GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon X1600 Pro

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

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

Radeon X1600 Pro

2020Core: 1130 MHzBoost: 1560 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon X1600 Pro 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 X1600 Pro 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 X1600 Pro: 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

  • 7224.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 7674.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 0.7 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 2300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 512 MB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 44% longer card at 242mm vs 168mm.

Radeon X1600 Pro

2020

Why buy it

  • Costs $180 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
  • Measures 168mm instead of 242mm, a 74mm 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 512 MB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • Older hardware, 512 MB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.7 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($149 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 7224.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 17066.7% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 99), 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 512 MB of VRAM, 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2020. 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 $180 more expensive on MSRP at $329 vs $149, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 7674.6% (51.7 vs 0.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon X1600 Pro 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 X1600 Pro

The Radeon X1600 Pro is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 21 2020. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1130 MHz to 1560 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 99 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Radeon X1600 Pro's 99 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 17066.7%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Radeon X1600 Pro uses RDNA 1.0, both on 8 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 2,048 (Radeon X1600 Pro). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 6.39 TFLOPS (Radeon X1600 Pro). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1560 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon X1600 Pro
G3D Mark Score
16,995+17067%
99
Architecture
Ampere
RDNA 1.0
Process Node
8 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
3584+75%
2048
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS+99%
6.39 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1777 MHz+14%
1560 MHz
ROPs
48
64+33%
TMUs
112
128+14%
L2 Cache
3 MB
3 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon X1600 Pro leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon X1600 Pro
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 X1600 Pro carries 512 MB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 2300% 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 X1600 Pro.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon X1600 Pro
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+2300%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Bus Width
192-bit+200%
64-bit
L2 Cache
3 MB
3 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 9.0c (Radeon X1600 Pro). Vulkan: 1.3 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 2.1. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon X1600 Pro
DirectX
12 Ultimate+33%
9.0c
Vulkan
1.3
N/A
OpenGL
4.6+119%
2.1
Max Displays
4+100%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs None (Radeon X1600 Pro). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs Avivo. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon X1600 Pro).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon X1600 Pro
Encoder
NVENC 7th Gen
None
Decoder
NVDEC 5th Gen
Avivo
Codecs
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Radeon X1600 Pro's 150W — a 12.5% difference. The Radeon X1600 Pro is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 350W (Radeon X1600 Pro). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 168mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon X1600 Pro
TDP
170W
150W-12%
Recommended PSU
550W
350W-36%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
242mm
168mm
Height
112mm
111mm
Slots
2
1-50%
Temp (Load)
75
75
Perf/Watt
100.0+14186%
0.7
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the Radeon X1600 Pro launched at $149. On MSRP, Radeon X1600 Pro was 54.7% cheaper ($180 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 0.7 (Radeon X1600 Pro) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 7285.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2020).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon X1600 Pro
MSRP
$329
$149-55%
Performance per Dollar
51.7+7286%
0.7
Codename
GA106
Navi 10
Release
January 12 2021
January 21 2020
Ranking
#114
#216

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