GeForce RTX 3060 12GB vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop
The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB and GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop trade blows on raw performance, landing within a few percent of each other.
Market Value Leader
Only verified data for GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is available. Benchmarks for other models are currently being processed.
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GeForce RTX 3060 12GB vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce RTX 3060 12GB vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop
The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB and GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop post nearly the same score in our performance index, so neither holds a meaningful raw-speed advantage. Both are best suited to 1080p gaming.
Power & Efficiency
At 115W against 170W, the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop is both the lower-power and the more efficient card, making it the easier build to cool and power.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB carries 12GB versus 6GB on the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop. The extra 6GB helps at 4K, with high-resolution texture packs, and for content-creation or local-AI workloads that exhaust smaller buffers.
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3060 12GB or GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop?
The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is the faster card. Since one of these is a laptop GPU, its listed price covers the whole system rather than just the chip, so it isn't directly comparable — base your decision on the spec differences above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB better than the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB or the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop?
Does the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3060 12GB or GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB | GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Ampere | Ampere |
| Process Node | Samsung 8nm | Samsung 8nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / CUDA Cores) | 3,584 | 3,840✓ |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 28 | 30✓ |
| Tensor / AI Cores | 112 | 120✓ |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB | GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,320 MHz✓ | 900 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,777 MHz✓ | 1,425 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB | GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 12 GB✓ | 6 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 192-bit | 192-bit |
| Memory Speed | 15 Gbps✓ | 14 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 360 GB/s✓ | 336 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB | GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| TDP | 170 W | 115 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | None |
| Released | Feb 2021 | Jan 2021 |
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