GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon Sky 500

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

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

Radeon Sky 500

2013Core: 950 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon Sky 500 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 Sky 500 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 Sky 500: 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

  • 194.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $171 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
  • Delivers 446.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 9.4 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

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

Radeon Sky 500

2013

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 2 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • 2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 52% HIGHER MSRP
    $500 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 194.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 259.8% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 4,723), 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 2 GB of VRAM, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2013. 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 $171 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $500, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 446.9% (51.7 vs 9.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon Sky 500 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 Sky 500

The Radeon Sky 500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 27 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 950 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,723 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Radeon Sky 500's 4,723 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 259.8%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Radeon Sky 500 uses GCN 1.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1,280 (Radeon Sky 500). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 2.432 TFLOPS (Radeon Sky 500).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Sky 500
G3D Mark Score
16,995+260%
4,723
Architecture
Ampere
GCN 1.0
Process Node
8 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
3584+180%
1280
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS+424%
2.432 TFLOPS
ROPs
48+50%
32
TMUs
112+40%
80
L1 Cache
3.5 MB+1029%
0.31 MB
L2 Cache
3 MB+500%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon Sky 500 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Sky 500
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 Sky 500 carries 2 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 500% 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 64-bit on the Radeon Sky 500. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon Sky 500) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Sky 500
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+500%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Bus Width
192-bit+200%
64-bit
L2 Cache
3 MB+500%
0.5 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Radeon Sky 500's 150W — a 12.5% difference. The Radeon Sky 500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 350W (Radeon Sky 500). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Sky 500
TDP
170W
150W-12%
Recommended PSU
550W
350W-36%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
242mm
Height
112mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
75
Perf/Watt
100.0+217%
31.5
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the Radeon Sky 500 launched at $500. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 34.2% cheaper ($171 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 9.4 (Radeon Sky 500) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 450% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Sky 500
MSRP
$329-34%
$500
Performance per Dollar
51.7+450%
9.4
Codename
GA106
Pitcairn
Release
January 12 2021
March 27 2013
Ranking
#114
#455

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