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

✅6.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌112.1% higher power demand at 350W vs 165W.

RTX A5500 Mobile

2022

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 12 GB).
✅Draws 165W instead of 350W, a 185W reduction.
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 12GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 51.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB

2022

RTX A5500 Mobile

2022

Why buy it

✅6.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 12 GB).
✅Draws 165W instead of 350W, a 185W reduction.
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌112.1% higher power demand at 350W vs 165W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 12GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 51.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 12GB better than RTX A5500 Mobile?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. GeForce RTX 3060 12GB averages 6.3% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 16,777 vs 17,120 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is the overall package: you are getting DLSS Super Resolution.

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 better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. 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?

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $329 MSRP. GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $329 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 6.3% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and a lower G3D Mark (16,777 vs 17,120). Moving to $329 MSRP gets you and DLSS Super Resolution.

Is RTX A5500 Mobile still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. RTX A5500 Mobile is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. Price is really the swing factor here. If you find it at or below an unclear MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with DLSS Super Resolution.

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

RTX A5500 Mobile Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	RTX A5500 Mobile
1080p
low	166 FPS	172 FPS
medium	151 FPS	153 FPS
high	133 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	139 FPS	150 FPS
medium	116 FPS	128 FPS
high	98 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	85 FPS	67 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	74 FPS
medium	67 FPS	64 FPS
high	51 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	40 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 12GB Open RTX A5500 Mobile

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	RTX A5500 Mobile
1080p
low	494 FPS	371 FPS
medium	425 FPS	318 FPS
high	360 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	323 FPS	215 FPS
1440p
low	372 FPS	266 FPS
medium	310 FPS	220 FPS
high	258 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	219 FPS	155 FPS
4K
low	193 FPS	139 FPS
medium	167 FPS	119 FPS
high	144 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	120 FPS	81 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 12GB Open RTX A5500 Mobile

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	RTX A5500 Mobile
1080p
low	755 FPS	770 FPS
medium	604 FPS	616 FPS
high	503 FPS	514 FPS
ultra	377 FPS	385 FPS
1440p
low	566 FPS	578 FPS
medium	453 FPS	462 FPS
high	377 FPS	385 FPS
ultra	283 FPS	289 FPS
4K
low	377 FPS	385 FPS
medium	302 FPS	308 FPS
high	252 FPS	257 FPS
ultra	189 FPS	193 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 12GB Open RTX A5500 Mobile

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	RTX A5500 Mobile
1080p
low	445 FPS	287 FPS
medium	396 FPS	248 FPS
high	330 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	288 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	366 FPS	224 FPS
medium	328 FPS	198 FPS
high	271 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	231 FPS	140 FPS
4K
low	237 FPS	138 FPS
medium	217 FPS	117 FPS
high	186 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	160 FPS	77 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 12GB Open RTX A5500 Mobile

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 12GB and RTX A5500 Mobile

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.

RTX A5500 Mobile

The RTX A5500 Mobile is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 22 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 975 MHz to 1500 MHz. It has 7424 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 165W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 58 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 17,120 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB scores 16,777 and the RTX A5500 Mobile reaches 17,120 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is built on Ampere while the RTX A5500 Mobile uses Ampere, both on a 8 nm process. Shader units: 8,960 (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 7,424 (RTX A5500 Mobile). Raw compute: 30.64 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 22.27 TFLOPS (RTX A5500 Mobile). Boost clocks: 1710 MHz vs 1500 MHz. Ray tracing: 70 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 58 (RTX A5500 Mobile) with 280 Tensor cores vs 232.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	RTX A5500 Mobile
G3D Mark Score	16,777	17,120+2%
Architecture	Ampere	Ampere
Process Node	8 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	8960+21%	7424
Compute (TFLOPS)	30.64 TFLOPS+38%	22.27 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1710 MHz+14%	1500 MHz
ROPs	96	96
TMUs	280+21%	232
L1 Cache	8.8 MB+21%	7.3 MB
L2 Cache	6 MB+50%	4 MB
Ray Tracing Cores	70+21%	58
Tensor Cores	280+21%	232

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTX A5500 Mobile supports the newer Upscaling support, whereas the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	RTX A5500 Mobile
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	Upscaling support
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 RTX A5500 Mobile has 16 GB. The RTX A5500 Mobile offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 4 MB (RTX A5500 Mobile) — the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	RTX A5500 Mobile
VRAM Capacity	12 GB	16 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
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 (RTX A5500 Mobile). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 1.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	RTX A5500 Mobile
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12.2+2%
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4+300%	1

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 7th Gen NVENC (RTX A5500 Mobile). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (RTX A5500 Mobile).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	RTX A5500 Mobile
Encoder	NVENC 7th gen	7th Gen NVENC
Decoder	NVDEC 5th gen	5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB draws 350W versus the RTX A5500 Mobile's 165W — a 71.8% difference. The RTX A5500 Mobile is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060 12GB) vs 650W (RTX A5500 Mobile). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 12GB	RTX A5500 Mobile
TDP	350W	165W-53%
Recommended PSU	550W-15%	650W
Power Connector	8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	242mm	0mm
Height	112mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75°C-6%	80°C
Perf/Watt	47.9	103.8+117%