GeForce MX450 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

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

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 14.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 25W instead of 170W, a 145W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,720 vs 13,170).
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 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.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅+254% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 14.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
❌580% higher power demand at 170W vs 25W.

GeForce MX450

2020

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 14.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 25W instead of 170W, a 145W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+254% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,720 vs 13,170).
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 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.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 14.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
❌580% higher power demand at 170W vs 25W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU better than GeForce MX450?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 13,170 vs 3,720 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is a 2022 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 Laptop GPU is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2020, 254.0% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 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 Laptop GPU is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $250 MSRP, and you are getting 254.0% higher G3D Mark. GeForce MX450 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium. If you are comfortable paying the premium for the stronger gaming result, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the one to buy. If staying closer to budget matters more, GeForce MX450 still makes more sense on price alone, but the performance trade-off is much harder to justify by current standards.

Is GeForce MX450 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce MX450 is still a strong gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. This mostly comes down to price. If you want to stay closer to $250 MSRP, it remains a strong choice; if you are comfortable paying more, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU earns that extra money with a clearly stronger gaming result and a more complete overall package.

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 Laptop GPU Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce MX450	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	90 FPS	109 FPS
medium	80 FPS	98 FPS
high	63 FPS	84 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	70 FPS
1440p
low	80 FPS	95 FPS
medium	68 FPS	83 FPS
high	52 FPS	70 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	59 FPS
4K
low	39 FPS	48 FPS
medium	37 FPS	43 FPS
high	25 FPS	30 FPS
ultra	22 FPS	26 FPS

Open GeForce MX450 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce MX450	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	125 FPS	357 FPS
medium	92 FPS	310 FPS
high	65 FPS	248 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	82 FPS	221 FPS
medium	56 FPS	190 FPS
high	41 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	123 FPS
4K
low	36 FPS	108 FPS
medium	27 FPS	89 FPS
high	21 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	55 FPS

Open GeForce MX450 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce MX450	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	167 FPS	593 FPS
medium	134 FPS	474 FPS
high	112 FPS	395 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	296 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	444 FPS
medium	100 FPS	356 FPS
high	84 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	63 FPS	222 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	296 FPS
medium	67 FPS	237 FPS
high	56 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	148 FPS

Open GeForce MX450 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce MX450	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
1080p
low	167 FPS	519 FPS
medium	134 FPS	439 FPS
high	112 FPS	376 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	296 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	425 FPS
medium	100 FPS	356 FPS
high	84 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	63 FPS	222 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	277 FPS
medium	67 FPS	237 FPS
high	56 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	148 FPS

Open GeForce MX450 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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 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.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce MX450 scores 3,720 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 13,170 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 254%. The GeForce MX450 is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 896 (GeForce MX450) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 3.226 TFLOPS (GeForce MX450) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1575 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce MX450	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score	3,720	13,170+254%
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%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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

Feature	GeForce MX450	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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce MX450 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has 6 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 80 GB/s (GeForce MX450) vs 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) — a 320% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU. Bus width: 64-bit vs 192-bit.

Feature	GeForce MX450	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	6 GB+200%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	80 GB/s	336 GB/s+320%
Bus Width	64-bit	192-bit+200%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce MX450 draws 25W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 170W — a 148.7% difference. The GeForce MX450 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce MX450) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Power connectors: Mobile vs Mobile.