 MB
48 MB+1500%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 1.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4+300%
1
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 8th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile). 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 (GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile
Encoder
NVENC 7th Gen
8th Gen NVENC
Decoder
NVDEC 5th Gen
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile's 150W — a 12.5% difference. The GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 242mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile
TDP
170W
150W-12%
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
165.4+65%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile launched at $1130. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 70.9% cheaper ($801 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 22.0 (GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 135% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (2023 vs 2021).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile
MSRP
$329-71%
$1130
Performance per Dollar
51.7+135%
22.0
Codename
GA106
AD104
Release
January 12 2021
January 3 2023
Ranking
#114
#43

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