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 RTX 3060 12GB

2022

Why buy it

✅7.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $70 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅84.2% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (280 vs 152).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (16,777 vs 20,312).
❌75% higher power demand at 350W vs 200W.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅+21.1% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Draws 200W instead of 350W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 12GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (152 vs 280), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌
21.3% HIGHER MSRP
$399 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB

2022

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅7.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $70 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅84.2% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (280 vs 152).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).

Why buy it

✅+21.1% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Draws 200W instead of 350W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (16,777 vs 20,312).
❌75% higher power demand at 350W vs 200W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 12GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (152 vs 280), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌
21.3% HIGHER MSRP
$399 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 12GB better than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 7.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data, 21.1% higher PassMark G3D performance, 280 vs 152 Tensor cores, and 12 GB vs 8 GB of VRAM. It also comes from 2022 instead of 2020, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2020, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 8 GB, and 84.2% more ray-tracing hardware. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

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

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is about $70 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $399 MSRP, and you are getting 7.7% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and a lower G3D Mark (16,777 vs 20,312). It only holds a slight 0.2% edge in G3D-per-dollar, so the value lead is real but narrow. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is excellent for 1080p, very strong for 1440p, and still capable at 4K with sensible settings or upscaling. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $399 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 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 RTX 3060 12GB Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	166 FPS	152 FPS
medium	151 FPS	137 FPS
high	133 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	139 FPS	131 FPS
medium	116 FPS	107 FPS
high	98 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	85 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	77 FPS
medium	67 FPS	65 FPS
high	51 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	43 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 12GB Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	494 FPS	425 FPS
medium	425 FPS	366 FPS
high	360 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	323 FPS	248 FPS
1440p
low	372 FPS	272 FPS
medium	310 FPS	229 FPS
high	258 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	219 FPS	156 FPS
4K
low	193 FPS	133 FPS
medium	167 FPS	114 FPS
high	144 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	120 FPS	73 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 12GB Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	755 FPS	859 FPS
medium	604 FPS	693 FPS
high	503 FPS	602 FPS
ultra	377 FPS	457 FPS
1440p
low	566 FPS	658 FPS
medium	453 FPS	529 FPS
high	377 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	283 FPS	343 FPS
4K
low	377 FPS	434 FPS
medium	302 FPS	346 FPS
high	252 FPS	275 FPS
ultra	189 FPS	221 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 12GB Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	445 FPS	580 FPS
medium	396 FPS	514 FPS
high	330 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	288 FPS	373 FPS
1440p
low	366 FPS	478 FPS
medium	328 FPS	427 FPS
high	271 FPS	335 FPS
ultra	231 FPS	290 FPS
4K
low	237 FPS	285 FPS
medium	217 FPS	266 FPS
high	186 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	160 FPS	195 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 12GB Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 12GB and GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB

The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 11 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1260 MHz to 1710 MHz. It has 8960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 70 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,777 points. Launch price was $799.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 4864 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 38 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,312 points. Launch price was $399.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB scores 16,777 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 21.1%. The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on a 8 nm process. Shader units: 8,960 (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Raw compute: 30.64 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Boost clocks: 1710 MHz vs 1665 MHz. Ray tracing: 70 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 38 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) with 280 Tensor cores vs 152.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score	16,777	20,312+21%
Architecture	Ampere	Ampere
Process Node	8 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	8960+84%	4864
Compute (TFLOPS)	30.64 TFLOPS+89%	16.2 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1710 MHz+3%	1665 MHz
ROPs	96+20%	80
TMUs	280+84%	152
L1 Cache	8.8 MB+83%	4.8 MB
L2 Cache	6 MB+50%	4 MB
Ray Tracing Cores	70+84%	38
Tensor Cores	280+84%	152

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	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 RTX 3060 12GB comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — a 24.4% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+50%	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	360 GB/s	448 GB/s+24%
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	6 MB+50%	4 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder	NVENC 7th gen	NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder	NVDEC 5th gen	NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB draws 350W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 54.5% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
TDP	350W	200W-43%
Recommended PSU	550W-8%	600W
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	242mm	242mm
Height	112mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C	75
Perf/Watt	47.9	101.6+112%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB launched at $329 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399. The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB costs 17.5% less ($70 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.0 (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB offers 0.2% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2020).