GeForce GTX 680MX vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 680MX

2012Core: 720 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 3060 Ti
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020Core: 1410 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - GPU

About G3D Mark

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 GTX 680MX

2012

Why buy it

  • Draws 122W instead of 200W, a 78W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,799 vs 20,312).
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 50.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

  • +434.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
  • More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 63.9% higher power demand at 200W vs 122W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti better than GeForce GTX 680MX?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 20,312 vs 3,799 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 680MX is a 2012 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 Ti is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2012, 434.7% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 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 Ti is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $399 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 434.7% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is GeForce GTX 680MX still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. GeForce GTX 680MX 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 an unclear MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce GTX 680MXGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low78 FPS152 FPS
medium67 FPS137 FPS
high53 FPS118 FPS
ultra35 FPS100 FPS
1440p
low70 FPS131 FPS
medium60 FPS107 FPS
high43 FPS91 FPS
ultra27 FPS82 FPS
4K
low25 FPS77 FPS
medium24 FPS65 FPS
high16 FPS50 FPS
ultra14 FPS43 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 680MXGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low64 FPS425 FPS
medium42 FPS366 FPS
high31 FPS296 FPS
ultra21 FPS248 FPS
1440p
low37 FPS272 FPS
medium21 FPS229 FPS
high15 FPS190 FPS
ultra11 FPS156 FPS
4K
low13 FPS133 FPS
medium8 FPS114 FPS
high6 FPS96 FPS
ultra5 FPS73 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 680MXGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low171 FPS859 FPS
medium137 FPS693 FPS
high114 FPS602 FPS
ultra85 FPS457 FPS
1440p
low128 FPS658 FPS
medium103 FPS529 FPS
high85 FPS452 FPS
ultra64 FPS343 FPS
4K
low85 FPS434 FPS
medium68 FPS346 FPS
high57 FPS275 FPS
ultra43 FPS221 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 680MXGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low128 FPS580 FPS
medium103 FPS514 FPS
high88 FPS424 FPS
ultra72 FPS373 FPS
1440p
low97 FPS478 FPS
medium80 FPS427 FPS
high69 FPS335 FPS
ultra55 FPS290 FPS
4K
low57 FPS285 FPS
medium44 FPS266 FPS
high35 FPS234 FPS
ultra26 FPS195 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 680MX and GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 680MX

The GeForce GTX 680MX is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 23 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 720 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 122W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,799 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 4864 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 38 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,312 points. Launch price was $399.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 680MX scores 3,799 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 434.7%. The GeForce GTX 680MX is built on Kepler while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 680MX) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

FeatureGeForce GTX 680MXGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score
3,799
20,312+435%
Architecture
Kepler
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
1536
4864+217%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 680MX is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 680MXGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 680MX comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 680MX) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — a 180% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Bus width: 256-bit vs 256-bit.

FeatureGeForce GTX 680MXGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
8 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
160 GB/s
448 GB/s+180%
Bus Width
256-bit
256-bit
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 680MX) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 680MXGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan
1.2
1.3+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Kepler) (GeForce GTX 680MX) vs NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: NVDEC (Kepler) vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-1,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 680MX) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

FeatureGeForce GTX 680MXGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder
NVENC (Kepler)
NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder
NVDEC (Kepler)
NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-1,MPEG-2,VC-1
H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 680MX draws 122W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 48.4% difference. The GeForce GTX 680MX is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 680MX) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 242mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 75.

FeatureGeForce GTX 680MXGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
TDP
122W-39%
200W
Recommended PSU
350W-42%
600W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
8-pin
Length
0mm
242mm
Height
0mm
112mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
80
75-6%
Perf/Watt
31.1
101.6+227%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce GTX 680MXGeForce RTX 3060 Ti
MSRP
$399
Codename
GA104
Release
October 23 2012
December 1 2020
Ranking
#520
#73