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GeForce RTX 3060 vs L2

CPUCPUGPUGPU
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

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

L2

2023Core: 1440 MHzBoost: 2520 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3060 vs L2 Performance Spectrum

GeForce RTX 3060
12 GB 170
16,995
+210.9%
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
L2
4 GB 275
5,467
0.0%
brand logoGeForce GTX 675MX
brand logoGeForce GTX 765M SLI
brand logoGeForce GTX 880M SLI
brand logoGeForce GTX 760
brand logoGeForce GTX 970
brand logoGeForce GTX 980 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 2070 Super Mobile
brand logoRTX 4000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

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 L2: 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

  • ✅+210.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • ✅Costs $1,671 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $2,000 MSRP).
  • ✅Delivers 1789.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $2,000 MSRP).
  • ✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • ✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

  • ❌44% longer card at 242mm vs 168mm.

L2

2023

Why buy it

  • ✅Measures 168mm instead of 242mm, a 74mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
  • ✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,467 vs 16,995).
  • ❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • ❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • ❌GeForce RTX 3060 is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
  • ❌
    507.9% HIGHER MSRP
    $2,000 MSRPvs$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 210.9% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 5,467), 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 4 GB of VRAM and the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. 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 to buy today. It is $1,671 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $2,000, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1789.8% (51.7 vs 2.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs L2 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

L2

The L2 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 16 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1440 MHz to 2520 MHz. It has 11776 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 92 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,467 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the L2's 5,467 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 210.9%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the L2 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 11,776 (L2). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 59.35 TFLOPS (L2). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 2520 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 92 (L2) with 112 Tensor cores vs 368.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060L2
G3D Mark Score
16,995+211%
5,467
Architecture
Ampere
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
8 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
3584
11776+229%
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS
59.35 TFLOPS+366%
Boost Clock
1777 MHz
2520 MHz+42%
ROPs
48
128+167%
TMUs
112
368+229%
L1 Cache
3.5 MB
11.5 MB+229%
L2 Cache
3 MB
96 MB+3100%
Ray Tracing Cores
28
92+229%
Tensor Cores
112
368+229%
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The L2 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060L2
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 L2 carries 4 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 200% 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 128-bit on the L2. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 96 MB (L2) — the L2 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060L2
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+200%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Bus Width
192-bit+50%
128-bit
L2 Cache
3 MB
96 MB+3100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12_2 (L2). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060L2
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12_2
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs NVENC 8th Gen (L2). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs H.264,H.265,AV1 (L2).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060L2
Encoder
NVENC 7th Gen
NVENC 8th Gen
Decoder
NVDEC 5th Gen
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
H.264,H.265,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the L2's 275W — a 47.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 350W (L2). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 168mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060L2
TDP
170W-38%
275W
Recommended PSU
550W
350W-36%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
242mm
168mm
Height
112mm
69mm
Slots
2
1-50%
Temp (Load)
75
—
Perf/Watt
100.0+403%
19.9
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the L2 launched at $2000. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 83.5% cheaper ($1671 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 2.7 (L2) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 1814.8% better value. The newer card here is L2 (2023 vs 2021).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060L2
MSRP
$329-84%
$2000
Performance per Dollar
51.7+1815%
2.7
Codename
GA106
AD102
Release
January 12 2021
November 16 2023
Ranking
#114
#189
Search GeForce RTX 3060 on AmazonSearch L2 on Amazon

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