GeForce RTX 3060 vs Quadro P4000 Max-Q

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

Quadro P4000 Max-Q

2017Core: 1114 MHzBoost: 1228 MHz

GeForce RTX 3060 vs Quadro P4000 Max-Q 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 Quadro P4000 Max-Q FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs Quadro P4000 Max-Q: 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

  • 97.9% more average FPS across 50 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).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 70% higher power demand at 170W vs 100W.

Quadro P4000 Max-Q

2017

Why buy it

  • Draws 100W instead of 170W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 50 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.
  • 2017 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 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. In our data, it leads by 97.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 126.6% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 7,500), so the answer here is pretty clean.
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, 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs Quadro P4000 Max-Q 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

Quadro P4000 Max-Q

The Quadro P4000 Max-Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 11 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1114 MHz to 1228 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,500 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Quadro P4000 Max-Q's 7,500 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 126.6%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Quadro P4000 Max-Q uses Pascal, both on 8 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1,792 (Quadro P4000 Max-Q). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 4.401 TFLOPS (Quadro P4000 Max-Q). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1228 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Quadro P4000 Max-Q
G3D Mark Score
16,995+127%
7,500
Architecture
Ampere
Pascal
Process Node
8 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
3584+100%
1792
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS+189%
4.401 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1777 MHz+45%
1228 MHz
ROPs
48
64+33%
TMUs
112
112
L1 Cache
3.5 MB+430%
0.66 MB
L2 Cache
3 MB+50%
2 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Quadro P4000 Max-Q leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Quadro P4000 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 has 12 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro P4000 Max-Q 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 256-bit on the Quadro P4000 Max-Q. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 2 MB (Quadro P4000 Max-Q) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Quadro P4000 Max-Q
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+200%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Bus Width
192-bit
256-bit+33%
L2 Cache
3 MB+50%
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12.1 (Quadro P4000 Max-Q). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Quadro P4000 Max-Q
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.1
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs NVENC 6.0 (Quadro P4000 Max-Q). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs PureVideo HD VP8. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Quadro P4000 Max-Q).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Quadro P4000 Max-Q
Encoder
NVENC 7th Gen
NVENC 6.0
Decoder
NVDEC 5th Gen
PureVideo HD VP8
Codecs
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Quadro P4000 Max-Q's 100W — a 51.9% difference. The Quadro P4000 Max-Q is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 350W (Quadro P4000 Max-Q). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Quadro P4000 Max-Q
TDP
170W
100W-41%
Recommended PSU
550W
350W-36%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
242mm
0mm
Height
112mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75
Perf/Watt
100.0+33%
75.0
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2017).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Quadro P4000 Max-Q
MSRP
$329
Codename
GA106
GP104
Release
January 12 2021
January 11 2017
Ranking
#114
#298

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