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 1080 SLI (móvel)

2016

Why buy it

✅+56.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 12 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 16 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌76.5% higher power demand at 300W vs 170W.

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅53.0% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 170W instead of 300W, a 130W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (16,995 vs 26,543).
❌Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)

2016

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅+56.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 12 GB).

Why buy it

✅53.0% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 170W instead of 300W, a 130W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 16 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌76.5% higher power demand at 300W vs 170W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (16,995 vs 26,543).
❌Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 averages 53.0% more FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 26,543 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel) is a 2016 model from an older high-end class 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, better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 8nm process instead of 16nm. 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 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $329 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 53.0% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and a lower G3D Mark (16,995 vs 26,543). 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 1080 SLI (móvel) still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel) is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is excellent for 1080p, very strong for 1440p, and still capable at 4K with sensible settings or upscaling. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around an unclear 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 1080 SLI (móvel) Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	181 FPS	149 FPS
medium	165 FPS	131 FPS
high	139 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	125 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	168 FPS	126 FPS
medium	141 FPS	104 FPS
high	112 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	98 FPS	67 FPS
medium	87 FPS	58 FPS
high	63 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	57 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)Open GeForce RTX 3060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	194 FPS	354 FPS
medium	148 FPS	310 FPS
high	109 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	121 FPS	222 FPS
medium	82 FPS	196 FPS
high	64 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	52 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	54 FPS	110 FPS
medium	40 FPS	94 FPS
high	34 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	60 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)Open GeForce RTX 3060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	700 FPS	765 FPS
medium	565 FPS	612 FPS
high	489 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	423 FPS	382 FPS
1440p
low	494 FPS	535 FPS
medium	406 FPS	432 FPS
high	344 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	289 FPS	287 FPS
4K
low	322 FPS	367 FPS
medium	265 FPS	298 FPS
high	209 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	159 FPS	176 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)Open GeForce RTX 3060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	397 FPS	523 FPS
medium	333 FPS	452 FPS
high	274 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	230 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	329 FPS	428 FPS
medium	276 FPS	371 FPS
high	209 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	166 FPS	279 FPS
medium	132 FPS	259 FPS
high	117 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	186 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)Open GeForce RTX 3060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel) and GeForce RTX 3060

GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)

The GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel) is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 16 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1556 MHz to 1734 MHz. It has 5120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,543 points.

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 1080 SLI (móvel) scores 26,543 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel) leads by 56.2%. The GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel) is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 5,120 (GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1734 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	26,543+56%	16,995
Architecture	Pascal	Ampere
Process Node	16 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	5120+43%	3584
Boost Clock	1734 MHz	1777 MHz+2%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel) is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)	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 1080 SLI (móvel) comes with 16 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 has 12 GB. The GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel) offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 320 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 12.5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 256-bit vs 192-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	16 GB+33%	12 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5X	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	320 GB/s	360 GB/s+13%
Bus Width	256-bit+33%	192-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.2	1.3+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	1	4+300%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 6th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: 4th Gen NVDEC vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	6th Gen NVENC (2x)	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	4th Gen NVDEC	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel) draws 300W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 55.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 242mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (móvel)	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	300W	170W-43%
Recommended PSU	650W	550W-15%
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	8-pin
Length	0mm	242mm
Height	0mm	112mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	75-12%
Perf/Watt	88.5	100.0+13%