GeForce RTX 3060 vs NVS 510

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

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

NVS 510

2015Core: 902 MHzBoost: 1033 MHz

GeForce RTX 3060 vs NVS 510 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 NVS 510: 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

  • +2399.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $120 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
  • Delivers 3310.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 1.5 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 150% higher power demand at 170W vs 68W.
  • 51.2% longer card at 242mm vs 160mm.

NVS 510

2015

Why buy it

  • Draws 68W instead of 170W, a 102W reduction.
  • Measures 160mm instead of 242mm, a 82mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (680 vs 16,995).
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 36.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $449 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 2399.3% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 680), 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 2 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 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 to buy today. It is $120 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $449, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 3310.9% (51.7 vs 1.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs NVS 510 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

NVS 510

The NVS 510 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 4 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 902 MHz to 1033 MHz. It has 512 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 68W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 680 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the NVS 510's 680 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 2399.3%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the NVS 510 uses Maxwell, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 512 (NVS 510). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1.058 TFLOPS ×2 (NVS 510). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1033 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060NVS 510
G3D Mark Score
16,995+2399%
680
Architecture
Ampere
Maxwell
Process Node
8 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
3584+600%
512 ×2
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS+1104%
1.058 TFLOPS ×2
Boost Clock
1777 MHz+72%
1033 MHz
ROPs
48+200%
16 ×2
TMUs
112+250%
32 ×2
L1 Cache
3.5 MB+1300%
0.25 MB
L2 Cache
3 MB+200%
1 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The NVS 510 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060NVS 510
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 NVS 510 carries 2 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 500% 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 64-bit on the NVS 510. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1 MB (NVS 510) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060NVS 510
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+500%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Bus Width
192-bit+200%
64-bit
L2 Cache
3 MB+200%
1 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12 (11_0) (NVS 510). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060NVS 510
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12 (11_0)
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1st Gen NVENC (NVS 510). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs 1st Gen NVDEC (VP5). Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (NVS 510).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060NVS 510
Encoder
NVENC 7th Gen
1st Gen NVENC
Decoder
NVDEC 5th Gen
1st Gen NVDEC (VP5)
Codecs
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the NVS 510's 68W — a 85.7% difference. The NVS 510 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 350W (NVS 510). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 160mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 65°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060NVS 510
TDP
170W
68W-60%
Recommended PSU
550W
350W-36%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
242mm
160mm
Height
112mm
69mm
Slots
2
1-50%
Temp (Load)
75
65°C-13%
Perf/Watt
100.0+900%
10.0
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the NVS 510 launched at $449. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 26.7% cheaper ($120 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1.5 (NVS 510) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 3346.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060NVS 510
MSRP
$329-27%
$449
Performance per Dollar
51.7+3347%
1.5
Codename
GA106
GM107
Release
January 12 2021
November 4 2015
Ranking
#114
#826

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