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GeForce RTX 3060 vs Iris Graphics 550

CPUCPUGPUGPU
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
·······
Buy on Amazon
VS
Intel

Iris Graphics 550

2015Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1000 MHz
Similar parts
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Buy on Amazon

GeForce RTX 3060 vs Iris Graphics 550 Performance Spectrum

GeForce RTX 3060
12 GB 170
16,995
+413.3%
brand logoGeForce RTX 3050 4GB Mobile
brand logoGeForce RTX 2060 (Mobile)
brand logoGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
brand logoRTX 2000 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
brand logoTITAN V
brand logoGeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB
brand logoGeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile
brand logoGeForce RTX 5070
Iris Graphics 550
Shared System RAM 15
3,311
0.0%
brand logoArc A530M
brand logoArc A580

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 Iris Graphics 550: 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

  • ✅+413.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • ✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • ✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • ✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs Unknown).
  • ✅Better long-term bet: Ampere on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • ❌1033.3% higher power demand at 170W vs 15W.

Iris Graphics 550

2015

Why buy it

  • ✅Draws 15W instead of 170W, a 155W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,311 vs 16,995).
  • ❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • ❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • ❌2015 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 413.3% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 3,311), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
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. The case is simple: 12 GB vs Unknown of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 14nm, and 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3060 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs Iris Graphics 550 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.

Intel

Iris Graphics 550

The Iris Graphics 550 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in September 1 2015. It features the Generation 9.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 14 nm+ process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,311 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Iris Graphics 550's 3,311 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 413.3%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Iris Graphics 550 uses Generation 9.0, both on 8 nm vs 14 nm+. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 384 (Iris Graphics 550). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 0.768 TFLOPS (Iris Graphics 550). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Iris Graphics 550
G3D Mark Score
16,995+413%
3,311
Architecture
Ampere
Generation 9.0
Process Node
8 nm
14 nm+
Shading Units
3584+833%
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS+1559%
0.768 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1777 MHz+78%
1000 MHz
ROPs
48+700%
6
TMUs
112+133%
48
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Iris Graphics 550 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Iris Graphics 550
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 has 12 GB of VRAM, while the Iris Graphics 550 carries 0 MB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 and System on the Iris Graphics 550.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Iris Graphics 550
VRAM Capacity
12 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR6
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
360 GB/s
System
Bus Width
192-bit
System
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12 (12_1) (Iris Graphics 550). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Iris Graphics 550
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12 (12_1)
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4+33%
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs Quick Sync Video (Iris Graphics 550). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs Quick Sync Video. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs H.264,H.265,VP8,VP9,JPEG (Iris Graphics 550).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Iris Graphics 550
Encoder
NVENC 7th Gen
Quick Sync Video
Decoder
NVDEC 5th Gen
Quick Sync Video
Codecs
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
H.264,H.265,VP8,VP9,JPEG
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Iris Graphics 550's 15W — a 167.6% difference. The Iris Graphics 550 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1W (Iris Graphics 550). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Integrated.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Iris Graphics 550
TDP
170W
15W-91%
Recommended PSU
550W
1W-100%
Power Connector
8-pin
Integrated
Length
242mm
—
Height
112mm
—
Slots
2
—
Temp (Load)
75
—
Perf/Watt
100.0
220.7+121%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the Iris Graphics 550 launched at $0. On MSRP, Iris Graphics 550 was 100+% cheaper ($329 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs Infinity (Iris Graphics 550) — the Iris Graphics 550 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Iris Graphics 550
MSRP
$329
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
51.7
Infinity
Codename
GA106
Skylake GT3e
Release
January 12 2021
September 1 2015
Ranking
#114
#775
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