GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H

2019Boost: 1845 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

  • +741.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Delivers 539.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 8.1 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 GB).
  • More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 54.5% higher power demand at 170W vs 110W.

Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H

2019

Why buy it

  • Costs $79 less on MSRP ($250 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
  • Draws 110W instead of 170W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (2,020 vs 16,995).
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 2 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.1 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 2,020 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H is a 2019 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 2019, 741.3% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 2 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 31.6% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $250 MSRP, and you are getting 741.3% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 539.3%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H 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 $250 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 Ryzen 5 5500H
1080p
low149 FPS91 FPS
medium131 FPS73 FPS
high118 FPS61 FPS
ultra99 FPS42 FPS
1440p
low126 FPS68 FPS
medium104 FPS55 FPS
high92 FPS45 FPS
ultra80 FPS31 FPS
4K
low67 FPS30 FPS
medium58 FPS28 FPS
high39 FPS19 FPS
ultra32 FPS17 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H
1080p
low354 FPS91 FPS
medium310 FPS73 FPS
high249 FPS59 FPS
ultra195 FPS40 FPS
1440p
low222 FPS68 FPS
medium196 FPS49 FPS
high160 FPS36 FPS
ultra128 FPS26 FPS
4K
low110 FPS37 FPS
medium94 FPS25 FPS
high77 FPS20 FPS
ultra60 FPS14 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H
1080p
low765 FPS91 FPS
medium612 FPS73 FPS
high510 FPS61 FPS
ultra382 FPS45 FPS
1440p
low535 FPS68 FPS
medium432 FPS55 FPS
high366 FPS45 FPS
ultra287 FPS34 FPS
4K
low367 FPS45 FPS
medium298 FPS36 FPS
high221 FPS30 FPS
ultra176 FPS23 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H
1080p
low523 FPS91 FPS
medium452 FPS73 FPS
high383 FPS61 FPS
ultra319 FPS45 FPS
1440p
low428 FPS68 FPS
medium371 FPS55 FPS
high298 FPS45 FPS
ultra245 FPS34 FPS
4K
low279 FPS45 FPS
medium259 FPS36 FPS
high225 FPS30 FPS
ultra186 FPS23 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 and Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H

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 Ryzen 5 5500H

The Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 7 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1845 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 110W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,020 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H's 2,020 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 741.3%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H uses RDNA 1.0, both on 8 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1,408 (Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 5.196 TFLOPS (Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1845 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H
G3D Mark Score
16,995+741%
2,020
Architecture
Ampere
RDNA 1.0
Process Node
8 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
3584+155%
1408
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS+145%
5.196 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1777 MHz
1845 MHz+4%
ROPs
48+50%
32
TMUs
112+27%
88

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 Ryzen 5 5500H relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H
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 Ryzen 5 5500H has 2 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 500% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs System.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+500%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
360 GB/s
System
Bus Width
192-bit
System
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H's 110W — a 42.9% difference. The Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 350W (Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H). Power connectors: 8-pin vs None.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H
TDP
170W
110W-35%
Recommended PSU
550W
350W-36%
Power Connector
8-pin
None
Length
242mm
Height
112mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
75
Perf/Watt
100.0+443%
18.4
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329 MSRP, while the Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H launched at $250. The Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H costs 24% less ($79 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 8.1 (Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 538.3% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2019).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Ryzen 5 5500H
MSRP
$329
$250-24%
Performance per Dollar
51.7+538%
8.1
Codename
GA106
Navi 14
Release
January 12 2021
October 7 2019
Ranking
#114
#297