NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile and RTX 3060 Mobile represent two distinct generations of laptop graphics, and the benchmark data reveals a fascinating split between raw compute legacy and modern API efficiency. The RTX 4050 Mobile wins 6 of 9 head-to-head benchmarks, while the RTX 3060 Mobile wins the remaining 3, including the demanding Geekbench compute tests. The data suggests the RTX 4050 Mobile is the better choice for modern DirectX 9, 11, and 12 workloads, as well as overall 3D rendering, while the RTX 3060 Mobile retains an edge in OpenCL and Vulkan compute performance. The RTX 4050 Mobile also posts a higher average benchmark score (19,049 vs 18,159) and a slightly better percentile rank (63rd vs 62nd), making it the more capable all-around part despite its younger sibling having more shading units and a wider memory bus.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the compiled benchmark scores, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile is the superior GPU for most gaming and graphics workloads. Its PassMark G3D score of 14,423 is 9% higher than the RTX 3060 Mobile’s 13,230, and it demonstrates decisive wins in legacy DirectX 9 (26% faster), DirectX 11 (18.2% faster), and DirectX 12 (5.2% faster). The RTX 4050 Mobile also edges out the RTX 3060 Mobile in GPU compute (5,947 vs 5,718, a 4% lead) and 2D graphics (633 vs 588, a 7.7% lead). This makes it the default recommendation for anyone prioritizing frame rates in current and older game titles.

However, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile is not without its merits. It wins the Geekbench OpenCL test (79,483 vs 74,748, a 6% lead) and the Geekbench Vulkan test (80,344 vs 75,235, a 6.4% lead), indicating stronger raw compute throughput in those specific APIs. It also wins the PassMark DirectX 10 test by 12.2%. For users whose workloads rely heavily on OpenCL or Vulkan compute—such as certain productivity or rendering tasks—the RTX 3060 Mobile remains a viable, if older, choice. The data also shows the RTX 3060 Mobile sits at the 62nd percentile of all GPUs, just one point behind the RTX 4050 Mobile’s 63rd, so the overall performance gap is not enormous.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4050 Mobile dominates in API-specific gaming benchmarks. Its biggest victory is in PassMark DirectX 9, where it scores 184 versus 146, a massive 26% advantage. This suggests superior legacy driver optimization or architectural efficiency for older titles. It also wins DirectX 11 by 18.2% (130 vs 110) and DirectX 12 by 5.2% (61 vs 58), covering the most common modern gaming APIs. The PassMark G3D result (14,423 vs 13,230) reinforces that this GPU is the stronger choice for overall 3D rendering performance. Additionally, the RTX 4050 Mobile wins the 2D test (633 vs 588) and the GPU Compute test (5,947 vs 5,718), showing it is not just a gaming specialist but also better at general-purpose compute in the PassMark suite.

The RTX 3060 Mobile’s wins are concentrated in the Geekbench suite. It leads in Geekbench OpenCL by 6% (79,483 vs 74,748) and Geekbench Vulkan by 6.4% (80,344 vs 75,235). These are substantial margins that suggest the Ampere architecture’s higher shading unit count (3,840 vs 2,560) and wider memory bus (192-bit vs 96-bit) provide a real advantage in these specific compute-heavy workloads. The RTX 3060 Mobile also wins PassMark DirectX 10 by 12.2% (90 vs 79), which is an outlier compared to its losses in the other DirectX tests, likely reflecting a specific driver or hardware optimization for that older API.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and manufacturing processes. The RTX 4050 Mobile uses the AD107 chip based on Ada Lovelace architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process node. This allows for a remarkably compact die size of 159 mm² with 18,900 million transistors, yielding a transistor density of 118.9M per mm². In contrast, the RTX 3060 Mobile uses the GA106 chip based on Ampere architecture, fabricated by Samsung on an 8 nm node. Its die is significantly larger at 276 mm², but it packs fewer transistors (12,000 million), resulting in a much lower density of 43.5M per mm². This process advantage explains how the RTX 4050 Mobile achieves competitive or better performance despite having fewer cores.

The core configurations differ substantially. The RTX 4050 Mobile has 2,560 shading units, 80 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 20 RT cores, and 80 tensor cores. The RTX 3060 Mobile counters with 3,840 shading units, 120 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 30 RT cores, and 120 tensor cores—a 50% advantage in shaders, TMUs, RT cores, and tensor cores. Despite this, the RTX 4050 Mobile’s higher clocks (base 1,455 MHz vs 900 MHz; boost 1,755 MHz vs 1,425 MHz) and newer architecture close the gap. The memory subsystems also differ: both have 6 GB of GDDR6, but the RTX 3060 Mobile uses a 192-bit bus with 336.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the RTX 4050 Mobile uses a narrower 96-bit bus with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 4050 Mobile compensates with faster memory (16 Gbps effective vs 14 Gbps effective). The RTX 4050 Mobile also has a much lower TDP of 50 W versus 80 W, and it is listed as an IGP with no power connectors, while the RTX 3060 Mobile is end-of-life.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 19,049, which is higher than the RTX 3060 Mobile’s 18,159. The RTX 4050 Mobile’s closest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 6600 with a deltaPct of 0.1, while the RTX 3060 Mobile’s closest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 with a deltaPct of -0.2.

Q: Does the RTX 3060 Mobile win any compute benchmarks?

A: Yes. The RTX 3060 Mobile wins both Geekbench OpenCL (79,483 vs 74,748, a 6% lead) and Geekbench Vulkan (80,344 vs 75,235, a 6.4% lead). This indicates its larger core count and wider memory bus give it an edge in these specific API workloads.

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

A: The RTX 4050 Mobile wins the PassMark DirectX 12 test with a score of 61 versus 58 for the RTX 3060 Mobile, a 5.2% advantage. This is a smaller margin than its wins in DirectX 9 and 11, but it still favors the newer architecture.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 3060 Mobile has a memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s due to its 192-bit bus, while the RTX 4050 Mobile has 192.0 GB/s from a 96-bit bus. The RTX 4050 Mobile uses faster memory at 16 Gbps effective versus 14 Gbps effective for the RTX 3060 Mobile.

Q: Which GPU has a better overall 3D rendering score?

A: The RTX 4050 Mobile wins the PassMark G3D test with a score of 14,423, which is 9% higher than the RTX 3060 Mobile’s 13,230. This is a clear indicator of superior gaming and 3D workload performance.

Q: What are the power consumption differences?

A: The RTX 4050 Mobile has a TDP of 50 W, while the RTX 3060 Mobile has a TDP of 80 W. The RTX 4050 Mobile is also listed as an IGP with no power connectors, whereas the RTX 3060 Mobile has no power connectors listed either. This suggests the RTX 4050 Mobile is more power-efficient.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most significant victory for the RTX 4050 Mobile comes in PassMark DirectX 9, where it scores 184 versus 146—a dominant 26% lead. This is the largest delta in the entire head-to-head set and suggests the Ada Lovelace architecture handles legacy APIs with exceptional efficiency. The RTX 4050 Mobile also shows a strong 18.2% win in PassMark DirectX 11 (130 vs 110), cementing its status for older and current DirectX games. In PassMark G3D, the RTX 4050 Mobile wins 14,423 to 13,230, a 9% margin that reflects real-world 3D rendering superiority. Smaller but consistent wins appear in PassMark G2D (633 vs 588, +7.7%), PassMark GPU Compute (5,947 vs 5,718, +4%), and PassMark DirectX 12 (61 vs 58, +5.2%).

The RTX 3060 Mobile’s strongest counterattack is in the Geekbench suite. It wins Geekbench Vulkan with 80,344 versus 75,235, a 6.4% lead, and Geekbench OpenCL with 79,483 versus 74,748, a 6% lead. These are the only benchmarks where the RTX 3060 Mobile exceeds a 5% win margin, underscoring its compute-centric strengths. It also wins PassMark DirectX 10 by 12.2% (90 vs 79), which is notable because it loses the neighboring DirectX 9 and 11 tests. This suggests a specific optimization quirk rather than a general trend. Overall, the RTX 4050 Mobile wins 6 of 9 benchmarks, and its wins are more evenly distributed across gaming and general-purpose tests, while the RTX 3060 Mobile’s wins are concentrated in compute-heavy API tests.

Specification Differences

The following table highlights the key specification differences between the two GPUs, based solely on the data provided:

| Specification | RTX 4050 Mobile | RTX 3060 Mobile |

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

| 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 | 1455 MHz | 900 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1755 MHz | 1425 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) | 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Bus Width | 96 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 192.0 GB/s | 336.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2560 | 3840 |

| TMUs | 80 | 120 |

| ROPs | 48 | 48 |

| RT Cores | 20 | 30 |

| Tensor Cores | 80 | 120 |

| Pixel Rate | 84.24 GPixel/s | 68.40 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 140.4 GTexel/s | 171.0 GTexel/s |

| FP32 (TFLOPS) | 8.986 | 10.94 |

| FP16 (TFLOPS) | 8.986 (1:1) | 10.94 (1:1) |

| TDP | 50 W | 80 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | (Not listed) |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2023-01-02 | 2021-01-11 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 30 Mobile | GeForce 20 Mobile |

| Successor | GeForce 50 Mobile | (None listed) |

The RTX 4050 Mobile’s smaller die and higher density, combined with its significantly lower TDP, make it a marvel of modern process technology. The RTX 3060 Mobile’s larger core count and wider memory bus are its primary advantages, but they come at the cost of higher power draw and an older, larger manufacturing node. The RTX 4050 Mobile’s higher pixel rate (84.24 vs 68.40 GPixel/s) despite lower texture rate (140.4 vs 171.0 GTexel/s) indicates a different balance of ROP and TMU efficiency. Both GPUs support DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so software feature parity is maintained. The RTX 4050 Mobile’s active production status and the RTX 3060 Mobile’s end-of-life status also signal that the newer part is the forward-looking choice.