RTX 5060 vs RTX 3060
The RTX 5060 is about 47% faster than the RTX 3060 at 4K and 40% faster at 1440p.
Quick verdict: the RTX 5060 is the faster card, but the RTX 3060 is the safer long-term pick if you play at high resolutions with high textures and plan to keep the card for years.
RTX 5060 vs RTX 3060: Specs and Performance
| Spec | GeForce RTX 5060 | GeForce RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy (graphics) | 13,436 | 8,509 |
| Estimated FPS · 1080p | 103 | 76 |
| Estimated FPS · 1440p | 77 | 55 |
| Estimated FPS · 4K | 44 | 30 |
| Video memory | 8 GB | 12 GB |
| Board power | 145 W | 170 W |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $299 | $329 |
| PCI Express | 5.0 ×8 | 4.0 ×16 |
| Release year | 2025 | 2021 |
| Series | NVIDIA RTX 50 Series | NVIDIA RTX 30 Series |
Estimated FPS at 1080p, 1440p and 4K
1080p: the RTX 5060 leads by 36%. 1440p: the RTX 5060 leads by 40%. 4K: the RTX 5060 leads by 47%. These figures come from our performance model, calibrated against published benchmark averages. They are estimates for comparing the two cards, not results measured on your PC.
Estimated FPS in Popular Games at 1440p
| Game (settings) | RTX 5060 | RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 (High, no ray tracing) | ~60 | ~45 |
| Fortnite (High, DirectX 12) | ~100 | ~70 |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (High) | ~90 | ~65 |
| Counter-Strike 2 (High) | ~185 | ~130 |
Per-game figures scale each card's modelled 1440p average by how demanding the game is relative to our test blend, rounded to the nearest 5 FPS. Counter-Strike 2 is usually limited by the processor well before these numbers.
Verdict: RTX 5060 or RTX 3060?
The RTX 5060 is a full performance tier faster than the RTX 3060: about 36% at 1080p, 40% at 1440p and 47% at 4K in our model. The gap narrows at 1080p because both cards are closer to what a typical processor can feed them, so the higher your resolution, the more of the difference you actually get.
The RTX 3060 carries 12GB of video memory against 8GB on the RTX 5060. 8GB is already tight at 1440p with high textures in the newest games, so the extra memory is worth more than it looks on a spec sheet. That makes this a genuine trade-off: the faster card has the smaller buffer.
At launch the RTX 5060 was $299 and the RTX 3060 $329, which works out to $3.9 and $6 per frame at 1440p. On those prices the RTX 5060 is the better value, but street prices move every week, so check before you buy. The RTX 3060 is rated for 25W more board power, which means more heat, more fan noise and possibly a bigger power supply.
Beyond raw speed, the RTX 5060 brings DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, while the RTX 3060 offers DLSS upscaling, but not NVIDIA frame generation.
Bottom line: the RTX 5060 is the faster card, but the RTX 3060 is the safer long-term pick if you play at high resolutions with high textures and plan to keep the card for years.
Pairing Either Card With a Processor
A faster graphics card only helps if the processor can keep up. Each card's own page lists the slowest CPU that will not hold it back at every resolution:
- GeForce RTX 5060: best CPU pairing and bottleneck
- GeForce RTX 3060: best CPU pairing and bottleneck
- Check your own processor in the bottleneck calculator
Power supply: a common rule of thumb is the card's board power plus about 150W for the rest of a gaming PC, with 30% headroom. That points to roughly 400W for the RTX 5060 and 450W for the RTX 3060. Check the card maker's own recommendation too.
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- Compare any two graphics cardsThe full GPU vs GPU tool
RTX 5060 vs RTX 3060: Common Questions
Is the RTX 5060 better than the RTX 3060?
The RTX 5060 is the faster card, but the RTX 3060 is the safer long-term pick if you play at high resolutions with high textures and plan to keep the card for years. The RTX 5060 is about 47% faster than the RTX 3060 at 4K and 40% faster at 1440p.
Which is better for 1440p, the RTX 5060 or the RTX 3060?
The GeForce RTX 5060, by about 40% (77 vs 55 FPS on high settings in our model).
Which is better for 4K, the RTX 5060 or the RTX 3060?
The GeForce RTX 5060, by about 47% (44 vs 30 FPS on high settings in our model).
Does the RTX 5060 have more VRAM than the RTX 3060?
No. The RTX 5060 has 8GB, while the RTX 3060 has 12GB.
Data last reviewed October 15, 2026. Launch prices are US MSRPs; board power is the reference design's rating. See the methodology for how every figure is produced.