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

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $220 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Draws 170W instead of 250W, a 80W reduction.
✅Measures 242mm instead of 245mm, a 3mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 5070 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 5070 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.

GeForce RTX 5070

2025

Why buy it

✅43.4% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
✅More future proof: Blackwell 2.0 (2025−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌47.1% higher power demand at 250W vs 170W.

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

GeForce RTX 5070

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $220 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Draws 170W instead of 250W, a 80W reduction.
✅Measures 242mm instead of 245mm, a 3mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅43.4% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
✅More future proof: Blackwell 2.0 (2025−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 5070 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 5070 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.

Trade-offs

❌47.1% higher power demand at 250W vs 170W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 5070 better than GeForce RTX 3060?

Yes. GeForce RTX 5070 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 5070 averages 43.4% more FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 28,854 vs 16,995 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 5070 is a 2025 card with DLSS 4 + Multi Frame Gen, while GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 model from an older generation with DLSS Super Resolution. 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 5070 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2025 generation instead of 2021, 69.8% more raw performance headroom, better upscaling support with DLSS 4 Super Resolution (2025) instead of DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and better frame-generation support with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025) instead of DLSS Super Resolution, and a 5nm process instead of 8nm. 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 5070 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 5070 is about 66.9% more expensive on MSRP at $549 MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and you are getting 43.4% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 69.8% higher G3D Mark. It only holds a slight 1.7% edge in G3D-per-dollar, so the value lead is real but narrow. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

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

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 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 $329 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 5070 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 RTX 3060 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 5070 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 5070
1080p
low	149 FPS	188 FPS
medium	131 FPS	171 FPS
high	118 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	135 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	151 FPS
medium	104 FPS	125 FPS
high	92 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	102 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	92 FPS
medium	58 FPS	79 FPS
high	39 FPS	66 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	59 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open GeForce RTX 5070

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 5070
1080p
low	354 FPS	615 FPS
medium	310 FPS	514 FPS
high	249 FPS	389 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	336 FPS
1440p
low	222 FPS	406 FPS
medium	196 FPS	325 FPS
high	160 FPS	254 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	223 FPS
4K
low	110 FPS	180 FPS
medium	94 FPS	149 FPS
high	77 FPS	129 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	105 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open GeForce RTX 5070

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 5070
1080p
low	765 FPS	921 FPS
medium	612 FPS	742 FPS
high	510 FPS	652 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	569 FPS
1440p
low	535 FPS	720 FPS
medium	432 FPS	578 FPS
high	366 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	287 FPS	427 FPS
4K
low	367 FPS	496 FPS
medium	298 FPS	399 FPS
high	221 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	293 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open GeForce RTX 5070

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 5070
1080p
low	523 FPS	799 FPS
medium	452 FPS	663 FPS
high	383 FPS	594 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	532 FPS
1440p
low	428 FPS	646 FPS
medium	371 FPS	535 FPS
high	298 FPS	475 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	420 FPS
4K
low	279 FPS	412 FPS
medium	259 FPS	357 FPS
high	225 FPS	328 FPS
ultra	186 FPS	289 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open GeForce RTX 5070

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 and GeForce RTX 5070

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.

GeForce RTX 5070

The GeForce RTX 5070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 4 2025. It features the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2325 MHz to 2512 MHz. It has 6144 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 48 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 28,854 points. Launch price was $549.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the GeForce RTX 5070's 28,854 — the GeForce RTX 5070 leads by 69.8%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the GeForce RTX 5070 uses Blackwell 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 6,144 (GeForce RTX 5070). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 30.87 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 5070). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 2512 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 48 (GeForce RTX 5070) with 112 Tensor cores vs 192.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 5070
G3D Mark Score	16,995	28,854+70%
Architecture	Ampere	Blackwell 2.0
Process Node	8 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	3584	6144+71%
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS	30.87 TFLOPS+142%
Boost Clock	1777 MHz	2512 MHz+41%
ROPs	48	80+67%
TMUs	112	192+71%
L1 Cache	3.5 MB	6 MB+71%
L2 Cache	3 MB	48 MB+1500%
Ray Tracing Cores	28	48+71%
Tensor Cores	112	192+71%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 5070 is support for DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce RTX 3060 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 5070 supports the newer DLSS 4 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce RTX 3060 is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 5070
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	DLSS 4 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	Yes (DLSS 4)
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 12 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 672 GB/s (GeForce RTX 5070) — a 86.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 5070. Bus width: 192-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 48 MB (GeForce RTX 5070) — the GeForce RTX 5070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 5070
VRAM Capacity	12 GB	12 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR7
Memory Bandwidth	360 GB/s	672 GB/s+87%
Bus Width	192-bit	192-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB	48 MB+1500%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 5070). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 5070
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.3	1.4+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs NVENC (9th Gen) (GeForce RTX 5070). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs NVDEC (6th Gen). Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs AV1,H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce RTX 5070).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 5070
Encoder	NVENC 7th Gen	NVENC (9th Gen)
Decoder	NVDEC 5th Gen	NVDEC (6th Gen)
Codecs	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9	AV1,H.264,H.265,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the GeForce RTX 5070's 250W — a 38.1% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 5070). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 16-pin (12VHPWR). Card length: 242mm vs 245mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 72°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 5070
TDP	170W-32%	250W
Recommended PSU	550W-15%	650W
Power Connector	8-pin	16-pin (12VHPWR)
Length	242mm	245mm
Height	112mm	115mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75	72°C-4%
Perf/Watt	100.0	115.4+15%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 5070 launched at $549. The GeForce RTX 3060 costs 40.1% less ($220 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 52.6 (GeForce RTX 5070) — the GeForce RTX 5070 offers 1.7% better value. The GeForce RTX 5070 is the newer GPU (2025 vs 2021).