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

✅42.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1 (2025).
❌Weaker long-term outlook: Radeon RX 9060 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌
32.1% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 51.0 vs 68.8 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌165.2% higher power demand at 350W vs 132W.

Radeon RX 9060

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $80 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 34.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 68.8 vs 51.0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1 (2025).
✅More future proof: RDNA 4.0 on 4nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 132W instead of 350W, a 218W 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.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB

2022

Radeon RX 9060

2025

Why buy it

✅42.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).

Why buy it

✅Costs $80 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 34.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 68.8 vs 51.0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1 (2025).
✅More future proof: RDNA 4.0 on 4nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 132W instead of 350W, a 218W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1 (2025).
❌Weaker long-term outlook: Radeon RX 9060 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌
32.1% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 51.0 vs 68.8 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌165.2% higher power demand at 350W vs 132W.

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.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 9060 better than GeForce RTX 3060 12GB?

Yes. Radeon RX 9060 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 2.1% higher PassMark G3D performance. It also comes from 2025 instead of 2022, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

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

Radeon RX 9060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2025 generation instead of 2022, better upscaling support with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1 (2025) instead of DLSS Super Resolution, and a 4nm process instead of 8nm. 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?

Radeon RX 9060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. Radeon RX 9060 is about $80 cheaper on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and you are getting lower estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 2.1% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 34.8%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce RTX 3060 12GB still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 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 $329 MSRP, even if Radeon RX 9060 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

Radeon RX 9060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	Radeon RX 9060
1080p
low	166 FPS	172 FPS
medium	151 FPS	152 FPS
high	133 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	112 FPS
1440p
low	139 FPS	144 FPS
medium	116 FPS	116 FPS
high	98 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	85 FPS	91 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	90 FPS
medium	67 FPS	77 FPS
high	51 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	54 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 12GB Open Radeon RX 9060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	Radeon RX 9060
1080p
low	494 FPS	409 FPS
medium	425 FPS	342 FPS
high	360 FPS	247 FPS
ultra	323 FPS	183 FPS
1440p
low	372 FPS	245 FPS
medium	310 FPS	203 FPS
high	258 FPS	149 FPS
ultra	219 FPS	112 FPS
4K
low	193 FPS	101 FPS
medium	167 FPS	83 FPS
high	144 FPS	68 FPS
ultra	120 FPS	49 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 12GB Open Radeon RX 9060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	Radeon RX 9060
1080p
low	755 FPS	688 FPS
medium	604 FPS	554 FPS
high	503 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	377 FPS	385 FPS
1440p
low	566 FPS	496 FPS
medium	453 FPS	415 FPS
high	377 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	283 FPS	289 FPS
4K
low	377 FPS	355 FPS
medium	302 FPS	291 FPS
high	252 FPS	231 FPS
ultra	189 FPS	182 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 12GB Open Radeon RX 9060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	Radeon RX 9060
1080p
low	445 FPS	693 FPS
medium	396 FPS	596 FPS
high	330 FPS	509 FPS
ultra	288 FPS	385 FPS
1440p
low	366 FPS	554 FPS
medium	328 FPS	462 FPS
high	271 FPS	385 FPS
ultra	231 FPS	289 FPS
4K
low	237 FPS	341 FPS
medium	217 FPS	304 FPS
high	186 FPS	257 FPS
ultra	160 FPS	193 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 12GB Open Radeon RX 9060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 12GB and Radeon RX 9060

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.

Radeon RX 9060

The Radeon RX 9060 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 5 2025. It features the RDNA 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1700 MHz to 2990 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 132W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 17,121 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB scores 16,777 and the Radeon RX 9060 reaches 17,121 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 9060 uses RDNA 4.0, both on 8 nm vs 4 nm. Shader units: 8,960 (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 1,792 (Radeon RX 9060). Raw compute: 30.64 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 21.43 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 9060). Boost clocks: 1710 MHz vs 2990 MHz. Ray tracing: 70 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 28 (Radeon RX 9060) with 280 Tensor cores.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	Radeon RX 9060
G3D Mark Score	16,777	17,121+2%
Architecture	Ampere	RDNA 4.0
Process Node	8 nm	4 nm
Shading Units	8960+400%	1792
Compute (TFLOPS)	30.64 TFLOPS+43%	21.43 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1710 MHz	2990 MHz+75%
ROPs	96+50%	64
TMUs	280+150%	112
L2 Cache	6 MB+50%	4 MB
Ray Tracing Cores	70+150%	28

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 9060 is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 9060 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	Radeon RX 9060
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 9060 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 288 GB/s (Radeon RX 9060) — a 25% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 4 MB (Radeon RX 9060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	Radeon RX 9060
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+50%	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	360 GB/s+25%	288 GB/s
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	6 MB+50%	4 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 9060). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	Radeon RX 9060
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12.2+2%
Vulkan	1.3	1.4+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4+33%	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs VCN 5.0 (Radeon RX 9060). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs VCN 5.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Radeon RX 9060).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	Radeon RX 9060
Encoder	NVENC 7th gen	VCN 5.0
Decoder	NVDEC 5th gen	VCN 5.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB draws 350W versus the Radeon RX 9060's 132W — a 90.5% difference. The Radeon RX 9060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 450W (Radeon RX 9060). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 70°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	Radeon RX 9060
TDP	350W	132W-62%
Recommended PSU	550W	450W-18%
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	242mm	240mm
Height	112mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C	70°C-7%
Perf/Watt	47.9	129.7+171%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB launched at $329 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 9060 launched at $249. The Radeon RX 9060 costs 24.3% less ($80 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.0 (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 68.8 (Radeon RX 9060) — the Radeon RX 9060 offers 34.9% better value. The Radeon RX 9060 is the newer GPU (2025 vs 2022).