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 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅46.3% more average FPS across 36 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 9.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $800 MSRP).

Quadro M5500

2016

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 36 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Quadro M5500

2016

Why buy it

✅46.3% more average FPS across 36 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 9.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $800 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 36 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU better than Quadro M5500?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU averages 46.3% more FPS across 36 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 13,170 vs 7,915 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is a 2022 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Quadro M5500 is a 2016 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 Laptop GPU is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2016, 66.4% more raw performance headroom, better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 8nm process instead of 28nm. 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 Laptop GPU is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $800 MSRP, and you are getting 46.3% more estimated average FPS across 36 tracked games in our benchmark data and 66.4% higher G3D Mark. Quadro M5500 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Quadro M5500 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Quadro M5500 is 2016 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM, 7,915 in G3D Mark, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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 Laptop GPU Benchmark Check

Quadro M5500 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro M5500
1080p
low	109 FPS	108 FPS
medium	98 FPS	91 FPS
high	84 FPS	78 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	52 FPS
1440p
low	95 FPS	92 FPS
medium	83 FPS	77 FPS
high	70 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	38 FPS
4K
low	48 FPS	36 FPS
medium	43 FPS	33 FPS
high	30 FPS	21 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	18 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Quadro M5500

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro M5500
1080p
low	357 FPS	229 FPS
medium	310 FPS	198 FPS
high	248 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	120 FPS
1440p
low	221 FPS	170 FPS
medium	190 FPS	144 FPS
high	154 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	91 FPS
4K
low	108 FPS	98 FPS
medium	89 FPS	82 FPS
high	72 FPS	69 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	52 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Quadro M5500

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro M5500
1080p
low	593 FPS	356 FPS
medium	474 FPS	285 FPS
high	395 FPS	237 FPS
ultra	296 FPS	178 FPS
1440p
low	444 FPS	267 FPS
medium	356 FPS	214 FPS
high	296 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	296 FPS	178 FPS
medium	237 FPS	142 FPS
high	198 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	148 FPS	89 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Quadro M5500

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro M5500
1080p
low	565 FPS	234 FPS
medium	474 FPS	202 FPS
high	395 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	296 FPS	140 FPS
1440p
low	444 FPS	183 FPS
medium	356 FPS	159 FPS
high	296 FPS	125 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	104 FPS
4K
low	296 FPS	100 FPS
medium	237 FPS	80 FPS
high	198 FPS	63 FPS
ultra	148 FPS	50 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Quadro M5500

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU and Quadro M5500

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 12 2022. 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: 13,170 points.

Quadro M5500

The Quadro M5500 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 8 2016. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1140 MHz to 1165 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,915 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU scores 13,170 versus the Quadro M5500's 7,915 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 66.4%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the Quadro M5500 uses Maxwell 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 2,048 (Quadro M5500). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 4.772 TFLOPS (Quadro M5500). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1165 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro M5500
G3D Mark Score	13,170+66%	7,915
Architecture	Ampere	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	8 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	3584+75%	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS+167%	4.772 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1777 MHz+53%	1165 MHz
ROPs	48	64+33%
TMUs	112	128+14%
L1 Cache	3.5 MB+367%	0.75 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Quadro M5500 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro M5500
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 Laptop GPU comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro M5500 has 8 GB. The Quadro M5500 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 2 MB (Quadro M5500) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro M5500
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	8 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 12 (12_1) (Quadro M5500). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro M5500
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12 (12_1)
Vulkan	1.4+17%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs NVENC (Maxwell) (Quadro M5500). Decoder: NVDEC (5th Gen) vs NVDEC (Maxwell). Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Quadro M5500).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro M5500
Encoder	NVENC (7th Gen)	NVENC (Maxwell)
Decoder	NVDEC (5th Gen)	NVDEC (Maxwell)
Codecs	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9	H.264,H.265,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU draws 170W versus the Quadro M5500's 150W — a 12.5% difference. The Quadro M5500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 350W (Quadro M5500). Power connectors: Mobile vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Quadro M5500
TDP	170W	150W-12%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	Mobile	PCIe-powered
Length	—	0mm
Height	—	0mm
Slots	—	0
Temp (Load)	75°C-12%	85
Perf/Watt	77.5+47%	52.8