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 GTX 780

2013

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 15.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 48 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌47.1% higher power demand at 250W vs 170W.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅60.5% more average FPS across 48 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 170W instead of 250W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 15.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 780

2013

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 15.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Why buy it

✅60.5% more average FPS across 48 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 170W instead of 250W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 48 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌47.1% higher power demand at 250W vs 170W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 15.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU better than GeForce GTX 780?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU averages 60.5% more FPS across 48 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 13,170 vs 7,957 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is a 2022 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 780 is a 2013 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 Laptop GPU is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2013, 65.5% more raw performance headroom, better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 8nm process instead of 28nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and you are getting 60.5% more estimated average FPS across 48 tracked games in our benchmark data and 65.5% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 780 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is GeForce GTX 780 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 780 is 2013 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM, 7,957 in G3D Mark, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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 GTX 780 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	78 FPS	109 FPS
medium	67 FPS	98 FPS
high	54 FPS	84 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	70 FPS
1440p
low	68 FPS	95 FPS
medium	60 FPS	83 FPS
high	43 FPS	70 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	59 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	48 FPS
medium	24 FPS	43 FPS
high	16 FPS	30 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	26 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	181 FPS	357 FPS
medium	152 FPS	310 FPS
high	115 FPS	248 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	123 FPS	221 FPS
medium	92 FPS	190 FPS
high	68 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	48 FPS	123 FPS
4K
low	53 FPS	108 FPS
medium	42 FPS	89 FPS
high	36 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	55 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	358 FPS	593 FPS
medium	286 FPS	474 FPS
high	239 FPS	395 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	296 FPS
1440p
low	269 FPS	444 FPS
medium	215 FPS	356 FPS
high	179 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	222 FPS
4K
low	179 FPS	296 FPS
medium	143 FPS	237 FPS
high	119 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	148 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	214 FPS	519 FPS
medium	179 FPS	439 FPS
high	143 FPS	376 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	296 FPS
1440p
low	166 FPS	425 FPS
medium	141 FPS	356 FPS
high	109 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	222 FPS
4K
low	94 FPS	277 FPS
medium	73 FPS	237 FPS
high	58 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	148 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 780 and GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

GeForce GTX 780

The GeForce GTX 780 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 23 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 863 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,957 points. Launch price was $649.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 12 2022. 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: 13,170 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 780 scores 7,957 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 13,170 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 65.5%. The GeForce GTX 780 is built on Kepler while the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce GTX 780) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 4.156 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 780) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score	7,957	13,170+66%
Architecture	Kepler	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2304	3584+56%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.156 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+207%
Boost Clock	900 MHz	1777 MHz+97%
ROPs	48	48
TMUs	192+71%	112
L1 Cache	0.19 MB	3.5 MB+1742%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	3 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 780 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 6 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s (GeForce GTX 780) vs 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) — a 16.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU. Bus width: 384-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 780) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s	336 GB/s+17%
Bus Width	384-bit+100%	192-bit
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	3 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 780) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.0 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.0	1.4+40%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 780) vs NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs NVDEC (5th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 780) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU).

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
Encoder	NVENC 1st Gen	NVENC (7th Gen)
Decoder	NVDEC 1st Gen	NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 780 draws 250W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 170W — a 38.1% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 780) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
TDP	250W	170W-32%
Recommended PSU	600W	500W-17%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	Mobile
Length	267mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	80	75°C-6%
Perf/Watt	31.8	77.5+144%