GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon RX 6800 XT

CPU

GPU

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz

RTX family

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Radeon RX 6800 XT

2020Core: 1825 MHzBoost: 2250 MHz

RX family

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GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon RX 6800 XT Performance Spectrum

GeForce RTX 3060

12 GB 170

16,995

0.0%

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Mobile

GeForce RTX 2060 (Mobile)

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

RTX 2000 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

TITAN V

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB

GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile

GeForce RTX 5070

Radeon RX 6800 XT

16 GB 300

24,995

+47.1%

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 RX 6800 XT 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 RX 6800 XT: 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

✅Costs $320 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 34.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 38.5 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅Draws 170W instead of 300W, a 130W reduction.
✅Measures 242mm instead of 267mm, a 25mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 6800 XT across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).

Radeon RX 6800 XT

2020

Why buy it

✅36.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 12 GB).

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR 3 (2023) instead.
❌
97.3% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$329 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 38.5 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌76.5% higher power demand at 300W vs 170W.
❌10.3% longer card at 267mm vs 242mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon RX 6800 XT is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 36.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 47.1% in PassMark G3D (24,995 vs 16,995), 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: a newer 2021 generation instead of 2020. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $320 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $649, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 34.1% (51.7 vs 38.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon RX 6800 XT still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon RX 6800 XT Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

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 RX 6800 XT

The Radeon RX 6800 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 28 2020. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1825 MHz to 2250 MHz. It has 4608 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 72 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 24,995 points. Launch price was $649.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Radeon RX 6800 XT's 24,995 — the Radeon RX 6800 XT leads by 47.1%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 6800 XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 4,608 (Radeon RX 6800 XT). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 20.74 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6800 XT). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 2250 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 72 (Radeon RX 6800 XT) with 112 Tensor cores.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX 6800 XT
G3D Mark Score	16,995	24,995+47%
Architecture	Ampere	RDNA 2.0
Process Node	8 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	3584	4608+29%
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS	20.74 TFLOPS+63%
Boost Clock	1777 MHz	2250 MHz+27%
ROPs	48	128+167%
TMUs	112	288+157%
L1 Cache	3.5 MB+250%	1 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB	4 MB+33%
Ray Tracing Cores	28	72+157%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 6800 XT is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce RTX 3060 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 3060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 6800 XT leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX 6800 XT
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	FSR 3
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
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 RX 6800 XT carries 16 GB. Radeon RX 6800 XT gives you 33.3% 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 512 GB/s (Radeon RX 6800 XT) — a 42.2% advantage for the Radeon RX 6800 XT. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 and 256-bit on the Radeon RX 6800 XT. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 4 MB (Radeon RX 6800 XT) — the Radeon RX 6800 XT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX 6800 XT
VRAM Capacity	12 GB	16 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	360 GB/s	512 GB/s+42%
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	3 MB	4 MB+33%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (Radeon RX 6800 XT). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX 6800 XT
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12 Ultimate (12_2)
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 VCN 3.0 (Radeon RX 6800 XT). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs VCN 3.0. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (Radeon RX 6800 XT).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX 6800 XT
Encoder	NVENC 7th Gen	VCN 3.0
Decoder	NVDEC 5th Gen	VCN 3.0
Codecs	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Radeon RX 6800 XT's 300W — a 55.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 750W (Radeon RX 6800 XT). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX 6800 XT
TDP	170W-43%	300W
Recommended PSU	550W-27%	750W
Power Connector	8-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	242mm	267mm
Height	112mm	120mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75	75
Perf/Watt	100.0+20%	83.3

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the Radeon RX 6800 XT launched at $649. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 49.3% cheaper ($320 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 38.5 (Radeon RX 6800 XT) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 34.3% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2020).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX 6800 XT
MSRP	$329-49%	$649
Performance per Dollar	51.7+34%	38.5
Codename	GA106	Navi 21
Release	January 12 2021	October 28 2020
Ranking	#114	#42

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