50

RTX 3060 Graphics Card

Ampere · 12 GB GDDR6

$329

MSRP

93

RTX 4090 Graphics Card

Ada Lovelace · 24 GB GDDR6X

$1599

MSRP

Our verdict

The RTX 4090 Graphics Card takes the performance lead with a 86% higher overall score, driven by its 16,384 shader cores, 24 GB of memory, and 82.6 TFLOPS TFLOPS of compute power. In gaming benchmarks at 1440p, it delivers roughly 181% more frames per second across demanding titles like Alan Wake 2 and Black Myth Wukong.

However, the RTX 3060 Graphics Card tells a compelling value story. At $329 versus the RTX 4090 Graphics Card's $1599 price tag, it costs 386% less while delivering performance that's only 86% behind. Its 12 GB of memory is still more than enough for 1440p and even 4K gaming in most titles.

Our recommendation: for the majority of gamers targeting 1440p or even 4K with upscaling enabled, the RTX 3060 Graphics Card is the smarter purchase. The RTX 4090 Graphics Card only makes sense if you need the absolute maximum performance for native 4K ray tracing, professional 3D rendering, or AI workloads where the extra VRAM and compute power provide a tangible advantage.

Performance winner

RTX 4090 Graphics Card

86% faster overall

Best value for money

RTX 3060 Graphics Card

31% better value per dollar

RTX 3060 Graphics Card best for

Power efficiency

31% better value per dollar

Memory

Memory
12 GB
24 GB
Memory type
GDDR6
GDDR6X
Memory bus
192-bit
384-bit
Memory bandwidth
360 GB/s
1,008 GB/s

Performance

CUDA cores
3,584
16,384
Boost clock
1,777 MHz
2,520 MHz
Base clock
1,320 MHz
2,235 MHz
FP32 performance
12.7 TFLOPS
82.6 TFLOPS
RT cores
28
128
Tensor cores
112
512

Physical

Transistors
13.3 billion
76.3 billion
Process
8 nm
4 nm
PCIe
PCIe 4
PCIe 4
Card length
228 mm
336 mm

Power

TDP
170W
450W
Power connector
8-pin
16-pin

Gaming benchmarks (avg FPS at 1440p ultra)

Alan Wake 2
34 fps
118 fps
Black Myth Wukong
38 fps
133 fps
Counter-Strike 2
240 fps
540 fps
Cyberpunk 2077
42 fps
148 fps
Hogwarts Legacy
43 fps
152 fps
Spider-Man 2
45 fps
155 fps

Synthetic & compute benchmarks

Geekbench 6 Compute
85,000 points
270,000 points
3DMark Fire Strike
19,000 points
58,000 points
3DMark Time Spy
11,000 points
36,000 points

Frequently asked questions

Is the RTX 4090 Graphics Card worth $1270 more than the RTX 3060 Graphics Card?

It depends on your needs. The RTX 4090 Graphics Card scores 93 overall vs 50 for the RTX 3060 Graphics Card. If you need the extra performance for demanding tasks, the premium is justified. For most users gaming at 1440p or below, the RTX 3060 Graphics Card offers better value.

Which GPU is better for 1440p gaming, the RTX 3060 Graphics Card or RTX 4090 Graphics Card?

The RTX 4090 Graphics Card delivers higher frame rates at 1440p, but both GPUs handle 1440p gaming well. The RTX 4090 Graphics Card provides more headroom for ray tracing and future titles, while the RTX 3060 Graphics Card still maintains smooth gameplay in current games.

Can the RTX 3060 Graphics Card handle 4K gaming?

The RTX 3060 Graphics Card can handle 4K gaming in less demanding titles and with upscaling technologies like DLSS or FSR. For native 4K at ultra settings in demanding games, the RTX 4090 Graphics Card is the better choice with its higher performance ceiling.

Which should I buy, the RTX 3060 Graphics Card or RTX 4090 Graphics Card?

Choose the RTX 3060 Graphics Card if you want the best value for money and primarily game at 1080p or 1440p. Choose the RTX 4090 Graphics Card if you need maximum performance, play at 4K, or do professional workloads like video editing and 3D rendering.

Related comparisons

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RTX 3060 Graphics Card VS RX 7600 Graphics Card

Score 50 VS 50

RTX 4090 Graphics Card VS RX 7600 Graphics Card

Score 93 VS 50

RTX 3060 Graphics Card VS Arc B580 Graphics Card

Score 50 VS 52

RTX 4090 Graphics Card VS Arc B580 Graphics Card

Score 93 VS 52

RTX 3060 Graphics Card VS Arc A750 Graphics Card

Score 50 VS 48

RTX 4090 Graphics Card VS Arc A750 Graphics Card

Score 93 VS 48

RTX 3060 Graphics Card VS RTX 4060 Graphics Card

Score 50 VS 55

RTX 4090 Graphics Card VS RTX 4060 Graphics Card

Score 93 VS 55

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