GeForce RTX 3060 vs GeForce 945A
GeForce RTX 3060
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GeForce 945A
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar GeForce RTX 3060
Performance Per Dollar GeForce 945A
Why is GeForce RTX 3060 better than GeForce 945A?
Comparing the GeForce 945A to the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti highlights the difference between an entry-level All-in-One (AIO) desktop solution and a high-performance gaming powerhouse. The GeForce 945A was an entry-level solution for integrated desktops in 2015, while the RTX 3060 Ti is a 2020 desktop legend built for high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gaming.\n\nThe performance distance is enormous. The RTX 3060 Ti offers roughly 20-30 times the raw compute power and includes entire generations of technological features, including dedicated Ray Tracing and AI upscaling (DLSS). The GeForce 945A struggles to run even simple modern titles and lacks the driver support expected from a modern gaming GPU. The RTX card enables a high-fidelity gaming experience, whereas the 945A has long since been outclassed by modern integrated graphics.\n\nUltimately, there is no contest between these two. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the superior choice for any current gaming or creative task. The GeForce 945A is a piece of historical hardware for basic multimedia PCs, representing a much older era of low-power computing that cannot compete with the speed or visual quality of a modern high-end gaming card.
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The GeForce RTX 3060 is significantly newer (2021 vs 2015). The GeForce RTX 3060 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The GeForce 945A lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce RTX 3060 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 817.7% higher G3D Mark score and 2300% more VRAM (12 GB vs 512 MB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce 945A.
| Insight | GeForce RTX 3060 | GeForce 945A |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+817.7%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-817.7%) |
| Longevity | 🔮Strong Longevity (Ampere / 8nm) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / Maxwell (2014−2017)) |
| Ecosystem | ✨ DLSS 2 Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | 🎮 High Capacity (12 GB) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | — |
💎 Value Proposition
The GeForce 945A offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $25 versus $289 for the GeForce RTX 3060, it costs 91% less. While it maintains basic entry-level capabilities, this results in a 26% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | GeForce RTX 3060 | GeForce 945A |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+26%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($289) | ✅More affordable ($25) |
Performance Check
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 7800X3D 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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 and GeForce 945A
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.
GeForce 945A
The GeForce 945A is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1006 MHz to 1189 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,852 points.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the GeForce 945A's 1,852 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 817.7%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the GeForce 945A uses Maxwell, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 384 (GeForce 945A). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 0.9132 TFLOPS (GeForce 945A). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1189 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | GeForce 945A |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 16,995+818% | 1,852 |
| Architecture | Ampere | Maxwell |
| Process Node | 8 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 3584+833% | 384 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 12.74 TFLOPS+1295% | 0.9132 TFLOPS |
| Boost Clock | 1777 MHz+49% | 1189 MHz |
| ROPs | 48+500% | 8 |
| TMUs | 112+367% | 24 |
| L1 Cache | 3.5 MB+1742% | 0.19 MB |
| L2 Cache | 3 MB+200% | 1 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 GeForce 945A relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | GeForce 945A |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | DLSS 2.0 | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | FSR 3 / AFMF (Compatible) | 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 GeForce 945A has 512 MB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 2300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1 MB (GeForce 945A) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | GeForce 945A |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 12 GB+2300% | 0.5 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 360 GB/s | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 192-bit+50% | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 3 MB+200% | 1 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce 945A). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | GeForce 945A |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate | 12 (11_0) |
| Vulkan | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 4+100% | 2 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 4th Gen NVENC (Maxwell) (GeForce 945A). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs H.264,HEVC (GeForce 945A).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | GeForce 945A |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 7th Gen | 4th Gen NVENC (Maxwell) |
| Decoder | NVDEC 5th Gen | PureVideo HD VP6 |
| Codecs | AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 | H.264,HEVC |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the GeForce 945A's 33W — a 135% difference. The GeForce 945A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 350W (GeForce 945A). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Legacy. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 80°C.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | GeForce 945A |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 170W | 33W-81% |
| Recommended PSU | 550W | 350W-36% |
| Power Connector | 8-pin | Legacy |
| Length | 242mm | — |
| Height | 112mm | — |
| Slots | 2 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | 75-6% | 80°C |
| Perf/Watt | 100.0+78% | 56.1 |
Value Analysis
The GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329 MSRP and currently averages $289, while the GeForce 945A launched at $100 and now averages $25. The GeForce 945A costs 91.3% less ($264 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 58.8 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 74.1 (GeForce 945A) — the GeForce 945A offers 26% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2015).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | GeForce 945A |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $329 | $100-70% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $289 | $25-91% |
| Performance per Dollar | 58.8 | 74.1+26% |
| Codename | GA106 | GM108 |
| Release | January 12 2021 | March 13 2015 |
| Ranking | #114 | #705 |
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