GeForce RTX 3060
GeForce RTX 5070
GeForce RTX 3060 vs GeForce RTX 5070 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 5070 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
GeForce RTX 3060 vs GeForce RTX 5070: 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
2021Why buy it
- ✅Costs $220 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
- ✅Draws 170W instead of 250W, a 80W reduction.
- ✅Measures 242mm instead of 245mm, a 3mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 5070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
- ❌GeForce RTX 5070 is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
GeForce RTX 5070
2025Why buy it
- ✅44.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
- ✅Better long-term bet: Blackwell 2.0 (2025−2026) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
Trade-offs
- ❌47.1% higher power demand at 250W vs 170W.
Quick Answers
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Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
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GeForce RTX 3060 vs GeForce RTX 5070 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 5070
The GeForce RTX 5070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 4 2025. It features the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2325 MHz to 2512 MHz. It has 6144 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 48 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 28,854 points. Launch price was $549.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the GeForce RTX 5070's 28,854 — the GeForce RTX 5070 leads by 69.8%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 5070 uses Blackwell 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 6,144 (GeForce RTX 5070). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 30.87 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 5070). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 2512 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 48 (GeForce RTX 5070) with 112 Tensor cores vs 192.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | GeForce RTX 5070 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 16,995 | 28,854+70% |
| Architecture | Ampere | Blackwell 2.0 |
| Process Node | 8 nm | 5 nm |
| Shading Units | 3584 | 6144+71% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 12.74 TFLOPS | 30.87 TFLOPS+142% |
| Boost Clock | 1777 MHz | 2512 MHz+41% |
| ROPs | 48 | 80+67% |
| TMUs | 112 | 192+71% |
| L1 Cache | 3.5 MB | 6 MB+71% |
| L2 Cache | 3 MB | 48 MB+1500% |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 28 | 48+71% |
| Tensor Cores | 112 | 192+71% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 5070 is support for DLSS 4 Multi 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 5070 supports the newer DLSS 4 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce RTX 3060 is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | GeForce RTX 5070 |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | DLSS 2 Super Resolution | DLSS 4 Super Resolution |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | Yes (DLSS 4) |
| Low Latency | NVIDIA Reflex | NVIDIA Reflex |
Video Memory (VRAM)
Both cards ship with 12 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 672 GB/s (GeForce RTX 5070) — a 86.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 5070. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 5070. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 48 MB (GeForce RTX 5070) — the GeForce RTX 5070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | GeForce RTX 5070 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 12 GB | 12 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR7 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 360 GB/s | 672 GB/s+87% |
| 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 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 5070). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | GeForce RTX 5070 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate | 12 Ultimate |
| Vulkan | 1.3 | 1.4+8% |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 4 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs NVENC (9th Gen) (GeForce RTX 5070). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs NVDEC (6th Gen). Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs AV1,H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce RTX 5070).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | GeForce RTX 5070 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 7th Gen | NVENC (9th Gen) |
| Decoder | NVDEC 5th Gen | NVDEC (6th Gen) |
| Codecs | AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 | AV1,H.264,H.265,VP9 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the GeForce RTX 5070's 250W — a 38.1% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 5070). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 16-pin (12VHPWR). Card length: 242mm vs 245mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 72°C.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | GeForce RTX 5070 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 170W-32% | 250W |
| Recommended PSU | 550W-15% | 650W |
| Power Connector | 8-pin | 16-pin (12VHPWR) |
| Length | 242mm | 245mm |
| Height | 112mm | 115mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 75 | 72°C-4% |
| Perf/Watt | 100.0 | 115.4+15% |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the GeForce RTX 5070 launched at $549. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 40.1% cheaper ($220 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 52.6 (GeForce RTX 5070) — the GeForce RTX 5070 offers 1.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 5070 (2025 vs 2021).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | GeForce RTX 5070 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $329-40% | $549 |
| Performance per Dollar | 51.7 | 52.6+2% |
| Codename | GA106 | GB205 |
| Release | January 12 2021 | March 4 2025 |
| Ranking | #114 | #22 |
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