NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results present a clear split between older DirectX workloads and modern or compute-oriented tasks. The RTX 3070 Mobile wins 3 of 10 benchmark comparisons, while the RTX 4060 takes 7. The most decisive victory for the RTX 3070 Mobile is in Geekbench Vulkan, where it scores 86,768 versus 48,643, a massive 78.4% advantage. This is a standout result, indicating that the Ampere architecture's Vulkan implementation holds a significant edge over Ada Lovelace in this specific test.

The RTX 4060 counters with its strongest wins in legacy DirectX tests. In Passmark DirectX 9, the RTX 4060 scores 236 versus 160, a 32.2% lead. Similarly, in Passmark DirectX 11, it scores 175 against 138, a 21.1% margin, and in Passmark DirectX 12, it leads 76 to 64, a 15.8% difference. The RTX 4060 also dominates the general 3D workload: Passmark G3D shows 19,545 versus 15,309, a 21.7% gap, and Passmark GPU Compute shows 9,213 versus 6,827, a 25.9% advantage.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test is nearly a tie, with the RTX 3070 Mobile edging ahead 2,380 to 2,302, a 3.4% difference. Geekbench OpenCL is also close, with the RTX 4060 leading 95,057 to 92,939, a 2.2% margin. The Passmark DirectX 10 test favors the RTX 3070 Mobile slightly, 113 to 103, a 9.7% lead. The largest single gap in the entire comparison is the Vulkan result, followed by the DirectX 9 and compute results favoring the RTX 4060.

When placed against the broader database, the average benchmark scores tell a different story. The RTX 3070 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 20,534, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Arc B570 (20,556, -0.1%), Intel Arc A750 (20,582, -0.2%), and AMD Radeon R9 M390X (20,662, -0.6%). The RTX 4060, with an average score of 17,639, sits in the 61st percentile, with rivals such as the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17,666, -0.2%) and AMD Radeon 780M (17,588, +0.3%). This means the RTX 3070 Mobile, despite losing the head-to-head count, holds a higher overall standing in the database.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from distinct architectural generations. The RTX 3070 Mobile uses the GA104 chip, built on Ampere architecture with an 8 nm process from Samsung. The RTX 4060 uses the AD107 chip, built on Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC. This node difference is significant: the RTX 4060 packs 18,900 million transistors into a 159 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 118.9M per mm². The RTX 3070 Mobile has 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die, for a density of 44.4M per mm². The Ada Lovelace chip is far more compact and dense.

Core counts also diverge sharply. The RTX 3070 Mobile has 5,120 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, with 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores. The RTX 4060 has 3,072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, with 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores. Despite having fewer cores, the RTX 4060 achieves similar FP32 throughput: 15.11 TFLOPS versus 15.97 TFLOPS for the RTX 3070 Mobile. This is a narrower gap than the core counts would suggest, pointing to higher per-clock efficiency in Ada Lovelace.

Memory configurations are another differentiator. Both cards have 8 GB of GDDR6, but the RTX 3070 Mobile uses a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the RTX 4060 uses a 128-bit bus with 272.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 3070 Mobile has a clear bandwidth advantage, which may explain its strong Vulkan showing. Clock speeds are reversed: the RTX 3070 Mobile runs at a base of 1110 MHz and boost of 1560 MHz, while the RTX 4060 runs at 1830 MHz base and 2460 MHz boost. Memory clocks also differ, with the RTX 3070 Mobile at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) and the RTX 4060 at 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective).

Power draw is identical at 115 W TDP for both. The RTX 4060 has a dual-slot form factor, a single 12-pin power connector, and a suggested PSU of 300 W. The RTX 3070 Mobile has no dedicated power connectors listed and is described as portable device dependent. The RTX 4060 also has defined dimensions: 240 mm length, 111 mm height, and 40 mm width, while the RTX 3070 Mobile lists no dimensions. Bus interfaces differ: PCIe 4.0 x16 for the RTX 3070 Mobile versus PCIe 4.0 x8 for the RTX 4060.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 3070 Mobile has 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, versus 272.0 GB/s for the RTX 4060.

Q: Why does the RTX 3070 Mobile win Vulkan by such a large margin?

A: The Geekbench Vulkan score for the RTX 3070 Mobile is 86,768 versus 48,643 for the RTX 4060, a 78.4% difference, likely due to its wider 256-bit memory bus and higher shading unit count.

Q: Is the RTX 4060 faster in all modern DirectX tests?

A: No. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RTX 3070 Mobile wins 2,380 to 2,302, a 3.4% margin. The RTX 4060 wins in Passmark DirectX 11 and 12, but not in that specific 3DMark test.

Q: What is the performance percentile of each GPU?

A: The RTX 3070 Mobile sits at the 65th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 4060 sits at the 61st percentile.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Which GPU has more RT cores?

A: The RTX 3070 Mobile has 40 RT cores, while the RTX 4060 has 24 RT cores.

The Verdict

The data supports a nuanced choice. If the workload leans heavily on Vulkan or memory-intensive tasks, the RTX 3070 Mobile is the better pick. Its Vulkan score is 78.4% higher, and its bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is nearly double that of the RTX 4060. The RTX 3070 Mobile also holds a higher database percentile (65th versus 61st) and a higher average benchmark score (20,534 versus 17,639). For users running Vulkan-based titles or applications that benefit from wide memory buses, this is the clear winner.

The RTX 4060 is the better choice for legacy DirectX workloads and general compute. It wins Passmark DirectX 9, 10 (though barely), 11, and 12, plus G2D, G3D, and GPU Compute. Its Passmark G3D score of 19,545 is 21.7% ahead of the RTX 3070 Mobile, and its GPU Compute score of 9,213 is 25.9% ahead. For older game engines, compute-heavy tasks, or 2D applications (where it leads 1,037 to 641, a 38.2% margin), the RTX 4060 is superior.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad result is too close to call decisively, with the RTX 3070 Mobile ahead by just 3.4%. Geekbench OpenCL is also close, favoring the RTX 4060 by 2.2%. The RTX 4060's higher clock speeds (1830 MHz base, 2460 MHz boost) and lower power footprint per core likely contribute to its wins in compute and legacy tests, despite fewer cores.

Specification Differences

| Specification | RTX 3070 Mobile | RTX 4060 |

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

| Process Node | 8 nm | 5 nm |

| Foundry | Samsung | TSMC |

| Transistors | 17,400 million | 18,900 million |

| Die Size | 392 mm² | 159 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 44.4M / mm² | 118.9M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1110 MHz | 1830 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1560 MHz | 2460 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1750 MHz (14 Gbps) | 2125 MHz (17 Gbps) |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 448.0 GB/s | 272.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 5120 | 3072 |

| TMUs | 160 | 96 |

| ROPs | 80 | 48 |

| RT Cores | 40 | 24 |

| Tensor Cores | 160 | 96 |

| Pixel Rate | 124.8 GPixel/s | 118.1 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 249.6 GTexel/s | 236.2 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 15.97 TFLOPS | 15.11 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 115 W | 115 W |

| Slot Width | Not listed | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 1x 12-pin |

| Suggested PSU | Not listed | 300 W |

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

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Dimensions | Not listed | 240 mm x 111 mm x 40 mm |

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3070 Mobile wins in scenarios that reward raw memory bandwidth and core count. Its 256-bit bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are unmatched by the RTX 4060, which explains its dominant Vulkan performance. Applications that use Vulkan for rendering, or tasks that stream large textures, will favor this card. Its higher shading unit count (5,120 versus 3,072) and RT core count (40 versus 24) also give it an edge in ray-traced workloads, should the software scale with those resources. The 3DMark Steel Nomad result, while close, still goes to the RTX 3070 Mobile, suggesting it holds up in modern DX12 at high load.

The RTX 4060 wins in almost every other category. Its Passmark G3D score of 19,545 versus 15,309 shows a clear advantage in general 3D rendering, likely due to its higher boost clock of 2460 MHz versus 1560 MHz. It also dominates compute tasks, with GPU Compute scores 25.9% higher. For users running DirectX 9, 11, or 12 legacy titles, the RTX 4060 is the performer, with wins of 32.2%, 21.1%, and 15.8% respectively. Its G2D score of 1,037 versus 641 makes it the better choice for 2D interfaces and desktop workloads. The RTX 4060 also has a shorter, more standard form factor with defined dimensions and a 12-pin connector, which may ease installation in desktop cases.

The RTX 3070 Mobile is end-of-life and released in January 2021, while the RTX 4060 is also end-of-life but released in May 2023. The RTX 4060 has a listed launch MSRP of 299 USD. For builders prioritizing Vulkan performance and memory bandwidth, the RTX 3070 Mobile is the pick. For everything else, from legacy DirectX to compute, the RTX 4060 is the more versatile choice.