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 1070

2016

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌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: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
15.2% HIGHER MSRP
$379 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅29.6% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $379 MSRP).
✅Delivers 44.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 35.6 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $379 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

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

GeForce GTX 1070

2016

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

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

Why buy it

✅29.6% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $379 MSRP).
✅Delivers 44.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 35.6 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $379 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

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌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: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
15.2% HIGHER MSRP
$379 MSRPvs$329 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 better than GeForce GTX 1070?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 averages 29.6% more FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 13,507 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 1070 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 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2016, 25.8% 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 $50 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $379 MSRP, and you are getting 29.6% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 25.8% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 44.9%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce GTX 1070 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1070 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $379 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 GTX 1070 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1070	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	143 FPS	149 FPS
medium	128 FPS	131 FPS
high	111 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	123 FPS	126 FPS
medium	103 FPS	104 FPS
high	89 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	65 FPS	67 FPS
medium	57 FPS	58 FPS
high	39 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	33 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1070 Open GeForce RTX 3060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1070	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	210 FPS	354 FPS
medium	176 FPS	310 FPS
high	145 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	132 FPS	222 FPS
medium	106 FPS	196 FPS
high	86 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	61 FPS	110 FPS
medium	51 FPS	94 FPS
high	48 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	60 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1070 Open GeForce RTX 3060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1070	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	608 FPS	765 FPS
medium	486 FPS	612 FPS
high	405 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	304 FPS	382 FPS
1440p
low	456 FPS	535 FPS
medium	365 FPS	432 FPS
high	304 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	228 FPS	287 FPS
4K
low	304 FPS	367 FPS
medium	243 FPS	298 FPS
high	203 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	152 FPS	176 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1070 Open GeForce RTX 3060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1070	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	395 FPS	523 FPS
medium	332 FPS	452 FPS
high	278 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	237 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	328 FPS	428 FPS
medium	275 FPS	371 FPS
high	217 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	178 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	177 FPS	279 FPS
medium	139 FPS	259 FPS
high	127 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	186 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1070 Open GeForce RTX 3060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1070 and GeForce RTX 3060

GeForce GTX 1070

The GeForce GTX 1070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 10 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1506 MHz to 1683 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,507 points. Launch price was $379.

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.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1070 scores 13,507 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 25.8%. The GeForce GTX 1070 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,920 (GeForce GTX 1070) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 6.463 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1070) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1683 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1070	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	13,507	16,995+26%
Architecture	Pascal	Ampere
Process Node	16 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1920	3584+87%
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.463 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+97%
Boost Clock	1683 MHz	1777 MHz+6%
ROPs	64+33%	48
TMUs	120+7%	112
L1 Cache	0.7 MB	3.5 MB+400%
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1070 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1070	GeForce RTX 3060
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 1070 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 256 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1070) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 40.6% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 256-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1070) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1070	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	12 GB+50%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	256 GB/s	360 GB/s+41%
Bus Width	256-bit+33%	192-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1070) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1070	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.4+8%	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6th gen (GeForce GTX 1070) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: NVDEC 3rd gen vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 1070) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1070	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	NVENC 6th gen	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	NVDEC 3rd gen	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1070 draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 12.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 1070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 1070) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1070	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	150W-12%	170W
Recommended PSU	500W-9%	550W
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	242mm
Height	112mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C	75
Perf/Watt	90.0	100.0+11%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1070 launched at $379 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. The GeForce RTX 3060 costs 13.2% less ($50 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 35.6 (GeForce GTX 1070) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 45.2% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2016).