GeForce RTX 3060 vs RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

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

RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell

2025Core: 1230 MHzBoost: 2055 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3060 vs RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell 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 PRO 4000 Blackwell 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 PRO 4000 Blackwell: 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 $1,670 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
  • Delivers 289.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 13.3 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • Measures 242mm instead of 267mm, a 25mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell 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 280), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
  • RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
  • 21.4% higher power demand at 170W vs 140W.

RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell

2025

Why buy it

  • 51.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 150% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (280 vs 112).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 12 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Blackwell 2.0 (2025−2026) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 140W instead of 170W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 507.6% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,999 MSRPvs$329 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 13.3 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($1,999 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
  • 10.3% longer card at 267mm vs 242mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 51.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 55.9% in PassMark G3D (26,498 vs 16,995), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell 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, 70 vs 28 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2025 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 $1,670 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $1,999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 289.7% (51.7 vs 13.3), 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 PRO 4000 Blackwell has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell 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.

NVIDIA

RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell

The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 18 2025. It features the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1230 MHz to 2055 MHz. It has 8960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 140W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 70 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,498 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell's 26,498 — the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell leads by 55.9%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell uses Blackwell 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 8,960 (RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 36.83 TFLOPS (RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 2055 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 70 (RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell) with 112 Tensor cores vs 280.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell
G3D Mark Score
16,995
26,498+56%
Architecture
Ampere
Blackwell 2.0
Process Node
8 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
3584
8960+150%
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS
36.83 TFLOPS+189%
Boost Clock
1777 MHz
2055 MHz+16%
ROPs
48
96+100%
TMUs
112
280+150%
L1 Cache
3.5 MB
8.8 MB+151%
L2 Cache
3 MB
48 MB+1500%
Ray Tracing Cores
28
70+150%
Tensor Cores
112
280+150%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell supports the newer Upscaling support, whereas the GeForce RTX 3060 is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell
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 PRO 4000 Blackwell carries 24 GB. RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell 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 432 GB/s (RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell) — a 20% advantage for the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 and 192-bit on the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 48 MB (RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell) — the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell
VRAM Capacity
12 GB
24 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
360 GB/s
432 GB/s+20%
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 PRO 4000 Blackwell). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.3
1.4+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 9th Gen NVENC (2x) (RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs 6th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell
Encoder
NVENC 7th Gen
9th Gen NVENC (2x)
Decoder
NVDEC 5th Gen
6th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell's 140W — a 19.4% difference. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 650W (RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell
TDP
170W
140W-18%
Recommended PSU
550W-15%
650W
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
242mm
267mm
Height
112mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75-6%
80°C
Perf/Watt
100.0
189.3+89%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell launched at $1999. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 83.5% cheaper ($1670 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 13.3 (RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 288.7% better value. The newer card here is RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell (2025 vs 2021).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell
MSRP
$329-84%
$1999
Performance per Dollar
51.7+289%
13.3
Codename
GA106
GB203
Release
January 12 2021
March 18 2025
Ranking
#114
#48

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