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

✅+487.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 94.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 26.5 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $109 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 1 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌78.9% higher power demand at 170W vs 95W.
❌42.4% longer card at 242mm vs 170mm.

Radeon R7 260

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $220 less on MSRP ($109 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 170W, a 75W reduction.
✅Measures 170mm instead of 242mm, a 72mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (2,892 vs 16,995).
❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.5 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($109 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Radeon R7 260

2013

Why buy it

✅+487.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 94.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 26.5 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $109 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 1 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Costs $220 less on MSRP ($109 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 170W, a 75W reduction.
✅Measures 170mm instead of 242mm, a 72mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌78.9% higher power demand at 170W vs 95W.
❌42.4% longer card at 242mm vs 170mm.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (2,892 vs 16,995).
❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.5 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($109 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than Radeon R7 260?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 2,892 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon R7 260 is a 2013 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. 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 2013, 487.7% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 1 GB, and the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling. 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 by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3060 is about 201.8% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $109 MSRP, and you are getting 487.7% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R7 260 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon R7 260 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon R7 260 is 2013 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM, 2,892 in G3D Mark, and FSR upscaling. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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.

GeForce RTX 3060 Benchmark Check

Radeon R7 260 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon R7 260
1080p
low	149 FPS	36 FPS
medium	131 FPS	22 FPS
high	118 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	8 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	24 FPS
medium	104 FPS	14 FPS
high	92 FPS	7 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	4 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	9 FPS
medium	58 FPS	6 FPS
high	39 FPS	3 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	2 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Radeon R7 260

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon R7 260
1080p
low	354 FPS	53 FPS
medium	310 FPS	28 FPS
high	249 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	14 FPS
1440p
low	222 FPS	24 FPS
medium	196 FPS	13 FPS
high	160 FPS	8 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	7 FPS
4K
low	110 FPS	7 FPS
medium	94 FPS	4 FPS
high	77 FPS	3 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	2 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Radeon R7 260

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon R7 260
1080p
low	765 FPS	130 FPS
medium	612 FPS	104 FPS
high	510 FPS	87 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	65 FPS
1440p
low	535 FPS	98 FPS
medium	432 FPS	78 FPS
high	366 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	287 FPS	49 FPS
4K
low	367 FPS	65 FPS
medium	298 FPS	52 FPS
high	221 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	33 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Radeon R7 260

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon R7 260
1080p
low	523 FPS	73 FPS
medium	452 FPS	61 FPS
high	383 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	38 FPS
1440p
low	428 FPS	43 FPS
medium	371 FPS	36 FPS
high	298 FPS	30 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	24 FPS
4K
low	279 FPS	29 FPS
medium	259 FPS	23 FPS
high	225 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	186 FPS	13 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Radeon R7 260

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 and Radeon R7 260

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.

Radeon R7 260

The Radeon R7 260 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 17 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1100 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 95W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,892 points. Launch price was $109.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Radeon R7 260's 2,892 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 487.7%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Radeon R7 260 uses GCN 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 768 (Radeon R7 260). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1.536 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 260). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1100 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon R7 260
G3D Mark Score	16,995+488%	2,892
Architecture	Ampere	GCN 2.0
Process Node	8 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	3584+367%	768
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS+729%	1.536 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1777 MHz+62%	1100 MHz
ROPs	48+200%	16
TMUs	112+133%	48
L1 Cache	3.5 MB+1742%	0.19 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB+1100%	0.25 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 Radeon R7 260 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon R7 260
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 comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 260 has 1 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 1100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 96 GB/s (Radeon R7 260) — a 275% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon R7 260) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon R7 260
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+1100%	1 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	360 GB/s+275%	96 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 (12_0) (Radeon R7 260). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon R7 260
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12 (12_0)
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4+33%	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R7 260). 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,MVC (Radeon R7 260).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon R7 260
Encoder	NVENC 7th Gen	VCE 2.0
Decoder	NVDEC 5th Gen	UVD 4.2
Codecs	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Radeon R7 260's 95W — a 56.6% difference. The Radeon R7 260 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 400W (Radeon R7 260). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 170mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 80.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon R7 260
TDP	170W	95W-44%
Recommended PSU	550W	400W-27%
Power Connector	8-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	242mm	170mm
Height	112mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75-6%	80
Perf/Watt	100.0+229%	30.4

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329 MSRP, while the Radeon R7 260 launched at $109. The Radeon R7 260 costs 66.9% less ($220 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 26.5 (Radeon R7 260) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 95.1% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2013).