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 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅4.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅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).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (20,312 vs 25,267).
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (152 vs 160), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌73.9% higher power demand at 200W vs 115W.

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

2023

Why buy it

✅+24.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅5.3% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (160 vs 152).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 115W instead of 200W, a 85W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 50.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

2023

Why buy it

✅4.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅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).

Why buy it

✅+24.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅5.3% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (160 vs 152).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 115W instead of 200W, a 85W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (20,312 vs 25,267).
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (152 vs 160), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌73.9% higher power demand at 200W vs 115W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 50.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU better than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti?

Yes. RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 24.4% higher PassMark G3D performance, 160 vs 152 Tensor cores, and 12 GB vs 8 GB of VRAM. It also comes from 2023 instead of 2020, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2020, 24.4% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 8 GB, and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of DLSS Super Resolution. 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?

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $399 MSRP, and you are getting lower estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 24.4% higher G3D Mark. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium. If you are comfortable paying the premium for the stronger gaming result, RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU is the one to buy. If staying closer to budget matters more, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti still makes more sense on price alone and remains capable enough for modern gaming.

Is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is still a strong gaming GPU in 2026: it is excellent for 1080p, very strong for 1440p, and still capable at 4K with sensible settings or upscaling. This mostly comes down to price. If you want to stay closer to $399 MSRP, it remains a strong choice; if you are comfortable paying more, RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU earns that extra money with a clearly stronger gaming result and a more complete overall package.

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 Ti Benchmark Check

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
1080p
low	152 FPS	141 FPS
medium	137 FPS	122 FPS
high	118 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	73 FPS
1440p
low	131 FPS	113 FPS
medium	107 FPS	94 FPS
high	91 FPS	73 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	51 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	50 FPS
medium	65 FPS	44 FPS
high	50 FPS	32 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	27 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
1080p
low	425 FPS	370 FPS
medium	366 FPS	316 FPS
high	296 FPS	250 FPS
ultra	248 FPS	213 FPS
1440p
low	272 FPS	277 FPS
medium	229 FPS	230 FPS
high	190 FPS	182 FPS
ultra	156 FPS	146 FPS
4K
low	133 FPS	130 FPS
medium	114 FPS	111 FPS
high	96 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	68 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
1080p
low	859 FPS	826 FPS
medium	693 FPS	679 FPS
high	602 FPS	612 FPS
ultra	457 FPS	538 FPS
1440p
low	658 FPS	628 FPS
medium	529 FPS	510 FPS
high	452 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	391 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	405 FPS
medium	346 FPS	323 FPS
high	275 FPS	264 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	209 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
1080p
low	580 FPS	287 FPS
medium	514 FPS	248 FPS
high	424 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	179 FPS
1440p
low	478 FPS	228 FPS
medium	427 FPS	200 FPS
high	335 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	142 FPS
4K
low	285 FPS	140 FPS
medium	266 FPS	118 FPS
high	234 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	78 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

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.

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

The RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 21 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 975 MHz to 1500 MHz. It has 5120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 40 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 25,267 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 20,312 versus the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU's 25,267 — the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU leads by 24.4%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is built on Ampere while the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 5,120 (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU). Raw compute: 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 15.82 TFLOPS (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 1500 MHz. Ray tracing: 38 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 40 (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU) with 152 Tensor cores vs 160.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
G3D Mark Score	20,312	25,267+24%
Architecture	Ampere	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	8 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	4864	5120+5%
Compute (TFLOPS)	16.2 TFLOPS+2%	15.82 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1665 MHz+11%	1500 MHz
ROPs	80+25%	64
TMUs	152	160+5%
L1 Cache	4.8 MB	5 MB+4%
L2 Cache	4 MB	48 MB+1100%
Ray Tracing Cores	38	40+5%
Tensor Cores	152	160+5%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU supports the newer Upscaling support, whereas the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
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 Ti comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU has 12 GB. The RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 432 GB/s (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU) — a 3.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Bus width: 256-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 48 MB (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU) — the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	12 GB+50%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	448 GB/s+4%	432 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+33%	192-bit
L2 Cache	4 MB	48 MB+1100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
DirectX	12 Ultimate (12_2)	12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs NVENC 8th Gen (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU). Decoder: NVDEC (Ampere) vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs H.264,H.265,AV1 (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
Encoder	NVENC (Ampere)	NVENC 8th Gen
Decoder	NVDEC (Ampere)	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1	H.264,H.265,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti draws 200W versus the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU's 115W — a 54% difference. The RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 650W (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 105mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 85.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
TDP	200W	115W-43%
Recommended PSU	600W-8%	650W
Power Connector	8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	242mm	105mm
Height	112mm	82mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75-12%	85
Perf/Watt	101.6	219.7+116%