GeForce RTX 4060 vs Radeon HD 3850 AGP

CPU

GPU

GeForce RTX 4060

2023Core: 1830 MHzBoost: 2460 MHz

RTX family

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Radeon HD 3850 AGP

2012Boost: 1000 MHz

Similar parts

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GeForce RTX 4060 vs Radeon HD 3850 AGP Performance Spectrum

GeForce RTX 4060

8 GB 115

19,548

+4425.0%

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design

GeForce RTX 3060 8GB

GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPU

RTX 4000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile

GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile

GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER

Radeon HD 3850 AGP

1 GB 130

432

0.0%

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 4060 vs Radeon HD 3850 AGP 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 4060 vs Radeon HD 3850 AGP: 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 4060

2023

Why buy it

✅1437.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 1867.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 65.4 vs 3.3 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $130 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Radeon HD 3850 AGP

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $169 less on MSRP ($130 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Measures 230mm instead of 240mm, a 10mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌2012 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 3.3 vs 65.4 G3D/$ ($130 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 4060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1437.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 4425% in PassMark G3D (19,548 vs 432), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce RTX 4060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, native frame generation with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while Radeon HD 3850 AGP has no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 28nm, and 24 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 4060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $169 more expensive on MSRP at $299 vs $130, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1867.4% (65.4 vs 3.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 4060 vs Radeon HD 3850 AGP Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

GeForce RTX 4060

The GeForce RTX 4060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1830 MHz to 2460 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 24 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 19,548 points. Launch price was $299.

Radeon HD 3850 AGP

The Radeon HD 3850 AGP is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 432 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4060 scores 19,548 versus the Radeon HD 3850 AGP's 432 — the GeForce RTX 4060 leads by 4425%. The GeForce RTX 4060 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon HD 3850 AGP uses GCN 1.0, both on 5 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 1,024 (Radeon HD 3850 AGP). Raw compute: 15.11 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 3850 AGP). Boost clocks: 2460 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4060	Radeon HD 3850 AGP
G3D Mark Score	19,548+4425%	432
Architecture	Ada Lovelace	GCN 1.0
Process Node	5 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	3072+200%	1024
Compute (TFLOPS)	15.11 TFLOPS+758%	1.761 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	2460 MHz+146%	1000 MHz
ROPs	48+50%	32
TMUs	96+50%	64
L1 Cache	3 MB+1100%	0.25 MB
L2 Cache	24 MB+4700%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4060 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The Radeon HD 3850 AGP does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 3850 AGP leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4060	Radeon HD 3850 AGP
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	Yes (DLSS 3.5)	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 4060 has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 3850 AGP carries 1 GB. GeForce RTX 4060 gives you 700% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 4060 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 3850 AGP. L2 Cache: 24 MB (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) — the GeForce RTX 4060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4060	Radeon HD 3850 AGP
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+700%	1 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	272 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	24 MB+4700%	0.5 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 10.1 (Radeon HD 3850 AGP). Vulkan: 1.3 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4060	Radeon HD 3850 AGP
DirectX	12 Ultimate+19%	10.1
Vulkan	1.3	N/A
OpenGL	4.6+39%	3.3
Max Displays	4+100%	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 8th gen (GeForce RTX 4060) vs None (Radeon HD 3850 AGP). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs UVD 1.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4060) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 3850 AGP).

Feature	GeForce RTX 4060	Radeon HD 3850 AGP
Encoder	NVENC 8th gen	None
Decoder	NVDEC 5th gen	UVD 1.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4060 draws 115W versus the Radeon HD 3850 AGP's 130W — a 12.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 4060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 450W (Radeon HD 3850 AGP). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 240mm vs 230mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 73°C vs 80.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4060	Radeon HD 3850 AGP
TDP	115W-12%	130W
Recommended PSU	550W	450W-18%
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	240mm	230mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	1-50%
Temp (Load)	73°C-9%	80
Perf/Watt	170.0+5052%	3.3

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 4060 came in at $299, while the Radeon HD 3850 AGP launched at $130. On MSRP, Radeon HD 3850 AGP was 56.5% cheaper ($169 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 65.4 (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 3.3 (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) — the GeForce RTX 4060 offers 1881.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4060 (2023 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce RTX 4060	Radeon HD 3850 AGP
MSRP	$299	$130-57%
Performance per Dollar	65.4+1882%	3.3
Codename	AD107	Pitcairn
Release	May 18 2023	March 5 2012
Ranking	#84	#503

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