GeForce RTX 3060 vs RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
NVIDIA

RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile

2023Core: 1290 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 3060

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 RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • Weaker long-term outlook: RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
  • 54.5% higher power demand at 170W vs 110W.

RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile

2023

Why buy it

  • 26.5% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • More future proof: Ada Lovelace on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
  • Draws 110W instead of 170W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 51.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile better than GeForce RTX 3060?
Yes. RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 26.5% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data, 30.4% higher PassMark G3D performance, and 232 vs 112 Tensor cores. It also comes from 2023 instead of 2021, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2021, 30.4% more raw performance headroom, better upscaling support with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) instead of DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and better frame-generation support with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) 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?
RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and you are getting 26.5% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 30.4% higher G3D Mark. GeForce RTX 3060 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 4000 Ada Generation Mobile is the one to buy. If staying closer to budget matters more, GeForce RTX 3060 still makes more sense on price alone and remains capable enough for modern gaming.
Is GeForce RTX 3060 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is still a strong gaming GPU in 2026: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. This mostly comes down to price. If you want to stay closer to $329 MSRP, it remains a strong choice; if you are comfortable paying more, RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3060RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile
1080p
low149 FPS163 FPS
medium131 FPS150 FPS
high118 FPS131 FPS
ultra99 FPS115 FPS
1440p
low126 FPS138 FPS
medium104 FPS115 FPS
high92 FPS98 FPS
ultra80 FPS87 FPS
4K
low67 FPS80 FPS
medium58 FPS68 FPS
high39 FPS52 FPS
ultra32 FPS46 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3060RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile
1080p
low354 FPS422 FPS
medium310 FPS365 FPS
high249 FPS295 FPS
ultra195 FPS259 FPS
1440p
low222 FPS326 FPS
medium196 FPS272 FPS
high160 FPS222 FPS
ultra128 FPS186 FPS
4K
low110 FPS179 FPS
medium94 FPS155 FPS
high77 FPS132 FPS
ultra60 FPS108 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3060RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile
1080p
low765 FPS870 FPS
medium612 FPS712 FPS
high510 FPS626 FPS
ultra382 FPS499 FPS
1440p
low535 FPS691 FPS
medium432 FPS561 FPS
high366 FPS483 FPS
ultra287 FPS374 FPS
4K
low367 FPS470 FPS
medium298 FPS383 FPS
high221 FPS328 FPS
ultra176 FPS249 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3060RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile
1080p
low523 FPS459 FPS
medium452 FPS408 FPS
high383 FPS344 FPS
ultra319 FPS302 FPS
1440p
low428 FPS381 FPS
medium371 FPS340 FPS
high298 FPS284 FPS
ultra245 FPS244 FPS
4K
low279 FPS242 FPS
medium259 FPS221 FPS
high225 FPS188 FPS
ultra186 FPS163 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 and RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile

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.

NVIDIA

RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile

The RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 21 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1290 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 7424 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 110W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 58 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,167 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile's 22,167 — the RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile leads by 30.4%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 7,424 (RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 24.72 TFLOPS (RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1665 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 58 (RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile) with 112 Tensor cores vs 232.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile
G3D Mark Score
16,995
22,167+30%
Architecture
Ampere
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
8 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
3584
7424+107%
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS
24.72 TFLOPS+94%
Boost Clock
1777 MHz+7%
1665 MHz
ROPs
48
80+67%
TMUs
112
232+107%
L1 Cache
3.5 MB
7.3 MB+109%
L2 Cache
3 MB
48 MB+1500%
Ray Tracing Cores
28
58+107%
Tensor Cores
112
232+107%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile is support for DLSS 3.5 + 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 RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce RTX 3060 is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 12 GB of GDDR6. Memory bandwidth: 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 432 GB/s (RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile) — a 20% advantage for the RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile. Bus width: 192-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 48 MB (RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile) — the RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile
VRAM Capacity
12 GB
12 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
360 GB/s
432 GB/s+20%
Bus Width
192-bit
192-bit
L2 Cache
3 MB
48 MB+1500%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12.2 (RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 1.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4+300%
1
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 8th Gen NVENC (RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile
Encoder
NVENC 7th Gen
8th Gen NVENC
Decoder
NVDEC 5th Gen
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile's 110W — a 42.9% difference. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 150W (RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 242mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile
TDP
170W
110W-35%
Recommended PSU
550W
150W-73%
Power Connector
8-pin
Mobile
Length
242mm
0mm
Height
112mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75-6%
80°C
Perf/Watt
100.0
201.5+101%
💰

Value Analysis

The RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2021).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile
MSRP
$329
Codename
GA106
AD104
Release
January 12 2021
March 21 2023
Ranking
#114
#64