GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon R9 295X2

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon R9 295X2

2014Boost: 1018 MHz
Similar parts
·······

GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon R9 295X2 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 R9 295X2 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 R9 295X2: 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

  • 56.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $1,170 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 786.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 5.8 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).

Trade-offs

  • Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Radeon R9 295X2

2014

Why buy it

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 8 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 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 355.6% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,499 MSRPvs$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 56.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 94.6% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 8,734), 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 8 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 $1,170 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $1,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 786.6% (51.7 vs 5.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon R9 295X2 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 R9 295X2

The Radeon R9 295X2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 29 2014. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1018 MHz. It has 2816 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 500W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,734 points. Launch price was $1,499.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Radeon R9 295X2's 8,734 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 94.6%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 295X2 uses GCN 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 2,816 (Radeon R9 295X2). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 5.733 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon R9 295X2). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1018 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R9 295X2
G3D Mark Score
16,995+95%
8,734
Architecture
Ampere
GCN 2.0
Process Node
8 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
3584+27%
2816 ×2
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS+122%
5.733 TFLOPS ×2
Boost Clock
1777 MHz+75%
1018 MHz
ROPs
48
64 ×2+33%
TMUs
112
176 ×2+57%
L1 Cache
3.5 MB+407%
0.69 MB
L2 Cache
3 MB+200%
1 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 295X2 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R9 295X2
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 R9 295X2 carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 50% 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 320 GB/s x2 (Radeon R9 295X2) — a 789.4% advantage for the Radeon R9 295X2. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 and 512-bit x2 on the Radeon R9 295X2. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 295X2) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R9 295X2
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+50%
8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
360 GB/s+13%
320 GB/s x2
Bus Width
192-bit
512-bit x2+167%
L2 Cache
3 MB+200%
1 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 295X2). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R9 295X2
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.0
Vulkan
1.3+18%
1.1
OpenGL
4.6+7%
4.3
Max Displays
4
6+50%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 295X2). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 295X2).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R9 295X2
Encoder
NVENC 7th Gen
VCE 2.0
Decoder
NVDEC 5th Gen
UVD 4.2
Codecs
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Radeon R9 295X2's 500W — a 98.5% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1000W (Radeon R9 295X2). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 307mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 65°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R9 295X2
TDP
170W-66%
500W
Recommended PSU
550W-45%
1000W
Power Connector
8-pin
2x 8-pin
Length
242mm
307mm
Height
112mm
114mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75
65°C-13%
Perf/Watt
100.0+471%
17.5
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the Radeon R9 295X2 launched at $1499. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 78.1% cheaper ($1170 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 5.8 (Radeon R9 295X2) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 791.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R9 295X2
MSRP
$329-78%
$1499
Performance per Dollar
51.7+791%
5.8
Codename
GA106
Vesuvius
Release
January 12 2021
April 29 2014
Ranking
#114
#303

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.