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

2021

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 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.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (112 vs 232), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.

RTX A5500 Mobile

2022

Why buy it

✅107.1% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (232 vs 112).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 12 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

RTX A5500 Mobile

2022

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).

Why buy it

✅107.1% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (232 vs 112).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 12 GB).
✅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.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (112 vs 232), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

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

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 16,995 vs 17,120 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer RTX A5500 Mobile is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

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 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 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $329 MSRP. RTX A5500 Mobile is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. RTX A5500 Mobile is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and you are getting 0.7% higher G3D Mark. GeForce RTX 3060 is the more forward-looking alternative, so it still has a real case if you care more about future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does GeForce RTX 3060 make more sense than RTX A5500 Mobile?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. It makes more sense if your priority is future-proofing and staying closer to $329 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of RTX A5500 Mobile. The trade-off is that RTX A5500 Mobile currently gives you 0.7% higher G3D Mark. GeForce RTX 3060 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

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 Benchmark Check

RTX A5500 Mobile Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX A5500 Mobile
1080p
low	149 FPS	172 FPS
medium	131 FPS	153 FPS
high	118 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	150 FPS
medium	104 FPS	128 FPS
high	92 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	67 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	74 FPS
medium	58 FPS	64 FPS
high	39 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	40 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open RTX A5500 Mobile

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX A5500 Mobile
1080p
low	354 FPS	371 FPS
medium	310 FPS	318 FPS
high	249 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	215 FPS
1440p
low	222 FPS	266 FPS
medium	196 FPS	220 FPS
high	160 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	155 FPS
4K
low	110 FPS	139 FPS
medium	94 FPS	119 FPS
high	77 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	81 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open RTX A5500 Mobile

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX A5500 Mobile
1080p
low	765 FPS	770 FPS
medium	612 FPS	616 FPS
high	510 FPS	514 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	385 FPS
1440p
low	535 FPS	578 FPS
medium	432 FPS	462 FPS
high	366 FPS	385 FPS
ultra	287 FPS	289 FPS
4K
low	367 FPS	385 FPS
medium	298 FPS	308 FPS
high	221 FPS	257 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	193 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open RTX A5500 Mobile

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX A5500 Mobile
1080p
low	523 FPS	287 FPS
medium	452 FPS	248 FPS
high	383 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	428 FPS	224 FPS
medium	371 FPS	198 FPS
high	298 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	140 FPS
4K
low	279 FPS	138 FPS
medium	259 FPS	117 FPS
high	225 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	186 FPS	77 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open RTX A5500 Mobile

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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.

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 scores 16,995 and the RTX A5500 Mobile reaches 17,120 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the RTX A5500 Mobile uses Ampere, both on a 8 nm process. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 7,424 (RTX A5500 Mobile). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 22.27 TFLOPS (RTX A5500 Mobile). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1500 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 58 (RTX A5500 Mobile) with 112 Tensor cores vs 232.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX A5500 Mobile
G3D Mark Score	16,995	17,120
Architecture	Ampere	Ampere
Process Node	8 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	3584	7424+107%
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS	22.27 TFLOPS+75%
Boost Clock	1777 MHz+18%	1500 MHz
ROPs	48	96+100%
TMUs	112	232+107%
L1 Cache	3.5 MB	7.3 MB+109%
L2 Cache	3 MB	4 MB+33%
Ray Tracing Cores	28	58+107%
Tensor Cores	112	232+107%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	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 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: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 4 MB (RTX A5500 Mobile) — the RTX A5500 Mobile has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX A5500 Mobile
VRAM Capacity	12 GB	16 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB	4 MB+33%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) 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	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) vs 7th Gen NVENC (RTX A5500 Mobile). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (RTX A5500 Mobile).

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

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the RTX A5500 Mobile's 165W — a 3% difference. The RTX A5500 Mobile is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) 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 vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX A5500 Mobile
TDP	170W	165W-3%
Recommended PSU	550W-15%	650W
Power Connector	8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	242mm	0mm
Height	112mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75-6%	80°C
Perf/Watt	100.0	103.8+4%