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 RTX 4500 Ada Generation 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 RTX 4500 Ada Generation: 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

✅Costs $1,921 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $2,250 MSRP).
✅Delivers 317.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 12.4 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $2,250 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅Draws 170W instead of 210W, a 40W reduction.
✅Measures 242mm instead of 267mm, a 25mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RTX 4500 Ada Generation across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 24 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (112 vs 240), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.

RTX 4500 Ada Generation

2023

Why buy it

✅65.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅114.3% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (240 vs 112).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 12 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌
583.9% HIGHER MSRP
$2,250 MSRPvs$329 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 12.4 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($2,250 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌23.5% higher power demand at 210W vs 170W.
❌10.3% longer card at 267mm vs 242mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 65.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 63.9% in PassMark G3D (27,850 vs 16,995), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 24 GB vs 12 GB of VRAM, a 5nm process instead of 8nm, 60 vs 28 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2021. 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 $1,921 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $2,250, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 317.3% (51.7 vs 12.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and lighter 1440p, GeForce RTX 3060 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and strong 1440p headroom, RTX 4500 Ada Generation has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs RTX 4500 Ada Generation 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.

RTX 4500 Ada Generation

The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 9 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2070 MHz to 2580 MHz. It has 7680 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 210W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 60 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 27,850 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the RTX 4500 Ada Generation's 27,850 — the RTX 4500 Ada Generation leads by 63.9%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the RTX 4500 Ada Generation uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 7,680 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 39.63 TFLOPS (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 2580 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 60 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation) with 112 Tensor cores vs 240.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
G3D Mark Score	16,995	27,850+64%
Architecture	Ampere	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	8 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	3584	7680+114%
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS	39.63 TFLOPS+211%
Boost Clock	1777 MHz	2580 MHz+45%
ROPs	48	80+67%
TMUs	112	240+114%
L1 Cache	3.5 MB	7.5 MB+114%
L2 Cache	3 MB	48 MB+1500%
Ray Tracing Cores	28	60+114%
Tensor Cores	112	240+114%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTX 4500 Ada Generation supports the newer Upscaling support, whereas the GeForce RTX 3060 is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 has 12 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 4500 Ada Generation carries 24 GB. RTX 4500 Ada Generation gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 448 GB/s (RTX 4500 Ada Generation) — a 24.4% advantage for the RTX 4500 Ada Generation. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 and 192-bit on the RTX 4500 Ada Generation. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 48 MB (RTX 4500 Ada Generation) — the RTX 4500 Ada Generation has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
VRAM Capacity	12 GB	24 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	360 GB/s	448 GB/s+24%
Bus Width	192-bit	192-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB	48 MB+1500%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12.2 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12.2+2%
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs NVENC 8th Gen (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs AV1,HEVC,H.264,VP9 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
Encoder	NVENC 7th Gen	NVENC 8th Gen
Decoder	NVDEC 5th Gen	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9	AV1,HEVC,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the RTX 4500 Ada Generation's 210W — a 21.1% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 650W (RTX 4500 Ada Generation). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
TDP	170W-19%	210W
Recommended PSU	550W-15%	650W
Power Connector	8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	242mm	267mm
Height	112mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75-6%	80°C
Perf/Watt	100.0	132.6+33%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the RTX 4500 Ada Generation launched at $2250. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 85.4% cheaper ($1921 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12.4 (RTX 4500 Ada Generation) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 316.9% better value. The newer card here is RTX 4500 Ada Generation (2023 vs 2021).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX 4500 Ada Generation
MSRP	$329-85%	$2250
Performance per Dollar	51.7+317%	12.4
Codename	GA106	AD103
Release	January 12 2021	August 9 2023
Ranking	#114	#27

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