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 4500 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 4500 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 $2,070 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $2,399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 249.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 14.8 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $2,399 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅Draws 170W instead of 200W, a 30W reduction.
✅Measures 242mm instead of 267mm, a 25mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 32 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (112 vs 328), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.

RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell

2025

Why buy it

✅74.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅192.9% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (328 vs 112).
✅166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (32 GB vs 12 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Blackwell 2.0 (2025−2026) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌
629.2% HIGHER MSRP
$2,399 MSRPvs$329 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 14.8 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($2,399 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌17.6% higher power demand at 200W vs 170W.
❌10.3% longer card at 267mm vs 242mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 74.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 108.5% in PassMark G3D (35,431 vs 16,995), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 32 GB vs 12 GB of VRAM, a 5nm process instead of 8nm, 82 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 $2,070 cheaper on MSRP at $329 vs $2,399, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 249.8% (51.7 vs 14.8), 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 1440p and 4K headroom, RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell 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 PRO 4500 Blackwell

The RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 18 2025. It features the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1635 MHz to 2407 MHz. It has 10496 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 82 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 35,431 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell's 35,431 — the RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell leads by 108.5%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell uses Blackwell 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 10,496 (RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 50.53 TFLOPS (RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 2407 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 82 (RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell) with 112 Tensor cores vs 328.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell
G3D Mark Score	16,995	35,431+108%
Architecture	Ampere	Blackwell 2.0
Process Node	8 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	3584	10496+193%
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS	50.53 TFLOPS+297%
Boost Clock	1777 MHz	2407 MHz+35%
ROPs	48	112+133%
TMUs	112	328+193%
L1 Cache	3.5 MB	10.3 MB+194%
L2 Cache	3 MB	64 MB+2033%
Ray Tracing Cores	28	82+193%
Tensor Cores	112	328+193%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX PRO 4500 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 4500 Blackwell carries 32 GB. RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell 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 1024 GB/s (RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell) — a 184.4% advantage for the RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 and 384-bit on the RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 64 MB (RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell) — the RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell
VRAM Capacity	12 GB	32 GB+167%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR7
Memory Bandwidth	360 GB/s	1024 GB/s+184%
Bus Width	192-bit	384-bit+100%
L2 Cache	3 MB	64 MB+2033%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12.2 (RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX PRO 4500 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 4500 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 4500 Blackwell).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX PRO 4500 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 4500 Blackwell's 200W — a 16.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 650W (RTX PRO 4500 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.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell
TDP	170W-15%	200W
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	177.2+77%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell launched at $2399. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 86.3% cheaper ($2070 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 14.8 (RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 249.3% better value. The newer card here is RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell (2025 vs 2021).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell
MSRP	$329-86%	$2399
Performance per Dollar	51.7+249%	14.8
Codename	GA106	GB203
Release	January 12 2021	March 18 2025
Ranking	#114	#6

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