NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive overall victory for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, which wins 8 of the 9 shared benchmark comparisons. The only exception is the Geekbench Vulkan test, where the RTX 3050 OEM posts a higher score. The RTX 4060’s largest margin comes in Passmark DirectX 11, where it scores 175 versus 86, a 103.5% advantage. This is the only test in the dataset where the RTX 4060 more than doubles the RTX 3050 OEM’s result.

Other substantial wins for the RTX 4060 include Passmark DirectX 9 (236 versus 137, up 72.3%), Passmark DirectX 10 (103 versus 61, up 68.9%), and Passmark G3D (19545 versus 11857, up 64.8%). The compute-oriented workloads also favor the RTX 4060 heavily: Passmark GPU Compute shows 9213 versus 5779, a 59.4% lead, and Geekbench OpenCL shows 95057 versus 60740, a 56.5% advantage. The smallest margin for the RTX 4060 is in Passmark G2D, where it scores 1037 versus 973, a modest 6.6% gain.

The RTX 3050 OEM’s sole victory in the head-to-head is Geekbench Vulkan, where it scores 57103 versus the RTX 4060’s 48643, a 14.8% difference. This is a notable reversal, as the RTX 4060 leads in every other tested workload. The result suggests that the RTX 3050 OEM has a particular strength in Vulkan API performance that is not reflected in its other benchmark scores.

Looking at the broader database context, the RTX 4060 holds an average benchmark score of 17639 across all recorded tests, while the RTX 3050 OEM averages 15199. That places the RTX 4060 at the 61st percentile of all GPUs, and the RTX 3050 OEM at the 57th percentile. The nearest rivals for the RTX 4060 include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (average score 17666, 0.2% behind) and the AMD Radeon 780M (17588, 0.3% ahead). The RTX 3050 OEM’s closest competitors are the AMD Radeon RX 7600 (15171, 0.2% behind) and the AMD Radeon 680M (15270, 0.5% behind).

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent different generations and foundry processes. The RTX 4060 uses the AD107 chip built on Ada Lovelace architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process node. It integrates 18,900 million transistors on a 159 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 118.9 million per square millimeter. The RTX 3050 OEM uses the GA106 chip on Ampere architecture, fabricated by Samsung on an 8 nm node. It contains 12,000 million transistors on a much larger 276 mm² die, with a transistor density of 43.5 million per square millimeter. The RTX 4060’s smaller process node allows for a significantly higher transistor density despite the larger absolute transistor count.

The shading resources differ substantially. The RTX 4060 has 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units. The RTX 3050 OEM has 2304 shading units, 72 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The RTX 4060 also carries more ray tracing cores (24 versus 18) and more tensor cores (96 versus 72). These differences translate directly into higher theoretical throughput: the RTX 4060 reaches 15.11 TFLOPS FP32 performance, while the RTX 3050 OEM reaches 8.087 TFLOPS. The RTX 4060’s pixel rate is 118.1 GPixel/s versus 56.16 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 236.2 GTexel/s versus 126.4 GTexel/s.

Memory configuration is identical in capacity and type: both cards feature 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus. However, the RTX 4060 runs its memory at 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective), delivering 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth, while the RTX 3050 OEM runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) for 224.0 GB/s. The clock speeds also favor the RTX 4060: its base clock is 1830 MHz and boost clock is 2460 MHz, versus 1515 MHz base and 1755 MHz boost for the RTX 3050 OEM.

Power characteristics differ in an interesting way. The RTX 4060 has a lower TDP of 115 W, while the RTX 3050 OEM has a higher TDP of 130 W. Both cards recommend the same 300 W power supply. The RTX 4060 uses a single 12-pin power connector, while the RTX 3050 OEM uses a single 8-pin connector. Both are dual-slot cards. The RTX 4060 is slightly shorter at 240 mm (9.4 inches) and narrower at 111 mm (4.4 inches) with a width of 40 mm (1.6 inches). The RTX 3050 OEM measures 242 mm (9.5 inches) in length and 112 mm (4.4 inches) in height, with no recorded width. Both use PCIe 4.0 x8 interfaces and have identical display outputs (1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a). API support is also identical: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 17639, while the RTX 3050 OEM averages 15199. The RTX 4060 sits at the 61st percentile of all GPUs, versus the 57th percentile for the RTX 3050 OEM.

Q: In which benchmark does the RTX 3050 OEM outperform the RTX 4060?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM wins the Geekbench Vulkan test with a score of 57103, compared to 48643 for the RTX 4060, a 14.8% advantage. This is the only test in the head-to-head set where the RTX 3050 OEM comes out ahead.

Q: How large is the RTX 4060’s lead in DirectX 11 performance?

A: The RTX 4060 scores 175 in Passmark DirectX 11, while the RTX 3050 OEM scores 86, giving the RTX 4060 a 103.5% lead. This is the largest percentage difference of any benchmark in the comparison.

Q: What are the memory bandwidth figures for each card?

A: The RTX 4060 delivers 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth with its 128-bit bus and 17 Gbps effective memory speed. The RTX 3050 OEM delivers 224.0 GB/s with the same bus width but a lower 14 Gbps effective speed.

Q: Do both cards support the same APIs?

A: Yes, both the RTX 4060 and the RTX 3050 OEM support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. They also share the same display outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Q: How do the power requirements compare?

A: The RTX 4060 has a TDP of 115 W, which is lower than the RTX 3050 OEM’s 130 W. Both cards recommend a 300 W power supply. The RTX 4060 uses a single 12-pin power connector, while the RTX 3050 OEM uses a single 8-pin connector.

Specification Differences

| Field | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | AD107 | GA106 |

| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | Ampere |

| Process node | 5 nm | 8 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Samsung |

| Transistors | 18,900 million | 12,000 million |

| Die size | 159 mm² | 276 mm² |

| Transistor density | 118.9M / mm² | 43.5M / mm² |

| Base clock | 1830 MHz | 1515 MHz |

| Boost clock | 2460 MHz | 1755 MHz |

| Memory clock | 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective) | 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) |

| Memory bandwidth | 272.0 GB/s | 224.0 GB/s |

| Shading units | 3072 | 2304 |

| TMUs | 96 | 72 |

| ROPs | 48 | 32 |

| RT cores | 24 | 18 |

| Tensor cores | 96 | 72 |

| Pixel rate | 118.1 GPixel/s | 56.16 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 236.2 GTexel/s | 126.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 15.11 TFLOPS | 8.087 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 15.11 TFLOPS (1:1) | 8.087 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 115 W | 130 W |

| Power connector | 1x 12-pin | 1x 8-pin |

| Length | 240 mm (9.4 inches) | 242 mm (9.5 inches) |

| Height | 111 mm (4.4 inches) | 112 mm (4.4 inches) |

| Width | 40 mm (1.6 inches) | Not recorded |

| Release date | 2023-05-17 | 2022-01-03 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 30 | GeForce 20 |

| Successor | GeForce 50 | GeForce 40 |

| Launch MSRP | 299 USD | Not recorded |

Both cards share: 8 GB GDDR6 memory, 128-bit bus width, PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, dual-slot design, 300 W suggested PSU, identical display outputs, identical API support, and end-of-life production status.

The Verdict

The benchmark data clearly favors the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060. It wins 8 of 9 head-to-head tests, with leads ranging from 6.6% in Passmark G2D to 103.5% in Passmark DirectX 11. The RTX 4060’s average score of 17639 places it 16% above the RTX 3050 OEM’s 15199. In compute workloads, the RTX 4060’s advantage is consistent: 59.4% in Passmark GPU Compute and 56.5% in Geekbench OpenCL. The RTX 4060 also achieves this performance with a lower TDP (115 W versus 130 W), making it the more efficient choice on paper.

The RTX 3050 OEM’s only meaningful counterargument is its Geekbench Vulkan victory, where it leads by 14.8%. This single result does not offset the broader pattern, as the RTX 4060 leads in every other recorded test, often by wide margins. The RTX 4060’s higher shading unit count (3072 versus 2304), higher clock speeds, and faster memory all contribute to its dominance. Its smaller die size and newer process node also indicate a more advanced design.

For buyers who prioritize raw performance across a range of DirectX and compute workloads, the RTX 4060 is the clear choice from this dataset. The RTX 3050 OEM may appeal specifically to those who value Vulkan performance, but the overall benchmark evidence strongly favors the RTX 4060.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4060 wins in almost every scenario represented by the benchmark suite. It is superior in DirectX 9, DirectX 10, DirectX 11, and DirectX 12 workloads, with margins ranging from 31% to 103.5%. Its compute performance, as measured by Passmark GPU Compute and Geekbench OpenCL, is also decisively ahead. The RTX 4060’s 2D performance edge, though smaller at 6.6%, still gives it the advantage in that category. For users running general-purpose graphics workloads, DirectX-based games, or OpenCL compute tasks, the RTX 4060 is the stronger option in every recorded test except Vulkan.

The RTX 3050 OEM’s win in Geekbench Vulkan is its only area of superiority. Users who specifically rely on Vulkan API workloads, whether in games or compute applications, may see better results with the RTX 3050 OEM based on this data. The 14.8% margin is not trivial, and it demonstrates that the Ampere architecture retains a particular strength in this API. However, this is a narrow niche within the overall benchmark picture.

The RTX 4060 also wins on efficiency metrics, with a lower TDP of 115 W versus 130 W while delivering substantially higher performance. It uses a newer 5 nm process from TSMC, whereas the RTX 3050 OEM uses an 8 nm process from Samsung. The RTX 4060’s higher transistor density (118.9M / mm² versus 43.5M / mm²) reflects the architectural leap between generations. For most use cases, the RTX 4060 is the recommended choice; the RTX 3050 OEM is only preferable when Vulkan performance is the primary criterion.