GeForce RTX 3060 12GB vs Radeon RX 5700
On raw speed the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB comes out ahead: well ahead on speed, about 20% ahead of the Radeon RX 5700. That said, the Radeon RX 5700 is the smarter buy on value — $130 USD less for the performance on offer.
Maximum Capacity Reached. Remove a model to add another. (2/2)
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB vs Radeon RX 5700: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce RTX 3060 12GB vs Radeon RX 5700
The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is significantly faster, around 20% ahead of the Radeon RX 5700. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to 1080p.
Price & Value
The Radeon RX 5700 currently lists from $170 USD, $130 USD less than the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB at $300 USD. Despite being slower, the Radeon RX 5700 offers the better performance-per-dollar (~47% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon RX 5700 is trading below its $349 USD MSRP — a genuine deal. The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is trading below its $329 USD MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
At 170W against 180W, the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is both the lower-power and the more efficient card, making it the easier build to cool and power. Its more modern Ampere architecture on a Samsung 8nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
VRAM favors the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB at 12GB versus 8GB on the Radeon RX 5700 — that extra 4GB matters most at 4K, with high-res texture packs, and for content-creation/local-AI work.
Generation & Longevity
The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is roughly 2 years newer than the Radeon RX 5700 (Ampere vs RDNA), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon RX 5700 offers AMD FSR upscaling and strong rasterization value. If you lean on upscaling or ray tracing, that ecosystem difference can matter as much as the frame-rate gap.
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3060 12GB or Radeon RX 5700?
Choose the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon RX 5700 stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB better than the Radeon RX 5700?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB or the Radeon RX 5700?
Is the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB worth the extra $130 USD over the Radeon RX 5700?
Does the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3060 12GB or Radeon RX 5700?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB | Radeon RX 5700 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Ampere | RDNA |
| Process Node | Samsung 8nm | TSMC N7 |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 3,584✓ | 2,304 |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 28 | — |
| Tensor / AI Cores | 112 | — |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB | Radeon RX 5700 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,320 MHz | 1,465 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,777 MHz✓ | 1,725 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB | Radeon RX 5700 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 12 GB✓ | 8 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 192-bit | 256-bit✓ |
| Memory Speed | 15 Gbps✓ | 14 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 360 GB/s | 448 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB | Radeon RX 5700 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| TDP | 170 W✓ | 180 W |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |
| Released | Feb 2021 | Jul 2019 |
Related Reading
How to Run Powerful Local LLMs on a Budget GPU in 2026
An 8GB GPU can now run near-flagship open models locally. Here's how QAT, MoE, llama.cpp offloading and MTP turn a budget PC into a private AI rig in 2026.
Intel Arc Alchemist in 2026: Is a Used A580, A750 or A770 Still Worth Buying?
Every Arc Alchemist card is discontinued, and Battlemage replaced them. So what does a used A580, A750 or A770 still buy you — and at what price does it beat a new Arc B580? An honest retrospective on Intel's first discrete GPUs.