GeForce RTX 4060 vs Radeon RX 540

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060

2023Core: 1830 MHzBoost: 2460 MHz
RTX family
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VS
AMD

Radeon RX 540

2017Core: 1124 MHzBoost: 1219 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 4060 vs Radeon RX 540 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 4060 vs Radeon RX 540 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 RX 540: 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

  • 591.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 203.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 65.4 vs 21.6 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 130% higher power demand at 115W vs 50W.
  • 23900% longer card at 240mm vs 1mm.

Radeon RX 540

2017

Why buy it

  • Costs $200 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
  • Draws 50W instead of 115W, a 65W reduction.
  • Measures 1mm instead of 240mm, a 239mm 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 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • 2017 hardware with 4 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 21.6 vs 65.4 G3D/$ ($99 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 591.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 816% in PassMark G3D (19,548 vs 2,134), 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 4 GB of VRAM, the newer frame-generation stack, DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) instead of FSR Frame Generation (2023), a 5nm process instead of 14nm, 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 $200 more expensive on MSRP at $299 vs $99, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 203.3% (65.4 vs 21.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 4060 vs Radeon RX 540 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

AMD

Radeon RX 540

The Radeon RX 540 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 11 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1124 MHz to 1219 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,134 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4060 scores 19,548 versus the Radeon RX 540's 2,134 — the GeForce RTX 4060 leads by 816%. The GeForce RTX 4060 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon RX 540 uses GCN 4.0, both on 5 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 512 (Radeon RX 540). Raw compute: 15.11 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 1.248 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 540). Boost clocks: 2460 MHz vs 1219 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon RX 540
G3D Mark Score
19,548+816%
2,134
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
GCN 4.0
Process Node
5 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
3072+500%
512
Compute (TFLOPS)
15.11 TFLOPS+1111%
1.248 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
2460 MHz+102%
1219 MHz
ROPs
48+200%
16
TMUs
96+200%
32
L1 Cache
3 MB+2208%
0.13 MB
L2 Cache
24 MB+4700%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Both GPUs support Frame Generation, but they get there through different ecosystems. The GeForce RTX 4060 uses DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, while the Radeon RX 540 relies on FSR Frame Generation. Both can help smooth out supported games, but they are not on the same feature stack.The GeForce RTX 4060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 540 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon RX 540
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
FSR Frame Generation
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 RX 540 carries 4 GB. GeForce RTX 4060 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 272 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 80 GB/s (Radeon RX 540) — a 240% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4060. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 4060 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 540. L2 Cache: 24 MB (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon RX 540) — the GeForce RTX 4060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon RX 540
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+100%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
272 GB/s+240%
80 GB/s
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 12_0 (Radeon RX 540). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon RX 540
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12_0
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 8th gen (GeForce RTX 4060) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 540). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs UVD 6.3.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon RX 540
Encoder
NVENC 8th gen
VCE 3.4
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
UVD 6.3
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4060 draws 115W versus the Radeon RX 540's 50W — a 78.8% difference. The Radeon RX 540 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 350W (Radeon RX 540). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 240mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon RX 540
TDP
115W
50W-57%
Recommended PSU
550W
350W-36%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
240mm
1mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
73°C
Perf/Watt
170.0+298%
42.7
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 4060 came in at $299, while the Radeon RX 540 launched at $99. On MSRP, Radeon RX 540 was 66.9% cheaper ($200 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 65.4 (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 21.6 (Radeon RX 540) — the GeForce RTX 4060 offers 202.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4060 (2023 vs 2017).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon RX 540
MSRP
$299
$99-67%
Performance per Dollar
65.4+203%
21.6
Codename
AD107
Lexa
Release
May 18 2023
November 11 2017
Ranking
#84
#602

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