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

✅+154.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $462 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $791 MSRP).
✅Delivers 511.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 8.4 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $791 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).

Trade-offs

❌70% higher power demand at 170W vs 100W.

Quadro M4000

2015

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 170W, a 70W reduction.
✅Measures 241mm instead of 242mm, a 1mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,679 vs 16,995).
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
140.4% HIGHER MSRP
$791 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Quadro M4000

2015

Why buy it

✅+154.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $462 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $791 MSRP).
✅Delivers 511.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 8.4 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $791 MSRP).
✅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

✅Draws 100W instead of 170W, a 70W reduction.
✅Measures 241mm instead of 242mm, a 1mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌70% higher power demand at 170W vs 100W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,679 vs 16,995).
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
140.4% HIGHER MSRP
$791 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than Quadro M4000?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 6,679 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Quadro M4000 is a 2015 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 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2015, 154.5% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 8 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 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 is about $462 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $791 MSRP, and you are getting 154.5% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 511.8%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Quadro M4000 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Quadro M4000 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $791 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3060 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 Benchmark Check

Quadro M4000 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Quadro M4000
1080p
low	149 FPS	134 FPS
medium	131 FPS	112 FPS
high	118 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	55 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	113 FPS
medium	104 FPS	93 FPS
high	92 FPS	68 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	40 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	39 FPS
medium	58 FPS	35 FPS
high	39 FPS	22 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	18 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Quadro M4000

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Quadro M4000
1080p
low	354 FPS	170 FPS
medium	310 FPS	144 FPS
high	249 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	82 FPS
1440p
low	222 FPS	114 FPS
medium	196 FPS	91 FPS
high	160 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	52 FPS
4K
low	110 FPS	50 FPS
medium	94 FPS	42 FPS
high	77 FPS	38 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	30 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Quadro M4000

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Quadro M4000
1080p
low	765 FPS	301 FPS
medium	612 FPS	240 FPS
high	510 FPS	200 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	150 FPS
1440p
low	535 FPS	225 FPS
medium	432 FPS	180 FPS
high	366 FPS	150 FPS
ultra	287 FPS	113 FPS
4K
low	367 FPS	150 FPS
medium	298 FPS	120 FPS
high	221 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	75 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Quadro M4000

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Quadro M4000
1080p
low	523 FPS	253 FPS
medium	452 FPS	219 FPS
high	383 FPS	185 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	147 FPS
1440p
low	428 FPS	191 FPS
medium	371 FPS	168 FPS
high	298 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	106 FPS
4K
low	279 FPS	107 FPS
medium	259 FPS	85 FPS
high	225 FPS	70 FPS
ultra	186 FPS	54 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Quadro M4000

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 and Quadro M4000

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.

Quadro M4000

The Quadro M4000 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 18 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 975 MHz to 1013 MHz. It has 1,280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,679 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Quadro M4000's 6,679 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 154.5%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Quadro M4000 uses Maxwell 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1 (Quadro M4000). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 2.496 TFLOPS (Quadro M4000). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1013 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Quadro M4000
G3D Mark Score	16,995+154%	6,679
Architecture	Ampere	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	8 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	3584+180%	1,280
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS+410%	2.496 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1777 MHz+75%	1013 MHz
ROPs	48	64+33%
TMUs	112+40%	80
L1 Cache	3.5 MB+645%	0.47 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Quadro M4000 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Quadro M4000
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro M4000 has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 211 GB/s (Quadro M4000) — a 70.6% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 2 MB (Quadro M4000) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Quadro M4000
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+50%	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	360 GB/s+71%	211 GB/s
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12 (12_1) (Quadro M4000). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Quadro M4000
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12 (12_1)
Vulkan	1.3	1.4+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 5th Gen NVENC (Maxwell) (Quadro M4000). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs 1st Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Quadro M4000).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Quadro M4000
Encoder	NVENC 7th Gen	5th Gen NVENC (Maxwell)
Decoder	NVDEC 5th Gen	1st Gen NVDEC
Codecs	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Quadro M4000's 100W — a 51.9% difference. The Quadro M4000 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 350W (Quadro M4000). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 82°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Quadro M4000
TDP	170W	100W-41%
Recommended PSU	550W	350W-36%
Power Connector	8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	242mm	241mm
Height	112mm	111mm
Slots	2	1-50%
Temp (Load)	75-9%	82°C
Perf/Watt	100.0+50%	66.8

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329 MSRP, while the Quadro M4000 launched at $791. The GeForce RTX 3060 costs 58.4% less ($462 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 8.4 (Quadro M4000) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 515.5% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2015).