NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head test data is overwhelmingly one-sided, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 taking 9 of 10 benchmark wins. The largest margin is in Passmark GPU Compute, where the RTX 3070 scores 11,195 versus the RTX 3060 Mobile's 5,718, a 48.9% advantage. This is the single biggest performance gap in the entire comparison, and it points to a substantial difference in raw compute throughput that will matter for GPU-accelerated workloads beyond gaming.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test shows a similar story: the RTX 3070 scores 3,162 against 1,821 for the RTX 3060 Mobile, a 42.4% delta. This is a modern DirectX 12 workload, and the margin here is indicative of the overall gaming performance gulf. Passmark G3D, another overall gaming metric, reinforces this with a 40.4% lead for the RTX 3070 (22,214 vs 13,230). Across all DirectX API tests, the deltas are remarkably consistent: DirectX 10 shows a 40% gap (150 vs 90), DirectX 11 shows 39.6% (182 vs 110), and DirectX 12 shows 31.8% (85 vs 58). DirectX 9 is the closest of the API tests at 40.9% (247 vs 146), but the pattern is clear — the RTX 3070 is roughly 32-41% faster across legacy and modern DirectX paths.

Geekbench OpenCL shows a 29.5% advantage for the RTX 3070 (112,821 vs 79,483), which is the smallest margin in the compute-oriented benchmarks. However, the single exception to the RTX 3070's dominance is Geekbench Vulkan, where the RTX 3060 Mobile scores 80,344 versus just 21,022 for the RTX 3070 — a staggering 282.2% delta in favor of the mobile part. This is an enormous outlier that warrants scrutiny. The RTX 3060 Mobile's Vulkan score is actually higher than its own OpenCL score, while the RTX 3070's Vulkan score is far below its OpenCL result. This suggests a driver-level or implementation quirk rather than a true architectural superiority, but the data is what it is: in Vulkan compute, the mobile GPU wins decisively.

The Passmark G2D test, which measures 2D graphics performance, also favors the RTX 3070 at 1,001 versus 588, a 41.3% gap. While less relevant for modern 3D workloads, this does indicate better desktop composition and 2D acceleration capabilities on the desktop card.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on NVIDIA's Ampere architecture and use Samsung's 8 nm process node, but the silicon itself is quite different. The RTX 3060 Mobile uses the GA106 chip with 12,000 million transistors on a 276 mm² die, while the RTX 3070 uses the GA104 chip with 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die. The transistor density is nearly identical — 43.5M/mm² for the mobile chip versus 44.4M/mm² for the desktop chip — which means the performance difference comes from sheer scale rather than density improvements.

The RTX 3070 has 5,888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs. The RTX 3060 Mobile has 3,840 shading units, 120 TMUs, and just 48 ROPs. That means the desktop card has 53% more shaders, 53% more TMUs, and double the ROP count. The ray tracing and tensor core counts scale similarly: the RTX 3070 has 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores, while the RTX 3060 Mobile has 30 RT cores and 120 tensor cores. These are not small incremental differences; they represent a fundamentally larger GPU with more parallel execution resources.

Clock speeds also favor the desktop part substantially. The RTX 3070 runs at a 1,500 MHz base clock and 1,725 MHz boost, while the RTX 3060 Mobile runs at 900 MHz base and 1,425 MHz boost. The boost clock advantage alone is 21%, and when combined with the wider architecture, the theoretical peak FP32 throughput jumps from 10.94 TFLOPS on the mobile part to 20.31 TFLOPS on the desktop card — an 85.6% increase. The FP16 rates are identical to FP32 (1:1) on both, so the compute advantage holds for mixed-precision workloads.

Memory configuration is another major differentiator. The RTX 3070 has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 3060 Mobile has 6 GB on a 192-bit bus, yielding 336.0 GB/s. The memory clock is the same (1,750 MHz, 14 Gbps effective), so the bandwidth gap is purely a function of bus width. The RTX 3070 also has a higher pixel rate (165.6 GPixel/s vs 68.40 GPixel/s) and texture rate (317.4 GTexel/s vs 171.0 GTexel/s), which are direct consequences of the higher clocks and wider resource configuration.

Power and physical characteristics differ dramatically. The RTX 3060 Mobile is rated at 80 W TDP with no power connectors, which is typical for a laptop part. The RTX 3070 is a dual-slot desktop card rated at 220 W TDP, requiring a 1x 12-pin power connector and a 550 W suggested PSU. The desktop card measures 242 mm in length and 112 mm in height. Both support PCIe 4.0 x16, DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Display outputs are portable-device-dependent on the mobile GPU, while the desktop card offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3070 wins in every conventional gaming and compute scenario. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score, Passmark G3D score, and Passmark DirectX 11/12 scores all show a 31-42% lead over the mobile GPU. For gaming at higher resolutions or with ray tracing enabled, the RTX 3070's 46 RT cores, double ROP count, and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth make it the clear choice. The desktop card also dominates in OpenCL compute (29.5% lead) and Passmark GPU Compute (48.9% lead), which makes it the better option for GPU-accelerated rendering, machine learning inference, and other compute-heavy tasks.

The RTX 3060 Mobile's only win is in Geekbench Vulkan, where it outperforms the RTX 3070 by 282.2%. This is an extraordinary margin that suggests either an optimized Vulkan driver for the mobile part or a suboptimal configuration on the desktop card. For workloads that specifically rely on the Vulkan API — such as certain cross-platform game engines or Vulkan-native compute applications — the mobile GPU shows an unexpected edge. However, the fact that the RTX 3060 Mobile's Vulkan score (80,344) is nearly four times its own Passmark G3D score (13,230) suggests that the Vulkan result may not translate to real-world gaming performance, where the desktop card's superior raw resources win out.

Another consideration is the power envelope. The RTX 3060 Mobile runs at 80 W, which suits thin-and-light gaming laptops and longer battery life. The RTX 3070 at 220 W requires a desktop chassis with adequate cooling and a 550 W PSU. If the use case is mobile gaming on battery or a compact laptop chassis, the RTX 3060 Mobile is the only option. If the use case is a desktop workstation or gaming rig with no power constraints, the RTX 3070 is superior in nearly every measurable way.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 3060 Mobile has a higher average benchmark score at 18,159, compared to 17,208 for the RTX 3070. This is driven by the RTX 3060 Mobile's outlier Geekbench Vulkan score of 80,344.

Q: How do the GPUs compare in DirectX 12 performance?

A: The RTX 3070 leads in Passmark DirectX 12 with a score of 85 versus 58 for the RTX 3060 Mobile, a 31.8% advantage. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RTX 3070 scores 3,162 versus 1,821, a 42.4% lead.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RTX 3070 has 448.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth from an 8 GB GDDR6 configuration on a 256-bit bus. The RTX 3060 Mobile has 336.0 GB/s from 6 GB GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus. The memory clock is identical at 14 Gbps effective.

Q: Why does the RTX 3060 Mobile win the Geekbench Vulkan test?

A: The RTX 3060 Mobile scores 80,344 in Geekbench Vulkan versus 21,022 for the RTX 3070, a 282.2% advantage. The data does not explain this anomaly, but it is the sole benchmark win for the mobile GPU across all ten tests.

Q: Which GPU has the higher transistor count?

A: The RTX 3070 uses the GA104 chip with 17,400 million transistors, while the RTX 3060 Mobile uses GA106 with 12,000 million transistors. The RTX 3070 also has a larger die at 392 mm² versus 276 mm².

Q: What is the TDP of each GPU?

A: The RTX 3060 Mobile has an 80 W TDP, while the RTX 3070 has a 220 W TDP. The desktop card requires a 1x 12-pin power connector and a 550 W suggested PSU.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous for the vast majority of workloads: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the faster GPU. It wins 9 of 10 head-to-head benchmarks, with leads ranging from 29.5% in OpenCL to 48.9% in GPU compute. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 42.4% higher, and its Passmark G3D score is 40.4% higher. The RTX 3070 has more shaders (5,888 vs 3,840), more RT cores (46 vs 30), more tensor cores (184 vs 120), double the ROPs (96 vs 48), and nearly double the FP32 throughput (20.31 TFLOPS vs 10.94 TFLOPS). With 8 GB of memory on a 256-bit bus versus 6 GB on 192-bit, the desktop card also has 33% more memory bandwidth — 448.0 GB/s versus 336.0 GB/s.

The RTX 3060 Mobile's single win in Geekbench Vulkan (80,344 vs 21,022) is dramatic but isolated. For any user prioritizing consistent gaming performance, compute throughput, or memory bandwidth, the RTX 3070 is the correct choice. Its 220 W TDP and dual-slot form factor are the trade-offs, but the benchmark results justify them.

That said, the RTX 3060 Mobile is not without merit. Its 80 W TDP makes it suitable for laptops where power efficiency and thermal constraints are paramount. The data shows it holds a 62nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, identical to the RTX 3070's 61st percentile — meaning both sit in the same performance tier when viewed against the entire GPU landscape. The RTX 3060 Mobile's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (0.2% faster average score) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER (0.4% slower), placing it in solid mid-range company. The RTX 3070's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (0.7% faster) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (1% slower), showing it also sits at the edge of a performance tier.

The choice comes down to the platform. Desktop users with a 550 W PSU and space for a 242 mm dual-slot card should select the RTX 3070 without hesitation — it wins in every meaningful gaming and compute benchmark. Laptop buyers limited to an 80 W power budget must accept the RTX 3060 Mobile's lower performance, but they gain a GPU that still ranks in the 62nd percentile and delivers a Vulkan compute result that outclasses the desktop card by 282.2%. For most use cases, the RTX 3070 is the superior part; the RTX 3060 Mobile only makes sense in the context of mobile form factors where the desktop card cannot physically be installed.