NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile vs NVIDIA Quadro M4000M Comparison

NVIDIA Quadro M4000M vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile

The database shows two NVIDIA mobile GPUs separated by nearly six years of architectural evolution. The Quadro M4000M, released in August 2015, represents the professional Maxwell 2.0 generation, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, launched in January 2021, is a consumer Ampere part. Across the two recorded head-to-head benchmark tests, the RTX 3060 Mobile wins both, with the average benchmark score of 20,480 for the Quadro M4000M versus 18,159 for the RTX 3060 Mobile. This apparent contradiction, where the older card holds a higher average score, is explained by the different benchmark suites available for each GPU. The RTX 3060 Mobile has a much broader set of recorded tests, including DirectX 9 through 12, compute, and 3DMark Steel Nomad, while the Quadro M4000M only has Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan results. The percentile ranks place the Quadro M4000M at 65% of all GPUs, while the RTX 3060 Mobile sits at 62%, meaning the older professional card ranks slightly higher against the entire database of recorded graphics processors.

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data shows a clear split in workload suitability. The Quadro M4000M, despite being older, posts competitive scores in the two Geekbench tests it shares with the RTX 3060 Mobile. In Geekbench OpenCL, the Quadro scores 19,989, which places it within 0.3% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile and 0.4% of the Intel Arc B570. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 20,971 is similarly close to those rivals, landing 0.5% behind the Intel Arc A750. This suggests the Quadro M4000M remains a capable compute performer for its era, especially in OpenCL and Vulkan workloads that do not rely on modern hardware features.

The RTX 3060 Mobile, by contrast, dominates in raw computational throughput. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 79,483 is nearly four times the Quadro's result, and its Vulkan score of 80,344 is similarly overwhelming. The delta percentages in the head-to-head table show the Quadro trailing by 74.9% in OpenCL and 73.9% in Vulkan. Beyond Geekbench, the RTX 3060 Mobile records a Passmark G3D score of 13,230, a Passmark GPU Compute score of 5,718, and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,821. These additional tests cover gaming-oriented DirectX paths and modern compute APIs, areas where the Quadro M4000M has no recorded data. The RTX 3060 Mobile also shows strong legacy DirectX performance in the Passmark suite, with DirectX 9 at 146, DirectX 11 at 110, and DirectX 10 at 90, though DirectX 12 drops to 58.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design eras. The Quadro M4000M uses the GM204 chip on a 28 nm TSMC process, packing 5,200 million transistors into a 398 mm² die for a transistor density of 13.1 million per square millimeter. The RTX 3060 Mobile uses the GA106 chip fabricated by Samsung on an 8 nm process, with 12,000 million transistors in a 276 mm² die, achieving a density of 43.5 million per square millimeter. The newer chip is more than twice as dense, allowing the RTX 3060 Mobile to fit 3,840 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units. The Quadro M4000M has 1,280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RTX 3060 Mobile also includes 30 ray tracing cores and 120 tensor cores, features entirely absent from the Maxwell-based Quadro.

Memory configurations differ substantially. The Quadro M4000M uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 160.4 GB/s of bandwidth at 5 Gbps effective memory speed. The RTX 3060 Mobile has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a narrower 192-bit bus, but the higher 14 Gbps effective speed produces 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth, more than double the Quadro's throughput. Clock behavior also diverges: the Quadro operates at a 975 MHz base and 1,013 MHz boost, while the RTX 3060 Mobile starts lower at 900 MHz but boosts to 1,425 MHz. The compute output reflects these differences. The Quadro M4000M delivers 2.593 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the RTX 3060 Mobile reaches 10.94 TFLOPS. The RTX 3060 Mobile also has FP16 capability at a 1:1 ratio, matching its FP32 throughput, while the Quadro has no recorded FP16 performance. Pixel and texture rates favor the newer card: 68.40 GPixel/s versus 64.83 GPixel/s, and 171.0 GTexel/s versus 81.04 GTexel/s.

The Verdict

The data points to the RTX 3060 Mobile as the superior compute and graphics processor in nearly every measurable way. Its FP32 throughput is 4.2 times higher, its memory bandwidth is 2.1 times higher, and its texture rate is 2.1 times higher. The RTX 3060 Mobile also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate with ray tracing and tensor cores, while the Quadro M4000M only reaches DirectX 12_1. For gaming, modern API workloads, or any task that leverages FP16 or ray tracing, the RTX 3060 Mobile is the clear choice from the recorded benchmarks.

The Quadro M4000M retains relevance only in specific narrow contexts. Its 64 ROPs exceed the RTX 3060 Mobile's 48, giving it a slight edge in pixel-heavy operations at lower resolutions, and its 256-bit memory bus may help in certain bandwidth-sensitive professional workloads. The average benchmark score of 20,480 versus 18,159 also reflects that the Quadro M4000M, when compared across the same modern benchmark set, holds its own against contemporary midrange cards. However, the absence of any DirectX 12 Ultimate features, ray tracing, or tensor cores limits its modern usability. The production status of both GPUs is end-of-life, but the RTX 3060 Mobile offers a longer feature lifespan. The RTX 3060 Mobile also has a lower TDP of 80 W compared to the Quadro's 100 W, making it more power-efficient despite delivering over four times the compute throughput.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Quadro M4000M has an average benchmark score of 20,480, while the RTX 3060 Mobile has 18,159. However, the RTX 3060 Mobile has far more recorded benchmarks, including DirectX and 3DMark tests that the Quadro does not have.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 3060 Mobile in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The RTX 3060 Mobile scores 79,483 in Geekbench OpenCL, compared to 19,989 for the Quadro M4000M. The delta percentage shows the Quadro trailing by 74.9%.

Q: Does the Quadro M4000M support ray tracing?

A: No. The Quadro M4000M has no ray tracing cores or tensor cores. The RTX 3060 Mobile includes 30 ray tracing cores and 120 tensor cores.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RTX 3060 Mobile has 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth from 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus. The Quadro M4000M has 160.4 GB/s from 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The RTX 3060 Mobile has 3,840 shading units, versus 1,280 for the Quadro M4000M. The RTX 3060 Mobile also has 120 TMUs compared to 80.

Q: What is the process node difference?

A: The Quadro M4000M is built on a 28 nm TSMC process, while the RTX 3060 Mobile uses an 8 nm Samsung process. The newer process allows a transistor density of 43.5M per mm² versus 13.1M per mm².

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only two directly comparable benchmarks in the database are Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. In OpenCL, the RTX 3060 Mobile scores 79,483 against the Quadro's 19,989, a delta of 74.9% in favor of the newer card. In Vulkan, the RTX 3060 Mobile scores 80,344 against 20,971, a delta of 73.9%. These results indicate that the RTX 3060 Mobile is approximately four times faster in both compute APIs. The RTX 3060 Mobile's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 at 0.2% behind, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER at 0.4% ahead, and the AMD Radeon RX 460 at 1.2% behind. The Quadro M4000M's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile at 0.3% behind and the Intel Arc B570 at 0.4% behind.

Beyond the shared tests, the RTX 3060 Mobile has a wider benchmark portfolio. Its Passmark G3D score of 13,230 and GPU Compute score of 5,718 show strong general graphics and compute performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,821 indicates modern gaming capability. The Passmark DirectX tests show a pattern: DirectX 9 at 146, DirectX 11 at 110, DirectX 10 at 90, and DirectX 12 at 58. These scores suggest the RTX 3060 Mobile handles older DirectX APIs well but struggles with the full DX12 feature set, likely due to the added complexity of ray tracing and mesh shaders. The Quadro M4000M has no recorded results for any of these tests, so no direct comparison is possible for gaming workloads.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field. The Quadro M4000M uses a 28 nm TSMC process with 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die, while the RTX 3060 Mobile uses an 8 nm Samsung process with 12,000 million transistors on a 276 mm² die. The RTX 3060 Mobile has a higher base clock of 900 MHz, but the Quadro starts higher at 975 MHz. The boost clocks diverge significantly: 1,425 MHz for the RTX 3060 Mobile versus 1,013 MHz for the Quadro. Memory speed is 14 Gbps effective for the RTX 3060 Mobile versus 5 Gbps for the Quadro. Memory size is 6 GB GDDR6 versus 4 GB GDDR5. Bus width is 192 bit versus 256 bit. Bandwidth is 336.0 GB/s versus 160.4 GB/s.

The compute unit counts show the RTX 3060 Mobile's advantage: 3,840 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, versus 1,280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RTX 3060 Mobile also has 30 ray tracing cores and 120 tensor cores, which the Quadro lacks entirely. FP32 performance is 10.94 TFLOPS versus 2.593 TFLOPS. The RTX 3060 Mobile has FP16 at 10.94 TFLOPS, while the Quadro has no FP16 data. Pixel rate is 68.40 GPixel/s versus 64.83 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 171.0 GTexel/s versus 81.04 GTexel/s. TDP is 80 W versus 100 W. The bus interface is PCIe 4.0 x16 versus PCIe 3.0 x16. The Quadro uses an MXM module slot. API support differs: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) versus DirectX 12 (12_1), with both supporting OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.