GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon RX 780

CPU

GPU

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz

RTX family

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Radeon RX 780

2024Core: 1295 MHzBoost: 2335 MHz

Similar parts

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GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon RX 780 Performance Spectrum

GeForce RTX 3060

12 GB 170

16,995

+121.9%

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 780

4 GB 180

7,658

0.0%

Radeon R9 270 / R7 370

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 780 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 780: 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

✅36.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $170 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 236.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 15.3 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $499 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

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌Radeon RX 780 is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.

Radeon RX 780

2024

Why buy it

✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR 3 (2023) instead.
❌
51.7% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$329 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 15.3 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($499 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 36.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 121.9% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 7,658), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon RX 780 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer feature stack, with FSR 3 (2023) and FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023), while GeForce RTX 3060 is limited to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 8nm, 60 vs 28 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2021. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $170 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 236.6% (51.7 vs 15.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and lighter 1440p, GeForce RTX 3060 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon RX 780 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon RX 780 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 780

The Radeon RX 780 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 11 2024. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1295 MHz to 2335 MHz. It has 3840 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 60 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,658 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Radeon RX 780's 7,658 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 121.9%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 780 uses RDNA 3.0, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 3,840 (Radeon RX 780). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 35.87 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 780). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 2335 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 60 (Radeon RX 780) with 112 Tensor cores.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX 780
G3D Mark Score	16,995+122%	7,658
Architecture	Ampere	RDNA 3.0
Process Node	8 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	3584	3840+7%
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS	35.87 TFLOPS+182%
Boost Clock	1777 MHz	2335 MHz+31%
ROPs	48	96+100%
TMUs	112	240+114%
L1 Cache	3.5 MB+367%	0.75 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB	4 MB+33%
Ray Tracing Cores	28	60+114%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 780 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 780 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX 780
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 780 carries 4 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 200% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 and System on the Radeon RX 780. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 4 MB (Radeon RX 780) — the Radeon RX 780 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX 780
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+200%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	360 GB/s	System
Bus Width	192-bit	System
L2 Cache	3 MB	4 MB+33%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12 (12_2) (Radeon RX 780). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX 780
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12 (12_2)
Vulkan	1.3	1.4+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs RDNA 3 Dual Media Engine (Radeon RX 780). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs VCN 4.0. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Radeon RX 780).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX 780
Encoder	NVENC 7th Gen	RDNA 3 Dual Media Engine
Decoder	NVDEC 5th Gen	VCN 4.0
Codecs	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9	H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Radeon RX 780's 180W — a 5.7% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 350W (Radeon RX 780). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX 780
TDP	170W-6%	180W
Recommended PSU	550W	350W-36%
Power Connector	8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	242mm	—
Height	112mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75-12%	85°C
Perf/Watt	100.0+135%	42.5

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the Radeon RX 780 launched at $499. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 34.1% cheaper ($170 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 15.3 (Radeon RX 780) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 237.9% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 780 (2024 vs 2021).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX 780
MSRP	$329-34%	$499
Performance per Dollar	51.7+238%	15.3
Codename	GA106	Navi 32
Release	January 12 2021	September 11 2024
Ranking	#114	#131

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