GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon R7 250X

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon R7 250X

2014Boost: 1000 MHz

GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon R7 250X 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 Radeon R7 250X 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 Radeon R7 250X: 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

  • 726.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 125.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 22.9 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 112.5% higher power demand at 170W vs 80W.
  • 15.2% longer card at 242mm vs 210mm.

Radeon R7 250X

2014

Why buy it

  • Costs $230 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
  • Draws 80W instead of 170W, a 90W reduction.
  • Measures 210mm instead of 242mm, a 32mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • 2014 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 22.9 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($99 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 726.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 649% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 2,269), 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 2 GB of VRAM, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2014. 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 $230 more expensive on MSRP at $329 vs $99, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 125.4% (51.7 vs 22.9), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon R7 250X 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.

AMD

Radeon R7 250X

The Radeon R7 250X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in February 13 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 80W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,269 points. Launch price was $99.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Radeon R7 250X's 2,269 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 649%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Radeon R7 250X uses GCN 1.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 640 (Radeon R7 250X). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1.216 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 250X). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R7 250X
G3D Mark Score
16,995+649%
2,269
Architecture
Ampere
GCN 1.0
Process Node
8 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
3584+460%
640
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS+948%
1.216 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1777 MHz+78%
1000 MHz
ROPs
48+200%
16
TMUs
112+180%
40
L1 Cache
3.5 MB+2088%
0.16 MB
L2 Cache
3 MB+1100%
0.25 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R7 250X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R7 250X
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 has 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 250X 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 bandwidth: 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 72 GB/s (Radeon R7 250X) — a 400% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 and 128-bit on the Radeon R7 250X. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon R7 250X) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R7 250X
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+500%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
360 GB/s+400%
72 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit+50%
128-bit
L2 Cache
3 MB+1100%
0.25 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12 (FL 11_1) (Radeon R7 250X). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R7 250X
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12 (FL 11_1)
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4+100%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon R7 250X). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2 (Radeon R7 250X).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R7 250X
Encoder
NVENC 7th Gen
VCE 1.0
Decoder
NVDEC 5th Gen
UVD 4.2
Codecs
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Radeon R7 250X's 80W — a 72% difference. The Radeon R7 250X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 400W (Radeon R7 250X). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 210mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 70°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R7 250X
TDP
170W
80W-53%
Recommended PSU
550W
400W-27%
Power Connector
8-pin
1x 6-pin
Length
242mm
210mm
Height
112mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75
70°C-7%
Perf/Watt
100.0+252%
28.4
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the Radeon R7 250X launched at $99. On MSRP, Radeon R7 250X was 69.9% cheaper ($230 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 22.9 (Radeon R7 250X) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 125.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R7 250X
MSRP
$329
$99-70%
Performance per Dollar
51.7+126%
22.9
Codename
GA106
Cape Verde
Release
January 12 2021
February 13 2014
Ranking
#114
#655

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