The older card with more memory against the newer card with better efficiency and features. They are level on estimated speed, which makes the decision about memory against power draw and frame generation. Both are discontinued.
Last updated
Probably the most widely owned card in this database, and the one most upgrade questions start from. Its 12 GB memory pool was unusually generous for the tier and is the reason it has aged better than the 8 GB cards above it.
One of the lowest-power current-era gaming cards. It handles 1080p at medium to high settings and little more, and its 8 GB memory pool is its main long-term limitation.
RTX 4060 comes out ahead of RTX 3060 12GB.
The score blends performance at 1440p (50%), performance per dollar (30%) and memory headroom (20%), each against every card CompareYourGPU tracks. Fewer than three points apart counts as level. How verdicts are calculated.
Performance, memory, power and value rows, ranked by how far apart RTX 3060 12GB and RTX 4060 are. The full sheet below has every row.
| Difference | RTX 3060 12GB | RTX 4060 | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance per $100 | 4.1 | Better: 7.7 | RTX 406086% higher |
| VRAM | Better: 12 GB | 8 GB | RTX 3060 12GB50% higher |
| Board power | 170 W | Better: 115 W | RTX 406048% lower |
| Performance per 100 W | 13.5 | Better: 20.0 | RTX 406048% higher |
| Memory bandwidth | Better: 360 GB/s | 272 GB/s | RTX 3060 12GB32% higher |
| Ray tracing index, 1440p | 19 | Better: 22 | RTX 406016% higher |
Open any area to see every row. Rows where a card wins are marked; rows where the two match, or where a figure is not published, say so.
| Specification | RTX 3060 12GBNVIDIA | RTX 4060NVIDIA |
|---|---|---|
| Launch MSRP | $329 | Best in this row: $299 |
| Current priceNot compared: data missing for at least one cardCompareYourGPU does not publish a price it has not verified. | $555 | Check current price |
| Performance per $100Performance index at 1440p per $100 of a mix of verified prices and launch MSRP, which are not directly comparable. | 4.1 | Best in this row: 7.7 |
| Specification | RTX 3060 12GBNVIDIA | RTX 4060NVIDIA |
|---|---|---|
| CompareYourGPU estimate, 100 = fastest card here. | 27 | Best in this row: 29 |
| Essentially tiedCompareYourGPU estimate, 100 = fastest card here. | 23 | 23 |
| CompareYourGPU estimate, 100 = fastest card here. | Best in this row: 18 | 17 |
| CompareYourGPU estimate, 100 = fastest card here. | 19 | Best in this row: 22 |
| Measured suite average at 1440pNot compared: data missing for at least one cardThird-party geometric mean across their game suite, run with vendor upscaling at Quality. A different test from the estimated row below, not a check on it. | Not tested | 36.6 FPS (ComputerBase) |
| Estimated FPS at 1440pEssentially tiedModelled estimate for a typical modern AAA game at High settings with no upscaling. Not a measurement. | 40-60 FPS | 40-60 FPS |
| Specification | RTX 3060 12GBNVIDIA | RTX 4060NVIDIA |
|---|---|---|
| Best in this row: 12 GB | 8 GB | |
| GDDR6 | GDDR6 | |
| Best in this row: 192-bit | 128-bit | |
| Best in this row: 360 GB/s | 272 GB/s | |
| Memory speed | 15 Gbps | Best in this row: 17 Gbps |
| Specification | RTX 3060 12GBNVIDIA | RTX 4060NVIDIA |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Ampere | Ada Lovelace |
| GPU die | GA106 | AD107 |
| Only comparable within one manufacturer. | Best in this row: 3,584 | 3,072 |
| Data unavailable | Data unavailable | |
| Best in this row: 28 | 24 | |
| Best in this row: 112 | 96 | |
| 1,320 MHz | 1,830 MHz | |
| 1,780 MHz | 2,460 MHz | |
| Game clockAMD only. | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Specification | RTX 3060 12GBNVIDIA | RTX 4060NVIDIA |
|---|---|---|
| 170 W | Best in this row: 115 W | |
| Essentially tiedVendor figure where published, otherwise board power plus 300 W of headroom. | 550 W | 550 W |
| Performance per 100 W | 13.5 | Best in this row: 20.0 |
| Power connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Specification | RTX 3060 12GBNVIDIA | RTX 4060NVIDIA |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd-generation RT cores | 3rd-generation RT cores | |
| DLSS 4 Super Resolution, DLSS Ray Reconstruction, FSR 3.1, XeSS | DLSS 4 Super Resolution, DLSS Ray Reconstruction, FSR 3.1, XeSS | |
| FSR 3.1 Frame Generation (vendor-agnostic, game-dependent) | DLSS 3 Frame Generation | |
| No | Yes | |
| Video encoder | 7th-generation NVENC with HEVC and H.264 encode. No AV1 encode. | 8th-generation NVENC with AV1 and HEVC encode |
| Video decoder | 5th-generation NVDEC with AV1, HEVC and H.264 decode | 5th-generation NVDEC with AV1, HEVC and H.264 decode |
| Specification | RTX 3060 12GBNVIDIA | RTX 4060NVIDIA |
|---|---|---|
| DisplayPort | 3x 1.4a | 3x 1.4a |
| HDMI | 1x 2.1 | 1x 2.1 |
| USB-C | None | None |
| Specification | RTX 3060 12GBNVIDIA | RTX 4060NVIDIA |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Height from bracket | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Specification | RTX 3060 12GBNVIDIA | RTX 4060NVIDIA |
|---|---|---|
| Launch date | February 25, 2021 | June 29, 2023 |
| Generation | RTX 30 | RTX 40 |
| Availability | Out of production | Out of production |
Each price carries its source and date, or is labelled as a launch MSRP. The retailer page is the authority on today's price.
MSRP $329
Expensive
Amazon.es · ES · new · price checked (40 days ago)
This price is getting old. It was last checked 5 weeks ago, and graphics card prices move week to week.
This price was checked on a specific listing, not necessarily the one linked below — treat the retailer’s own page as the authority on what it costs today.
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Launch MSRP in US dollars, as set by the manufacturer at release. CompareYourGPU has no verified street price for this card, so this is a reference point rather than what it sells for today. The Amazon store the link opens depends on your location and charges in its own currency (US dollars, euros or pounds): expect a different figure there, and treat that page as the authority on what the card actually costs.
This card is out of production, so street prices are especially unpredictable.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
CompareYourGPU may earn a commission on purchases made through these links. This never changes how a graphics card is scored or ranked.
Cards that cost at least 10% less than one of these and come within 10% of its estimated 1440p performance.
$352 · $203 less than RTX 3060 12GB
96% of the performance
Compare with RTX 3060 12GB$383 · $173 less than RTX 3060 12GB
96% of the performance
Compare with RTX 3060 12GBEach category is decided by the same numbers used everywhere else on the site. A category with no clear leader says so rather than picking one.
Performance at 1440p
Essentially tied
Ray tracing
Ray tracing index 22
Price
$299
Performance per dollar
7.7 index points per $100
VRAM
12 GB
Memory bandwidth
360 GB/s
Efficiency
20.0 index points per 100 W
Lowest power draw
115 W board power
All six axes are normalised to a 0-100 scale so they can share one chart. Performance and ray tracing are CompareYourGPU’s estimated indices; value, VRAM, efficiency and features are each card’s standing relative to every other card tracked here.
| Criterion | RTX 3060 12GB | RTX 4060 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | 23 | 23 |
| Ray tracing | 19 | 22 |
| Value | 35 | 82 |
| VRAM | 57 | 36 |
| Efficiency | 10 | 61 |
| Features | 60 | 75 |
CompareYourGPU estimate aggregated from public review coverage, not a measurement.
Modelled from the performance index. Not a measured benchmark. Real results vary widely by title.
Capacity alone is not the whole story: memory bus width and bandwidth decide how much of it the GPU can actually use.
A card with a verified current price is shown at that price, a dated snapshot; a card without one is shown at launch MSRP. Street prices move, so check the retailer.
The short version: the RTX 3060 12GB is faster, but the RTX 4060 offers better value at the prices on record. Which of those matters more is the decision.
Based on the specifications, estimated performance indices and prices on record for these cards. How verdicts are calculated.
Highest estimated performance index at 1440p of the cards compared here, at 23. It is the right answer if frame rate is the only thing you are optimising for.
Delivers the most performance per dollar of the cards compared, at $299. Choose this if the difference in price matters more to you than the difference in frame rate.
Strongest ray-traced performance here, with an estimated ray tracing index of 22 at 1440p. It also carries DLSS 4 Super Resolution, which is how ray tracing becomes practical.
Carries 12 GB, the most headroom of the cards compared at 1440p. Memory is usually what dates a card before raw speed does.
Best performance per watt of the cards compared, drawing 115 W. That means less heat, quieter fans and less pressure on your power supply.
Best balance of speed, price and memory of the cards compared: 50% performance at 1440p, 30% performance per dollar, 20% memory headroom. Not necessarily the fastest.
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