GPU Comparison
Select up to 2 GPUs to analyze their pricing, performance, and specifications side-by-side.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is dramatically faster than the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB, leading by roughly 300% in our performance index.
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GeForce RTX 4090 vs GeForce RTX 3060 12GB: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce RTX 4090 vs GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
The GeForce RTX 4090 is dramatically faster, around 300% ahead of the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB. That gap is enough to move it up a tier: the GeForce RTX 4090 is comfortable at 4K and high-refresh 1440p, while the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is better matched to 1080p. The GeForce RTX 4090 packs 16,384 CUDA cores versus 3,584 on the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB.
Power & Efficiency
The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB pulls less power (170W vs 450W), so it's the easier card to cool and the lighter load on your PSU. The faster GeForce RTX 4090 draws more overall but extracts more performance from each watt — plan for a sturdier power supply if you pick it. Its more modern Ada Lovelace architecture on a TSMC 4N process is part of why it does more with each watt.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
With 24GB against 12GB, the GeForce RTX 4090 has more headroom for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative/AI tasks where the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB's 12GB can fall short. The GeForce RTX 4090's memory is also faster — 1,008 GB/s versus 360 GB/s (384-bit vs 192-bit bus) — which helps feed the GPU at 4K and with heavy textures.
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3060 12GB or GeForce RTX 4090?
The GeForce RTX 4090 is the faster card by about 300%. With live pricing limited for this pair, base your decision on the spec differences above — particularly VRAM and power draw — and check current stock before buying.