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 980 Ti

2015

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 48 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
97.3% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅40.1% more average FPS across 48 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $320 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 144.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

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

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

2015

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Why buy it

✅40.1% more average FPS across 48 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $320 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 144.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 48 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
97.3% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than GeForce GTX 980 Ti?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 averages 40.1% more FPS across 48 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 13,711 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 980 Ti is a 2015 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 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2015, 24.0% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 6 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

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

GeForce RTX 3060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 is about $320 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $649 MSRP, and you are getting 40.1% more estimated average FPS across 48 tracked games in our benchmark data and 24.0% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 144.5%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce GTX 980 Ti still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce GTX 980 Ti is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $649 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3060 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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 980 Ti Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	80 FPS	149 FPS
medium	69 FPS	131 FPS
high	56 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	70 FPS	126 FPS
medium	62 FPS	104 FPS
high	45 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	67 FPS
medium	24 FPS	58 FPS
high	16 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	186 FPS	354 FPS
medium	164 FPS	310 FPS
high	133 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	128 FPS	222 FPS
medium	104 FPS	196 FPS
high	82 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	62 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	60 FPS	110 FPS
medium	50 FPS	94 FPS
high	46 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	60 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	617 FPS	765 FPS
medium	494 FPS	612 FPS
high	411 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	382 FPS
1440p
low	463 FPS	535 FPS
medium	370 FPS	432 FPS
high	308 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	231 FPS	287 FPS
4K
low	308 FPS	367 FPS
medium	247 FPS	298 FPS
high	206 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	154 FPS	176 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	232 FPS	523 FPS
medium	197 FPS	452 FPS
high	161 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	177 FPS	428 FPS
medium	156 FPS	371 FPS
high	123 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	102 FPS	279 FPS
medium	83 FPS	259 FPS
high	67 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	186 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980 Ti and GeForce RTX 3060

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 2 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1000 MHz to 1075 MHz. It has 2816 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,711 points. Launch price was $649.

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.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 13,711 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 24%. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,816 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 6.06 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1075 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	13,711	16,995+24%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2816	3584+27%
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.06 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+110%
Boost Clock	1075 MHz	1777 MHz+65%
ROPs	96+100%	48
TMUs	176+57%	112
L1 Cache	1 MB	3.5 MB+250%
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 980 Ti is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
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)

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 7.1% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 384-bit vs 192-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	12 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s	360 GB/s+7%
Bus Width	384-bit+100%	192-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.1	1.3+18%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 3.0 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti draws 250W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 38.1% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	250W	170W-32%
Recommended PSU	600W	550W-8%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	242mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	75-12%
Perf/Watt	54.8	100.0+82%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti launched at $649 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. The GeForce RTX 3060 costs 49.3% less ($320 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 145% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2015).