GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon R9 M395X

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon R9 M395X

2015Core: 723 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

  • +231.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $271 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $600 MSRP).
  • Delivers 505.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 8.5 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $600 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

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

Radeon R9 M395X

2015

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,120 vs 16,995).
  • Less VRAM, with 4 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: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
  • 82.4% HIGHER MSRP
    $600 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than Radeon R9 M395X?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 5,120 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon R9 M395X is a 2015 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 2015, 231.9% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 4 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 today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 is about $271 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $600 MSRP, and you are getting 231.9% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 505.4%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is Radeon R9 M395X still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. Radeon R9 M395X 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 $600 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 3060Radeon R9 M395X
1080p
low149 FPS104 FPS
medium131 FPS89 FPS
high118 FPS72 FPS
ultra99 FPS43 FPS
1440p
low126 FPS90 FPS
medium104 FPS79 FPS
high92 FPS57 FPS
ultra80 FPS33 FPS
4K
low67 FPS29 FPS
medium58 FPS27 FPS
high39 FPS18 FPS
ultra32 FPS16 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R9 M395X
1080p
low354 FPS96 FPS
medium310 FPS74 FPS
high249 FPS61 FPS
ultra195 FPS44 FPS
1440p
low222 FPS58 FPS
medium196 FPS41 FPS
high160 FPS31 FPS
ultra128 FPS23 FPS
4K
low110 FPS23 FPS
medium94 FPS16 FPS
high77 FPS13 FPS
ultra60 FPS9 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R9 M395X
1080p
low765 FPS230 FPS
medium612 FPS184 FPS
high510 FPS154 FPS
ultra382 FPS115 FPS
1440p
low535 FPS173 FPS
medium432 FPS138 FPS
high366 FPS115 FPS
ultra287 FPS86 FPS
4K
low367 FPS115 FPS
medium298 FPS92 FPS
high221 FPS77 FPS
ultra176 FPS58 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R9 M395X
1080p
low523 FPS139 FPS
medium452 FPS113 FPS
high383 FPS97 FPS
ultra319 FPS81 FPS
1440p
low428 FPS104 FPS
medium371 FPS85 FPS
high298 FPS74 FPS
ultra245 FPS57 FPS
4K
low279 FPS61 FPS
medium259 FPS47 FPS
high225 FPS37 FPS
ultra186 FPS26 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 and Radeon R9 M395X

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 M395X

The Radeon R9 M395X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 5 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 723 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,120 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Radeon R9 M395X's 5,120 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 231.9%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 M395X uses GCN 3.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M395X). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 2.961 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M395X).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R9 M395X
G3D Mark Score
16,995+232%
5,120
Architecture
Ampere
GCN 3.0
Process Node
8 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
3584+75%
2048
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS+330%
2.961 TFLOPS
ROPs
48+50%
32
TMUs
112
128+14%
L1 Cache
3.5 MB+600%
0.5 MB
L2 Cache
3 MB+500%
0.5 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 Radeon R9 M395X relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R9 M395X
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 R9 M395X has 4 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 160 GB/s (Radeon R9 M395X) — a 125% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 M395X) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R9 M395X
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+200%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
360 GB/s+125%
160 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit
256-bit+33%
L2 Cache
3 MB+500%
0.5 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Radeon R9 M395X's 75W — a 77.6% difference. The Radeon R9 M395X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M395X). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Mobile.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R9 M395X
TDP
170W
75W-56%
Recommended PSU
550W
350W-36%
Power Connector
8-pin
Mobile
Length
242mm
Height
112mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
75
Perf/Watt
100.0+46%
68.3
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 M395X launched at $600. The GeForce RTX 3060 costs 45.2% less ($271 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 8.5 (Radeon R9 M395X) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 508.2% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon R9 M395X
MSRP
$329-45%
$600
Performance per Dollar
51.7+508%
8.5
Codename
GA106
Amethyst
Release
January 12 2021
May 5 2015
Ranking
#114
#438