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

✅+66.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $2,171 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1163.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 4.1 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $2,500 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.

Tesla M40

2015

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,220 vs 16,995).
❌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: 2015-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
659.9% HIGHER MSRP
$2,500 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Tesla M40

2015

Why buy it

✅+66.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $2,171 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1163.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 4.1 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,220 vs 16,995).
❌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: 2015-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
659.9% HIGHER MSRP
$2,500 MSRPvs$329 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than Tesla M40?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 10,220 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Tesla M40 is a 2015 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 2015, 66.3% 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 $2,171 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $2,500 MSRP, and you are getting 66.3% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 1163.6%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Tesla M40 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Tesla M40 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 $2,500 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 RTX 3060 Benchmark Check

Tesla M40 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla M40
1080p
low	149 FPS	151 FPS
medium	131 FPS	130 FPS
high	118 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	65 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	121 FPS
medium	104 FPS	103 FPS
high	92 FPS	76 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	47 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	42 FPS
medium	58 FPS	38 FPS
high	39 FPS	24 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	20 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Tesla M40

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla M40
1080p
low	354 FPS	248 FPS
medium	310 FPS	214 FPS
high	249 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	128 FPS
1440p
low	222 FPS	173 FPS
medium	196 FPS	142 FPS
high	160 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	89 FPS
4K
low	110 FPS	96 FPS
medium	94 FPS	78 FPS
high	77 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	49 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Tesla M40

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla M40
1080p
low	765 FPS	460 FPS
medium	612 FPS	368 FPS
high	510 FPS	307 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	230 FPS
1440p
low	535 FPS	345 FPS
medium	432 FPS	276 FPS
high	366 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	287 FPS	172 FPS
4K
low	367 FPS	230 FPS
medium	298 FPS	184 FPS
high	221 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	115 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Tesla M40

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla M40
1080p
low	523 FPS	293 FPS
medium	452 FPS	252 FPS
high	383 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	163 FPS
1440p
low	428 FPS	217 FPS
medium	371 FPS	192 FPS
high	298 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	118 FPS
4K
low	279 FPS	120 FPS
medium	259 FPS	96 FPS
high	225 FPS	80 FPS
ultra	186 FPS	61 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Tesla M40

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 and Tesla M40

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.

Tesla M40

The Tesla M40 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 10 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 948 MHz to 1112 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,220 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Tesla M40's 10,220 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 66.3%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Tesla M40 uses Maxwell 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 3,072 (Tesla M40). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 6.832 TFLOPS (Tesla M40). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1112 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla M40
G3D Mark Score	16,995+66%	10,220
Architecture	Ampere	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	8 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	3584+17%	3072
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS+86%	6.832 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1777 MHz+60%	1112 MHz
ROPs	48	96+100%
TMUs	112	192+71%
L1 Cache	3.5 MB+218%	1.1 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Tesla M40 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla M40
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the Tesla M40 has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla M40
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+50%	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12.0 (Tesla M40). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla M40
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12.0
Vulkan	1.3+18%	1.1
OpenGL	4.6+2%	4.5
Max Displays	4	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs NVENC 2.0 (2x) (Tesla M40). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Tesla M40).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla M40
Encoder	NVENC 7th Gen	NVENC 2.0 (2x)
Decoder	NVDEC 5th Gen	PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Tesla M40's 250W — a 38.1% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 500W (Tesla M40). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Tesla M40
TDP	170W-32%	250W
Recommended PSU	550W	500W-9%
Power Connector	8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	242mm	267mm
Height	112mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75-12%	85°C
Perf/Watt	100.0+144%	40.9

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329 MSRP, while the Tesla M40 launched at $2500. The GeForce RTX 3060 costs 86.8% less ($2171 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 4.1 (Tesla M40) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 1161% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2015).