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 MX450

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $79 less on MSRP ($250 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 25W instead of 170W, a 145W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,720 vs 16,995).
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 2 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 14.9 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅+356.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 247.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 14.9 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌580% higher power demand at 170W vs 25W.

GeForce MX450

2020

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $79 less on MSRP ($250 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 25W instead of 170W, a 145W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+356.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 247.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 14.9 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,720 vs 16,995).
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 2 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 14.9 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌580% higher power demand at 170W vs 25W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than GeForce MX450?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 3,720 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce MX450 is a 2020 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 2020, 356.9% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 2 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 31.6% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $250 MSRP, and you are getting 356.9% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 247.2%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce MX450 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce MX450 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $250 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 MX450 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce MX450	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	90 FPS	149 FPS
medium	80 FPS	131 FPS
high	63 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	80 FPS	126 FPS
medium	68 FPS	104 FPS
high	52 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	39 FPS	67 FPS
medium	37 FPS	58 FPS
high	25 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	22 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce MX450 Open GeForce RTX 3060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce MX450	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	125 FPS	354 FPS
medium	92 FPS	310 FPS
high	65 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	82 FPS	222 FPS
medium	56 FPS	196 FPS
high	41 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	36 FPS	110 FPS
medium	27 FPS	94 FPS
high	21 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	60 FPS

Open GeForce MX450 Open GeForce RTX 3060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce MX450	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	167 FPS	765 FPS
medium	134 FPS	612 FPS
high	112 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	382 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	535 FPS
medium	100 FPS	432 FPS
high	84 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	63 FPS	287 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	367 FPS
medium	67 FPS	298 FPS
high	56 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	176 FPS

Open GeForce MX450 Open GeForce RTX 3060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce MX450	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	167 FPS	523 FPS
medium	134 FPS	452 FPS
high	112 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	428 FPS
medium	100 FPS	371 FPS
high	84 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	63 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	279 FPS
medium	67 FPS	259 FPS
high	56 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	186 FPS

Open GeForce MX450 Open GeForce RTX 3060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce MX450 and GeForce RTX 3060

GeForce MX450

The GeForce MX450 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 1 2020. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1395 MHz to 1575 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,720 points.

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 MX450 scores 3,720 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 356.9%. The GeForce MX450 is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 896 (GeForce MX450) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 3.226 TFLOPS (GeForce MX450) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1575 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce MX450	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	3,720	16,995+357%
Architecture	Turing	Ampere
Process Node	12 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	896	3584+300%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.226 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+295%
Boost Clock	1575 MHz	1777 MHz+13%
ROPs	32	48+50%
TMUs	64	112+75%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce MX450 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce MX450	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 MX450 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 500% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 80 GB/s (GeForce MX450) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 350% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 64-bit vs 192-bit.

Feature	GeForce MX450	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	12 GB+500%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	80 GB/s	360 GB/s+350%
Bus Width	64-bit	192-bit+200%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce MX450 draws 25W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 148.7% difference. The GeForce MX450 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce MX450) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: Mobile vs 8-pin.

Feature	GeForce MX450	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	25W-85%	170W
Recommended PSU	350W-36%	550W
Power Connector	Mobile	8-pin
Length	—	242mm
Height	—	112mm
Slots	—	2
Temp (Load)	—	75
Perf/Watt	148.8+49%	100.0

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce MX450 launched at $250 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. The GeForce MX450 costs 24% less ($79 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 14.9 (GeForce MX450) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 247% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2020).