GeForce RTX 3060
RTX 5000 Ada Generation
GeForce RTX 3060 vs RTX 5000 Ada Generation 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 RTX 5000 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.
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 RTX 5000 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
2021Why buy it
- ✅Costs $3,671 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $4,000 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 582.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 7.6 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $4,000 MSRP).
- ✅Draws 170W instead of 250W, a 80W reduction.
- ✅Measures 242mm instead of 267mm, a 25mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than RTX 5000 Ada Generation across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 32 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
- ❌RTX 5000 Ada Generation is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
RTX 5000 Ada Generation
2023Why buy it
- ✅61.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
- ✅166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (32 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
- ❌1115.8% HIGHER MSRP$4,000 MSRPvs$329 MSRP
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 7.6 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($4,000 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
- ❌47.1% higher power demand at 250W vs 170W.
- ❌10.3% longer card at 267mm vs 242mm.
Quick Answers
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Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
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GeForce RTX 3060 vs RTX 5000 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 5000 Ada Generation
The RTX 5000 Ada Generation is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 9 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1155 MHz to 2550 MHz. It has 12800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 100 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 30,269 points.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the RTX 5000 Ada Generation's 30,269 — the RTX 5000 Ada Generation leads by 78.1%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the RTX 5000 Ada Generation uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12,800 (RTX 5000 Ada Generation). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 65.28 TFLOPS (RTX 5000 Ada Generation). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 2550 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 100 (RTX 5000 Ada Generation) with 112 Tensor cores vs 400.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | RTX 5000 Ada Generation |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 16,995 | 30,269+78% |
| Architecture | Ampere | Ada Lovelace |
| Process Node | 8 nm | 5 nm |
| Shading Units | 3584 | 12800+257% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 12.74 TFLOPS | 65.28 TFLOPS+412% |
| Boost Clock | 1777 MHz | 2550 MHz+44% |
| ROPs | 48 | 176+267% |
| TMUs | 112 | 400+257% |
| L1 Cache | 3.5 MB | 12.5 MB+257% |
| L2 Cache | 3 MB | 72 MB+2300% |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 28 | 100+257% |
| Tensor Cores | 112 | 400+257% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The clearest feature edge for the RTX 5000 Ada Generation is support for DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce RTX 3060 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The RTX 5000 Ada Generation supports the newer DLSS 4 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce RTX 3060 is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | RTX 5000 Ada Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | DLSS 2 Super Resolution | DLSS 4 Super Resolution |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | Yes (DLSS 4) |
| Low Latency | NVIDIA Reflex | NVIDIA Reflex |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce RTX 3060 has 12 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 5000 Ada Generation carries 32 GB. RTX 5000 Ada Generation gives you 166.7% 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 576 GB/s (RTX 5000 Ada Generation) — a 60% advantage for the RTX 5000 Ada Generation. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 and 256-bit on the RTX 5000 Ada Generation. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 72 MB (RTX 5000 Ada Generation) — the RTX 5000 Ada Generation has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | RTX 5000 Ada Generation |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 12 GB | 32 GB+167% |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 ECC |
| Memory Bandwidth | 360 GB/s | 576 GB/s+60% |
| Bus Width | 192-bit | 256-bit+33% |
| L2 Cache | 3 MB | 72 MB+2300% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12 Ultimate (RTX 5000 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 5000 Ada Generation |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate | 12 Ultimate |
| 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 5000 Ada Generation). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs NVDEC (5th Gen). Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs AV1,H.264,H.265,VP9 (RTX 5000 Ada Generation).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | RTX 5000 Ada Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 7th Gen | NVENC (8th Gen) |
| Decoder | NVDEC 5th Gen | NVDEC (5th Gen) |
| Codecs | AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 | AV1,H.264,H.265,VP9 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the RTX 5000 Ada Generation's 250W — a 38.1% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 650W (RTX 5000 Ada Generation). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 16-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 80°C.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | RTX 5000 Ada Generation |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 170W-32% | 250W |
| Recommended PSU | 550W-15% | 650W |
| Power Connector | 8-pin | 16-pin |
| Length | 242mm | 267mm |
| Height | 112mm | 111mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 75-6% | 80°C |
| Perf/Watt | 100.0 | 121.1+21% |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the RTX 5000 Ada Generation launched at $4000. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 91.8% cheaper ($3671 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 7.6 (RTX 5000 Ada Generation) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 580.3% better value. The newer card here is RTX 5000 Ada Generation (2023 vs 2021).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | RTX 5000 Ada Generation |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $329-92% | $4000 |
| Performance per Dollar | 51.7+580% | 7.6 |
| Codename | GA106 | AD102 |
| Release | January 12 2021 | August 9 2023 |
| Ranking | #114 | #16 |
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