GeForce GTX 770 vs GeForce RTX 3060

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 770

2013Core: 1046 MHzBoost: 1085 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 3060
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 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 770

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 across 21 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
  • 21.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $399 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • 165.6% more average FPS across 21 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $70 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • Delivers 245.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 14.9 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).

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 770?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 averages 165.6% more FPS across 21 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 5,961 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 770 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 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2013, 185.1% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 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 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 is about $70 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $399 MSRP, and you are getting 165.6% more estimated average FPS across 21 tracked games in our benchmark data and 185.1% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 245.8%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is GeForce GTX 770 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. GeForce GTX 770 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 $399 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce GTX 770GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low79 FPS149 FPS
medium67 FPS131 FPS
high55 FPS118 FPS
ultra36 FPS99 FPS
1440p
low69 FPS126 FPS
medium60 FPS104 FPS
high43 FPS92 FPS
ultra28 FPS80 FPS
4K
low25 FPS67 FPS
medium24 FPS58 FPS
high16 FPS39 FPS
ultra14 FPS32 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 770GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low139 FPS354 FPS
medium109 FPS310 FPS
high85 FPS249 FPS
ultra52 FPS195 FPS
1440p
low79 FPS222 FPS
medium58 FPS196 FPS
high42 FPS160 FPS
ultra28 FPS128 FPS
4K
low28 FPS110 FPS
medium20 FPS94 FPS
high16 FPS77 FPS
ultra11 FPS60 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 770GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low268 FPS765 FPS
medium215 FPS612 FPS
high179 FPS510 FPS
ultra134 FPS382 FPS
1440p
low201 FPS535 FPS
medium161 FPS432 FPS
high134 FPS366 FPS
ultra101 FPS287 FPS
4K
low134 FPS367 FPS
medium107 FPS298 FPS
high89 FPS221 FPS
ultra67 FPS176 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 770GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low160 FPS523 FPS
medium118 FPS452 FPS
high102 FPS383 FPS
ultra85 FPS319 FPS
1440p
low125 FPS428 FPS
medium94 FPS371 FPS
high81 FPS298 FPS
ultra63 FPS245 FPS
4K
low72 FPS279 FPS
medium52 FPS259 FPS
high40 FPS225 FPS
ultra29 FPS186 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 770 and GeForce RTX 3060

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 770

The GeForce GTX 770 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 30 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 1046 MHz to 1085 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 230W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,961 points. Launch price was $399.

NVIDIA

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 770 scores 5,961 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 185.1%. The GeForce GTX 770 is built on Kepler while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 770) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 3.333 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 770) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1085 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 770GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score
5,961
16,995+185%
Architecture
Kepler
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
1536
3584+133%
Compute (TFLOPS)
3.333 TFLOPS
12.74 TFLOPS+282%
Boost Clock
1085 MHz
1777 MHz+64%
ROPs
32
48+50%
TMUs
128+14%
112
L1 Cache
0.13 MB
3.5 MB+2592%
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
3 MB+500%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 770 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 770GeForce 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 770 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 770) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 60.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 256-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (GeForce GTX 770) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 770GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
12 GB+200%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
224 GB/s
360 GB/s+61%
Bus Width
256-bit+33%
192-bit
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
3 MB+500%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (GeForce GTX 770) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 770GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX
12.0
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.1
1.3+18%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st gen (GeForce GTX 770) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo VP5 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 770) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

FeatureGeForce GTX 770GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder
NVENC 1st gen
NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder
PureVideo VP5
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 770 draws 230W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 30% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 770) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75.

FeatureGeForce GTX 770GeForce RTX 3060
TDP
230W
170W-26%
Recommended PSU
600W
550W-8%
Power Connector
6-pin + 8-pin
8-pin
Length
267mm
242mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
80°C
75-6%
Perf/Watt
25.9
100.0+286%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 770 launched at $399 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. The GeForce RTX 3060 costs 17.5% less ($70 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 14.9 (GeForce GTX 770) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 247% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce GTX 770GeForce RTX 3060
MSRP
$399
$329-18%
Performance per Dollar
14.9
51.7+247%
Codename
GK104
GA106
Release
May 30 2013
January 12 2021
Ranking
#398
#114