GPU Showdown

GeForce RTX 3060vsGeForce RTX 4090

The GeForce RTX 3060 is a budget-friendly 1080p card for gamers who just want solid, reliable performance without breaking the bank, while the RTX 4090 is a top-tier 4K monster built for enthusiasts and creators who need every ounce of speed possible.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
12 GB · 170W
VS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
24 GB · 450W
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

Ampere · TSMC 8 nm · 2021

41score
4.1/ 5
0 votes
VRAM
12 GB
TDP
170W
CUDA Cores
3,584
Boost Clock
1777 MHz

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NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4090

Ada Lovelace · TSMC 5 nm · 2022

92score
3.8/ 5
0 votes
VRAM
24 GB
TDP
450W
Shaders
16,384
Boost Clock
2520 MHz

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Aggregate Performance

Overall Performance Score

A unified score from combined synthetic and real-world benchmarks. 100 represents the fastest consumer GPU available.

RTX 3060
41
RTX 4090Winner
92
RTX 4090 leads by 124.4% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#2RTX 509094
#3RTX 409092
#4RTX 508086
#62TITAN V CEO Edition41
#63RTX 306041
#64RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary40
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

Every detail compared. Highlighted cells indicate the leading value for that metric.

SpecsRTX 3060RTX 4090
General
ArchitectureAmpereAda Lovelace
Process Node8 nm5 nm
Memory
VRAM12 GB24 GB
Memory TypeGDDR6GDDR6X
Memory Bus192-bit384-bit
Bandwidth360 GB/s1010 GB/s
Compute
CUDA Cores3,58416,384
TMUs112512
ROPs48176
Boost Clock1777 MHz2520 MHz
FP3212.74 TF82.58 TF
Power
TDP170450
Power Connectors1x 12-pin1x 16-pin
Display
Max Resolution7680×43207680×4320
Display Outputs1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The GeForce RTX 4090 wins overall for anyone needing top-tier performance in demanding games or creative work.

Best value

For budget-focused buyers, the GeForce RTX 3060 is the smarter pick with ample memory for modern titles at a lower cost.

When the other wins

If you play older or less demanding games and want to save money, the GeForce RTX 3060 is the right choice.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the RTX 3060 better than the RTX 4090?

Overall the RTX 4090 is the stronger graphics card: it ranks higher in our aggregate performance score (92 vs 41 out of 100), so it leads the RTX 3060 in most workloads.

How much faster is the RTX 4090 than the RTX 3060?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the RTX 4090 is roughly 124% faster than the RTX 3060 overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the RTX 3060 or the RTX 4090?

If you want the most performance, pick the RTX 4090. If the RTX 3060 is meaningfully cheaper where you shop, it can be the better value for similar real-world results — check current prices and the full spec comparison above before deciding.