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 780

2013

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
25.1% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$399 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅109.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 219.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 15.9 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

GeForce GTX 780

2013

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Why buy it

✅109.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 219.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 15.9 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅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 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
25.1% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$399 MSRP

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti better than GeForce GTX 780?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti averages 109.9% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 20,312 vs 7,957 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 780 is a 2013 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 2013, 155.3% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 6 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 about $100 cheaper on MSRP at $399 MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and you are getting 109.9% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 155.3% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 219.3%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce GTX 780 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce GTX 780 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 $499 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.

GeForce GTX 780 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	78 FPS	152 FPS
medium	67 FPS	137 FPS
high	54 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	68 FPS	131 FPS
medium	60 FPS	107 FPS
high	43 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	77 FPS
medium	24 FPS	65 FPS
high	16 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	43 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	181 FPS	425 FPS
medium	152 FPS	366 FPS
high	115 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	248 FPS
1440p
low	123 FPS	272 FPS
medium	92 FPS	229 FPS
high	68 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	48 FPS	156 FPS
4K
low	53 FPS	133 FPS
medium	42 FPS	114 FPS
high	36 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	73 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	358 FPS	859 FPS
medium	286 FPS	693 FPS
high	239 FPS	602 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	457 FPS
1440p
low	269 FPS	658 FPS
medium	215 FPS	529 FPS
high	179 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	343 FPS
4K
low	179 FPS	434 FPS
medium	143 FPS	346 FPS
high	119 FPS	275 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	221 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	214 FPS	580 FPS
medium	179 FPS	514 FPS
high	143 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	373 FPS
1440p
low	166 FPS	478 FPS
medium	141 FPS	427 FPS
high	109 FPS	335 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	290 FPS
4K
low	94 FPS	285 FPS
medium	73 FPS	266 FPS
high	58 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	195 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 780 and GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

GeForce GTX 780

The GeForce GTX 780 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 23 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 863 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,957 points. Launch price was $649.

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 780 scores 7,957 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 155.3%. The GeForce GTX 780 is built on Kepler while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce GTX 780) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Raw compute: 4.156 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 780) vs 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1665 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score	7,957	20,312+155%
Architecture	Kepler	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2304	4864+111%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.156 TFLOPS	16.2 TFLOPS+290%
Boost Clock	900 MHz	1665 MHz+85%
ROPs	48	80+67%
TMUs	192+26%	152
L1 Cache	0.19 MB	4.8 MB+2426%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	4 MB+167%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 780 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce 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 780 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s (GeForce GTX 780) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — a 55.6% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Bus width: 384-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 780) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	8 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s	448 GB/s+56%
Bus Width	384-bit+50%	256-bit
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	4 MB+167%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 780) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Vulkan: 1.0 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan	1.0	1.3+30%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 780) vs NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 780) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder	NVENC 1st Gen	NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder	NVDEC 1st Gen	NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 780 draws 250W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 22.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 780) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
TDP	250W	200W-20%
Recommended PSU	600W	600W
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	242mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80	75-6%
Perf/Watt	31.8	101.6+219%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 780 launched at $499 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti costs 20% less ($100 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 15.9 (GeForce GTX 780) vs 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 220.1% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2013).