GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon RX 6500 XT
GeForce RTX 3060
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Radeon RX 6500 XT
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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 Radeon RX 6500 XT
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce RTX 3060 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 77% higher G3D Mark score and 200% more VRAM (12 GB vs 4 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon RX 6500 XT.
| Insight | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+77%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-77%) |
| Longevity | 🔮Strong Longevity (Ampere / 8nm) | RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) (6nm) |
| Ecosystem | ✨ DLSS 2 Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | 🎮 High Capacity (12 GB) | 🎮 High Capacity (4 GB) |
| Efficiency | Normal Efficiency | Normal Efficiency |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon RX 6500 XT offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $150 versus $289 for the GeForce RTX 3060, it costs 48% less. While it maintains lower overall performance, this results in a 8.9% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+8.9%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($289) | ✅More affordable ($150) |
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 Radeon RX 6500 XT
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.
Radeon RX 6500 XT
The Radeon RX 6500 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 19 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2610 MHz to 2815 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 107W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,603 points. Launch price was $199.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Radeon RX 6500 XT's 9,603 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 77%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 6500 XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 6 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1,024 (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 5.765 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 2815 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 16 (Radeon RX 6500 XT) with 112 Tensor cores.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 16,995+77% | 9,603 |
| Architecture | Ampere | RDNA 2.0 |
| Process Node | 8 nm | 6 nm |
| Shading Units | 3584+250% | 1024 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 12.74 TFLOPS+121% | 5.765 TFLOPS |
| Boost Clock | 1777 MHz | 2815 MHz+58% |
| ROPs | 48+50% | 32 |
| TMUs | 112+75% | 64 |
| L1 Cache | 3.5 MB+1300% | 0.25 MB |
| L2 Cache | 3 MB+200% | 1 MB |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 28+75% | 16 |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 6500 XT is support for FSR 3 / AFMF. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce RTX 3060 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 3060 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 6500 XT relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | DLSS 2.0 | FSR 3 (Native) |
| Frame Generation | FSR 3 / AFMF (Compatible) | FSR 3 / AFMF (Driver) |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | NVIDIA Reflex | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce RTX 3060 comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 6500 XT has 4 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 144 GB/s (Radeon RX 6500 XT) — a 150% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1 MB (Radeon RX 6500 XT) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 12 GB+200% | 4 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 360 GB/s+150% | 144 GB/s |
| Bus Width | 192-bit+200% | 64-bit |
| L2 Cache | 3 MB+200% | 1 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate | 12.2+2% |
| 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 None (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs VCN 3.0 (Limited). Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs MPEG-2,H.264 (Decode),HEVC (Decode) (Radeon RX 6500 XT).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 7th Gen | None |
| Decoder | NVDEC 5th Gen | VCN 3.0 (Limited) |
| Codecs | AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 | MPEG-2,H.264 (Decode),HEVC (Decode) |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Radeon RX 6500 XT's 107W — a 45.5% difference. The Radeon RX 6500 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 400W (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 172mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 70°C.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 170W | 107W-37% |
| Recommended PSU | 550W | 400W-27% |
| Power Connector | 8-pin | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | 242mm | 172mm |
| Height | 112mm | 112mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 75 | 70°C-7% |
| Perf/Watt | 100.0+11% | 89.7 |
Value Analysis
The GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329 MSRP and currently averages $289, while the Radeon RX 6500 XT launched at $199 and now averages $150. The Radeon RX 6500 XT costs 48.1% less ($139 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 58.8 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 64.0 (Radeon RX 6500 XT) — the Radeon RX 6500 XT offers 8.8% better value. The Radeon RX 6500 XT is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2021).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $329 | $199-40% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $289 | $150-48% |
| Performance per Dollar | 58.8 | 64.0+9% |
| Codename | GA106 | Navi 24 |
| Release | January 12 2021 | January 19 2022 |
| Ranking | #114 | #270 |
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