GeForce RTX 3060 vs Quadro P3200 Max-Q

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
NVIDIA

Quadro P3200 Max-Q

2018Core: 1139 MHzBoost: 1404 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 3060

Performance Spectrum - 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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • 105.5% more average FPS across 43 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 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).
  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).
  • More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

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

Quadro P3200 Max-Q

2018

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 43 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than Quadro P3200 Max-Q?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 averages 105.5% more FPS across 43 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 6,500 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Quadro P3200 Max-Q is a 2018 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2018, 161.5% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 4 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
GeForce RTX 3060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $329 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 105.5% more estimated average FPS across 43 tracked games in our benchmark data and 161.5% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is Quadro P3200 Max-Q still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. Quadro P3200 Max-Q is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around an unclear MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3060 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3060Quadro P3200 Max-Q
1080p
low149 FPS84 FPS
medium131 FPS72 FPS
high118 FPS61 FPS
ultra99 FPS40 FPS
1440p
low126 FPS73 FPS
medium104 FPS64 FPS
high92 FPS48 FPS
ultra80 FPS31 FPS
4K
low67 FPS26 FPS
medium58 FPS25 FPS
high39 FPS17 FPS
ultra32 FPS15 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3060Quadro P3200 Max-Q
1080p
low354 FPS210 FPS
medium310 FPS179 FPS
high249 FPS136 FPS
ultra195 FPS109 FPS
1440p
low222 FPS160 FPS
medium196 FPS134 FPS
high160 FPS107 FPS
ultra128 FPS85 FPS
4K
low110 FPS94 FPS
medium94 FPS77 FPS
high77 FPS64 FPS
ultra60 FPS49 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3060Quadro P3200 Max-Q
1080p
low765 FPS292 FPS
medium612 FPS234 FPS
high510 FPS195 FPS
ultra382 FPS146 FPS
1440p
low535 FPS219 FPS
medium432 FPS176 FPS
high366 FPS146 FPS
ultra287 FPS110 FPS
4K
low367 FPS146 FPS
medium298 FPS117 FPS
high221 FPS98 FPS
ultra176 FPS73 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3060Quadro P3200 Max-Q
1080p
low523 FPS166 FPS
medium452 FPS133 FPS
high383 FPS113 FPS
ultra319 FPS96 FPS
1440p
low428 FPS118 FPS
medium371 FPS96 FPS
high298 FPS82 FPS
ultra245 FPS67 FPS
4K
low279 FPS65 FPS
medium259 FPS51 FPS
high225 FPS40 FPS
ultra186 FPS29 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 and Quadro P3200 Max-Q

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

Quadro P3200 Max-Q

The Quadro P3200 Max-Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 21 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1139 MHz to 1404 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,500 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Quadro P3200 Max-Q's 6,500 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 161.5%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Quadro P3200 Max-Q uses Pascal, both on 8 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1,792 (Quadro P3200 Max-Q). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 5.032 TFLOPS (Quadro P3200 Max-Q). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1404 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Quadro P3200 Max-Q
G3D Mark Score
16,995+161%
6,500
Architecture
Ampere
Pascal
Process Node
8 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
3584+100%
1792
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS+153%
5.032 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1777 MHz+27%
1404 MHz
ROPs
48
64+33%
TMUs
112
112
L1 Cache
3.5 MB+430%
0.66 MB
L2 Cache
3 MB+100%
1.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Quadro P3200 Max-Q relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Quadro P3200 Max-Q
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 comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro P3200 Max-Q has 4 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1.5 MB (Quadro P3200 Max-Q) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Quadro P3200 Max-Q
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+200%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Bus Width
192-bit
256-bit+33%
L2 Cache
3 MB+100%
1.5 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12 (12_1) (Quadro P3200 Max-Q). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Quadro P3200 Max-Q
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12 (12_1)
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 6th Gen NVENC (Pascal) (Quadro P3200 Max-Q). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs 3rd Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs H.264,HEVC,VP9,MPEG-2 (Quadro P3200 Max-Q).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Quadro P3200 Max-Q
Encoder
NVENC 7th Gen
6th Gen NVENC (Pascal)
Decoder
NVDEC 5th Gen
3rd Gen NVDEC
Codecs
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
H.264,HEVC,VP9,MPEG-2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Quadro P3200 Max-Q's 75W — a 77.6% difference. The Quadro P3200 Max-Q is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 350W (Quadro P3200 Max-Q). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Quadro P3200 Max-Q
TDP
170W
75W-56%
Recommended PSU
550W
350W-36%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
242mm
Height
112mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75
75°C
Perf/Watt
100.0+15%
86.7
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2018).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Quadro P3200 Max-Q
MSRP
$329
Codename
GA106
GP104
Release
January 12 2021
February 21 2018
Ranking
#114
#292