GeForce RTX 3060 12GB vs Radeon RX 5700 XT
Neither the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB nor the Radeon RX 5700 XT pulls ahead in performance; treat them as equals on speed. The Radeon RX 5700 XT, however, delivers more performance per dollar — $110 USD cheaper.
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GeForce RTX 3060 12GB vs Radeon RX 5700 XT: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce RTX 3060 12GB vs Radeon RX 5700 XT
The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB and Radeon RX 5700 XT post nearly the same score in our performance index, so neither holds a meaningful raw-speed advantage. Both are best suited to 1080p gaming.
Price & Value
On price, expect to pay $190 USD for the Radeon RX 5700 XT versus $300 USD for the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB. Despite being slower, the Radeon RX 5700 XT offers the better performance-per-dollar (~58% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon RX 5700 XT is trading below its $399 USD MSRP — a genuine deal. The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is trading below its $329 USD MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB draws just 170W versus 225W for the Radeon RX 5700 XT, and it also delivers more performance per watt — so it runs cooler and quieter and needs less PSU headroom. Its more modern Ampere architecture on a Samsung 8nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
With 12GB against 8GB, the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB has more headroom for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative/AI tasks where the Radeon RX 5700 XT's 8GB can fall short.
Generation & Longevity
The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is roughly 2 years newer than the Radeon RX 5700 XT (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 XT 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 XT?
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 XT stretches your money further for near-identical performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB better than the Radeon RX 5700 XT?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB or the Radeon RX 5700 XT?
Is the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB worth the extra $110 USD over the Radeon RX 5700 XT?
Does the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3060 12GB or Radeon RX 5700 XT?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB | Radeon RX 5700 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Ampere | RDNA |
| Process Node | Samsung 8nm | TSMC N7 |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 3,584✓ | 2,560 |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 28 | — |
| Tensor / AI Cores | 112 | — |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB | Radeon RX 5700 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,320 MHz | 1,605 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,777 MHz | 1,905 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB | Radeon RX 5700 XT |
|---|---|---|
| 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 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| TDP | 170 W✓ | 225 W |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin + 1x 6-pin |
| Released | Feb 2021 | Jul 2019 |
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