GeForce RTX 3060 vs P106-090

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
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VS

P106-090

2017Core: 1354 MHzBoost: 1531 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3060 vs P106-090 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 P106-090: 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

  • +589.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $60 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $389 MSRP).
  • Delivers 714.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 6.3 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $389 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

  • 126.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 75W.

P106-090

2017

Why buy it

  • Draws 75W instead of 170W, a 95W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (2,466 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.
  • 2017 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 18.2% HIGHER MSRP
    $389 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 589.2% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 2,466), 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 16nm, 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 $60 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $389, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 714.9% (51.7 vs 6.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs P106-090 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

P106-090

The P106-090 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 31 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1354 MHz to 1531 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,466 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the P106-090's 2,466 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 589.2%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the P106-090 uses Pascal, both on 8 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 768 (P106-090). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 2.352 TFLOPS (P106-090). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1531 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060P106-090
G3D Mark Score
16,995+589%
2,466
Architecture
Ampere
Pascal
Process Node
8 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
3584+367%
768
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS+442%
2.352 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1777 MHz+16%
1531 MHz
ROPs
48
48
TMUs
112+133%
48
L1 Cache
3.5 MB+1150%
0.28 MB
L2 Cache
3 MB+100%
1.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The P106-090 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060P106-090
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 P106-090 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 P106-090. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1.5 MB (P106-090) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060P106-090
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+500%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Bus Width
192-bit+200%
64-bit
L2 Cache
3 MB+100%
1.5 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12 (P106-090). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060P106-090
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12
Vulkan
1.3
1.4+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs NVENC (Pascal) (P106-090). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs NVDEC. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs H.264,H.265,VP9 (P106-090).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060P106-090
Encoder
NVENC 7th Gen
NVENC (Pascal)
Decoder
NVDEC 5th Gen
NVDEC
Codecs
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
H.264,H.265,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the P106-090's 75W — a 77.6% difference. The P106-090 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 350W (P106-090). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 250mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 60°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060P106-090
TDP
170W
75W-56%
Recommended PSU
550W
350W-36%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
242mm
250mm
Height
112mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75
60°C-20%
Perf/Watt
100.0+204%
32.9
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the P106-090 launched at $389. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 15.4% cheaper ($60 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 6.3 (P106-090) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 720.6% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2017).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060P106-090
MSRP
$329-15%
$389
Performance per Dollar
51.7+721%
6.3
Codename
GA106
GP106
Release
January 12 2021
July 31 2017
Ranking
#114
#639

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