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

✅32.8% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $120 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Delivers 69% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 30.6 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $449 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

❌142.9% higher power demand at 170W vs 70W.
❌44.9% longer card at 242mm vs 167mm.

RTX A2000 12GB

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 70W instead of 170W, a 100W reduction.
✅Measures 167mm instead of 242mm, a 75mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌
36.5% HIGHER MSRP
$449 MSRPvs$329 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 30.6 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

RTX A2000 12GB

2021

Why buy it

✅32.8% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $120 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Delivers 69% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 30.6 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $449 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

✅Draws 70W instead of 170W, a 100W reduction.
✅Measures 167mm instead of 242mm, a 75mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌142.9% higher power demand at 170W vs 70W.
❌44.9% longer card at 242mm vs 167mm.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌
36.5% HIGHER MSRP
$449 MSRPvs$329 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 30.6 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than RTX A2000 12GB?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 32.8% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data, 23.9% higher PassMark G3D performance, DLSS 2 Super Resolution, and 112 vs 104 Tensor cores.

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 23.9% 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 $120 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $449 MSRP, and you are getting 32.8% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 23.9% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 69%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is RTX A2000 12GB still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. RTX A2000 12GB 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 $449 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

RTX A2000 12GB Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX A2000 12GB
1080p
low	149 FPS	108 FPS
medium	131 FPS	92 FPS
high	118 FPS	76 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	51 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	92 FPS
medium	104 FPS	78 FPS
high	92 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	38 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	38 FPS
medium	58 FPS	35 FPS
high	39 FPS	22 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	18 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open RTX A2000 12GB

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX A2000 12GB
1080p
low	354 FPS	164 FPS
medium	310 FPS	132 FPS
high	249 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	82 FPS
1440p
low	222 FPS	118 FPS
medium	196 FPS	95 FPS
high	160 FPS	78 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	60 FPS
4K
low	110 FPS	70 FPS
medium	94 FPS	55 FPS
high	77 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	34 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open RTX A2000 12GB

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX A2000 12GB
1080p
low	765 FPS	617 FPS
medium	612 FPS	494 FPS
high	510 FPS	412 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	309 FPS
1440p
low	535 FPS	428 FPS
medium	432 FPS	361 FPS
high	366 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	287 FPS	232 FPS
4K
low	367 FPS	309 FPS
medium	298 FPS	247 FPS
high	221 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	147 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open RTX A2000 12GB

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX A2000 12GB
1080p
low	523 FPS	245 FPS
medium	452 FPS	212 FPS
high	383 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	144 FPS
1440p
low	428 FPS	187 FPS
medium	371 FPS	166 FPS
high	298 FPS	130 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	106 FPS
4K
low	279 FPS	106 FPS
medium	259 FPS	88 FPS
high	225 FPS	71 FPS
ultra	186 FPS	56 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open RTX A2000 12GB

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 and RTX A2000 12GB

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.

RTX A2000 12GB

The RTX A2000 12GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 23 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 562 MHz to 1200 MHz. It has 3328 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 26 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,721 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the RTX A2000 12GB's 13,721 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 23.9%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the RTX A2000 12GB uses Ampere, both on a 8 nm process. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 3,328 (RTX A2000 12GB). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 7.987 TFLOPS (RTX A2000 12GB). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1200 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 26 (RTX A2000 12GB) with 112 Tensor cores vs 104.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX A2000 12GB
G3D Mark Score	16,995+24%	13,721
Architecture	Ampere	Ampere
Process Node	8 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	3584+8%	3328
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS+60%	7.987 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1777 MHz+48%	1200 MHz
ROPs	48	48
TMUs	112+8%	104
L1 Cache	3.5 MB+6%	3.3 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB
Ray Tracing Cores	28+8%	26
Tensor Cores	112+8%	104

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTX A2000 12GB supports the newer Upscaling support, whereas the GeForce RTX 3060 is capped at DLSS 2 Super Resolution.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX A2000 12GB
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the RTX A2000 12GB has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX A2000 12GB
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+50%	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12.2 (RTX A2000 12GB). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX A2000 12GB
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12.2+2%
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 7th Gen NVENC (RTX A2000 12GB). 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 (Decode) (RTX A2000 12GB).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX A2000 12GB
Encoder	NVENC 7th Gen	7th Gen NVENC
Decoder	NVDEC 5th Gen	5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the RTX A2000 12GB's 70W — a 83.3% difference. The RTX A2000 12GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 500W (RTX A2000 12GB). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 167mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	RTX A2000 12GB
TDP	170W	70W-59%
Recommended PSU	550W	500W-9%
Power Connector	8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	242mm	167mm
Height	112mm	68mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75	75°C
Perf/Watt	100.0	196.0+96%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329 MSRP, while the RTX A2000 12GB launched at $449. The GeForce RTX 3060 costs 26.7% less ($120 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 30.6 (RTX A2000 12GB) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 69% better value.