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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

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 PassMark G3D performance (16,995 vs 35,431).
❌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.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.

RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell

2025

Why buy it

✅+108.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅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).
✅More future proof: Blackwell 2.0 (2025−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform 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.

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell

2025

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.

Why buy it

✅+108.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅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).
✅More future proof: Blackwell 2.0 (2025−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (16,995 vs 35,431).
❌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.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.

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

So, is RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell better than GeForce RTX 3060?

Yes. RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 35,431 vs 16,995 in G3D Mark. On top of that, RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell is a 2025 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 model from an older generation with DLSS Super Resolution. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2025 generation instead of 2021, 108.5% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 32 GB instead of 12 GB, and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of DLSS Super Resolution. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell is about 629.2% more expensive on MSRP at $2,399 MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and you are getting 108.5% higher G3D Mark. GeForce RTX 3060 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium. If you are comfortable paying the premium for the stronger gaming result, RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell is the one to buy. If staying closer to budget matters more, GeForce RTX 3060 still makes more sense on price alone and remains capable enough for modern gaming.

Is GeForce RTX 3060 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is still a strong gaming GPU in 2026: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. This mostly comes down to price. If you want to stay closer to $329 MSRP, it remains a strong choice; if you are comfortable paying more, RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell earns that extra money with a clearly stronger gaming result and a more complete overall package.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce RTX 3060 Benchmark Check

RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell
1080p
low	149 FPS	275 FPS
medium	131 FPS	255 FPS
high	118 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	189 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	260 FPS
medium	104 FPS	216 FPS
high	92 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	155 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	179 FPS
medium	58 FPS	149 FPS
high	39 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	100 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell
1080p
low	354 FPS	771 FPS
medium	310 FPS	624 FPS
high	249 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	385 FPS
1440p
low	222 FPS	581 FPS
medium	196 FPS	484 FPS
high	160 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	293 FPS
4K
low	110 FPS	321 FPS
medium	94 FPS	265 FPS
high	77 FPS	232 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	190 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell
1080p
low	765 FPS	999 FPS
medium	612 FPS	999 FPS
high	510 FPS	999 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	797 FPS
1440p
low	535 FPS	971 FPS
medium	432 FPS	887 FPS
high	366 FPS	797 FPS
ultra	287 FPS	598 FPS
4K
low	367 FPS	572 FPS
medium	298 FPS	497 FPS
high	221 FPS	440 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	371 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell
1080p
low	523 FPS	932 FPS
medium	452 FPS	858 FPS
high	383 FPS	752 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	688 FPS
1440p
low	428 FPS	714 FPS
medium	371 FPS	645 FPS
high	298 FPS	564 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	504 FPS
4K
low	279 FPS	525 FPS
medium	259 FPS	476 FPS
high	225 FPS	425 FPS
ultra	186 FPS	378 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 and RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell

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 comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell has 32 GB. The RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell offers 166.7% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. 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. Bus width: 192-bit vs 384-bit. 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

The GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329 MSRP, while the RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell launched at $2399. The GeForce RTX 3060 costs 86.3% less ($2070 savings) on MSRP. 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 RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell is the newer GPU (2025 vs 2021).