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

✅+88.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $671 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
✅Delivers 473.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 9.0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌126.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 75W.
❌44% longer card at 242mm vs 168mm.

Tesla P4

2016

Why buy it

✅Draws 75W instead of 170W, a 95W reduction.
✅Measures 168mm instead of 242mm, a 74mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (9,004 vs 16,995).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
204% HIGHER MSRP
$1,000 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Tesla P4

2016

Why buy it

✅+88.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $671 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
✅Delivers 473.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 9.0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).

Why buy it

✅Draws 75W instead of 170W, a 95W reduction.
✅Measures 168mm instead of 242mm, a 74mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌126.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 75W.
❌44% longer card at 242mm vs 168mm.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (9,004 vs 16,995).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
204% HIGHER MSRP
$1,000 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than Tesla P4?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 9,004 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Tesla P4 is a 2016 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. 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?

GeForce RTX 3060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2016, 88.7% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 4 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. 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?

GeForce RTX 3060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 is about $671 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $1,000 MSRP, and you are getting 88.7% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 473.7%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Tesla P4 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Tesla P4 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $1,000 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3060 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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

Tesla P4 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla P4
1080p
low	149 FPS	103 FPS
medium	131 FPS	89 FPS
high	118 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	43 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	90 FPS
medium	104 FPS	79 FPS
high	92 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	33 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	28 FPS
medium	58 FPS	27 FPS
high	39 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	15 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Tesla P4

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla P4
1080p
low	354 FPS	219 FPS
medium	310 FPS	177 FPS
high	249 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	109 FPS
1440p
low	222 FPS	159 FPS
medium	196 FPS	128 FPS
high	160 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	110 FPS	92 FPS
medium	94 FPS	73 FPS
high	77 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	45 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Tesla P4

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla P4
1080p
low	765 FPS	405 FPS
medium	612 FPS	324 FPS
high	510 FPS	270 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	203 FPS
1440p
low	535 FPS	304 FPS
medium	432 FPS	243 FPS
high	366 FPS	203 FPS
ultra	287 FPS	152 FPS
4K
low	367 FPS	203 FPS
medium	298 FPS	162 FPS
high	221 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	101 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Tesla P4

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla P4
1080p
low	523 FPS	193 FPS
medium	452 FPS	159 FPS
high	383 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	428 FPS	134 FPS
medium	371 FPS	114 FPS
high	298 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	279 FPS	80 FPS
medium	259 FPS	64 FPS
high	225 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	186 FPS	38 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Tesla P4

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 and Tesla P4

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.

Tesla P4

The Tesla P4 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 13 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 886 MHz to 1114 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,004 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Tesla P4's 9,004 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 88.7%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Tesla P4 uses Pascal, both on 8 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 2,560 (Tesla P4). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 5.704 TFLOPS (Tesla P4). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1114 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla P4
G3D Mark Score	16,995+89%	9,004
Architecture	Ampere	Pascal
Process Node	8 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	3584+40%	2560
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS+123%	5.704 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1777 MHz+60%	1114 MHz
ROPs	48	64+33%
TMUs	112	160+43%
L1 Cache	3.5 MB+272%	0.94 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Tesla P4 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla P4
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the Tesla P4 has 4 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 2 MB (Tesla P4) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla P4
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+200%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12.1 (Tesla P4). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla P4
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12.1
Vulkan	1.3	1.4+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs NVENC 6.0 (Tesla P4). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP8,VP9 (Tesla P4).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla P4
Encoder	NVENC 7th Gen	NVENC 6.0
Decoder	NVDEC 5th Gen	PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP8,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Tesla P4's 75W — a 77.6% difference. The Tesla P4 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 500W (Tesla P4). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 168mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla P4
TDP	170W	75W-56%
Recommended PSU	550W	500W-9%
Power Connector	8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	242mm	168mm
Height	112mm	53mm
Slots	2	1-50%
Temp (Load)	75	75°C
Perf/Watt	100.0	120.1+20%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329 MSRP, while the Tesla P4 launched at $1000. The GeForce RTX 3060 costs 67.1% less ($671 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 9.0 (Tesla P4) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 474.4% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2016).