GeForce RTX 3060
Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C 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 8 Ryzen 5 3500C 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C: 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
2021Why buy it
- ✅446.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Delivers 262.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 14.2 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
- ✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
- ✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs Unknown).
- ✅Better long-term bet: Ampere on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
Trade-offs
- ❌1033.3% higher power demand at 170W vs 15W.
- ❌24100% longer card at 242mm vs 1mm.
Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
2020Why buy it
- ✅Costs $230 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
- ✅Draws 15W instead of 170W, a 155W reduction.
- ✅Measures 1mm instead of 242mm, a 241mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
- ❌2020 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 14.2 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
Quick Answers
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GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C 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 Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2020. It features the Vega architecture. The boost clock speed is 2100 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,410 points.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C's 1,410 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 1105.3%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C uses Vega, both on 8 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 512 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 2100 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 16,995+1105% | 1,410 |
| Architecture | Ampere | Vega |
| Process Node | 8 nm | 7 nm |
| Shading Units | 3584+600% | 512 |
| Boost Clock | 1777 MHz | 2100 MHz+18% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce RTX 3060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C 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 8 Ryzen 5 3500C.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 12 GB | Shared System RAM |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | Shared |
| Memory Bandwidth | 360 GB/s | System |
| Bus Width | 192-bit | System |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12_1 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate | 12_1 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 0 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs VCN 1.0 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs VCN 1.0.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 7th Gen | VCN 1.0 |
| Decoder | NVDEC 5th Gen | VCN 1.0 |
| Codecs | AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 | — |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C's 15W — a 167.6% difference. The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1W (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Integrated. Card length: 242mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 170W | 15W-91% |
| Recommended PSU | 550W | 1W-100% |
| Power Connector | 8-pin | Integrated |
| Length | 242mm | 1mm |
| Height | 112mm | — |
| Slots | 2 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | 75 | — |
| Perf/Watt | 100.0+6% | 94.0 |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C launched at $99. On MSRP, Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C was 69.9% cheaper ($230 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 14.2 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 264.1% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2020).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $329 | $99-70% |
| Performance per Dollar | 51.7+264% | 14.2 |
| Codename | GA106 | Vega |
| Release | January 12 2021 | January 7 2020 |
| Ranking | #114 | #545 |
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