GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon Vega 3

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon Vega 3

2021Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1900 MHz

GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon Vega 3 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 Vega 3 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 Vega 3: 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

  • βœ…966.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • βœ…Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • βœ…Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • βœ…100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs Unknown).
  • βœ…Better long-term bet: Ampere on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • ❌277.8% higher power demand at 170W vs 45W.

Radeon Vega 3

2021

Why buy it

  • βœ…Draws 45W instead of 170W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • ❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • ❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • ❌2021 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown 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 966.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1805.3% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 892), 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 Unknown of VRAM and 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units. 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon Vega 3 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 Vega 3

The Radeon Vega 3 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 13 2021. It features the GCN 5.1 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1900 MHz. It has 448 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 892 points.

⚑

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Radeon Vega 3's 892 β€” the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 1805.3%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Radeon Vega 3 uses GCN 5.1, both on 8 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 448 (Radeon Vega 3). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1.702 TFLOPS (Radeon Vega 3). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1900 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Vega 3
G3D Mark Score
16,995+1805%
892
Architecture
Ampere
GCN 5.1
Process Node
8 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
3584+700%
448
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS+649%
1.702 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1777 MHz
1900 MHz+7%
ROPs
48+500%
8
TMUs
112+300%
28
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon Vega 3 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Vega 3
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
πŸ’Ύ

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 has 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Vega 3 carries 0 MB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 100+% 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 Vega 3.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Vega 3
VRAM Capacity
12 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR6
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
360 GB/s
System
Bus Width
192-bit
System
πŸ–₯️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12 (FL 12_1) (Radeon Vega 3). OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Vega 3
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12 (FL 12_1)
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs VCN 1.0 (Radeon Vega 3). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs VCN 1.0. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (Radeon Vega 3).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Vega 3
Encoder
NVENC 7th Gen
VCN 1.0
Decoder
NVDEC 5th Gen
VCN 1.0
Codecs
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1
πŸ”Œ

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Radeon Vega 3's 45W β€” a 116.3% difference. The Radeon Vega 3 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1W (Radeon Vega 3). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Integrated.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Vega 3
TDP
170W
45W-74%
Recommended PSU
550W
1W-100%
Power Connector
8-pin
Integrated
Length
242mm
β€”
Height
112mm
β€”
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75
β€”
Perf/Watt
100.0+405%
19.8
πŸ’°

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the Radeon Vega 3 launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon Vega 3 was 100+% cheaper ($329 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs Infinity (Radeon Vega 3) β€” the Radeon Vega 3 offers Infinity% better value.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon Vega 3
MSRP
$329
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
51.7
Infinity
Codename
GA106
Cezanne
Release
January 12 2021
April 13 2021
Ranking
#114
#601

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