NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 AD106 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Max-Q Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains no direct head-to-head benchmark scores for these two GPUs. Both entries report an average benchmark score of zero and an empty benchmark array, meaning no comparative performance measurements are available in the database at this time. The percentile ranking for both parts against all GPUs is identical at 50, placing them in the middle of the distribution, but this does not indicate equal performance, only that both occupy the median position in the broader ranking.

Without measured scores, the most reliable comparative indicator is the theoretical peak throughput derived from clock rates and core counts. The desktop RTX 4060 AD106 delivers 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the Max-Q variant delivers 9.032 TFLOPS. This represents a 67.3% advantage for the desktop part in raw single-precision floating-point throughput. Similarly, texture fill rate shows 236.2 GTexel/s for the AD106 versus 141.1 GTexel/s for the Max-Q, a 67.4% gap. Pixel rate differs more substantially: 118.1 GPixel/s versus 70.56 GPixel/s, a 67.4% difference as well, driven by the same ROP count (48 on both) but a much higher boost clock on the desktop part.

Memory bandwidth also favors the AD106, with 272.0 GB/s versus 256.0 GB/s for the Max-Q, an 6.25% difference. Both use 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, but the desktop memory clock runs at 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective) versus 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) on the mobile part. The desktop card's boost clock of 2460 MHz compared to 1470 MHz for the Max-Q is the primary driver of the compute gap, alongside a base clock of 1830 MHz versus 1140 MHz.

The core configuration is otherwise identical: 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, 48 ROPs, 24 ray tracing cores, and 96 tensor cores on both chips. This means the performance difference is entirely a function of clock speeds and memory timing, not architectural resource counts. The AD106 has a 67.3% higher FP32 throughput and 6.25% more memory bandwidth, but both parts share the same shader and RT core counts, so the relative performance gap should scale roughly with the clock ratio in compute-bound workloads.

FAQ

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in raw compute performance?

A: The RTX 4060 AD106 delivers 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 compute versus 9.032 TFLOPS for the Max-Q, a 67.3% advantage for the desktop part. This gap is driven by the AD106's 2460 MHz boost clock versus 1470 MHz on the Max-Q, with identical core counts of 3072 shading units.

Q: Are the memory configurations the same?

A: Both use 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, but the AD106 runs at 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective) for 272.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the Max-Q runs at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) for 256.0 GB/s. The desktop part has 6.25% more bandwidth.

Q: What are the power requirements for each?

A: The AD106 has a TDP of 115 W and requires a 300 W suggested PSU with a 1x 12-pin power connector. The Max-Q has a TDP of 35 W, uses no power connectors, and has no suggested PSU listed.

Q: Do they use the same chip?

A: No. The AD106 uses the AD106 chip with 22,900 million transistors on a 188 mm² die, while the Max-Q uses the AD107 chip with 18,900 million transistors on a 159 mm² die. Both are fabricated on TSMC's 5 nm process.

Q: What is the release timeline for each?

A: The Max-Q was released on 2023-01-02 and is marked as Active in production. The AD106 was released on 2024-03-31 and is marked as End-of-life. The AD106 is part of the GeForce 40 series, while the Max-Q is part of GeForce 40 Mobile.

Q: Are there any differences in API support?

A: No. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The API feature sets are identical.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs share the Ada Lovelace architecture and 5 nm TSMC process node, but they are built on different chips. The AD106 uses the AD106 die with 22,900 million transistors across 188 mm², resulting in a transistor density of 121.8M per mm². The Max-Q uses the AD107 die with 18,900 million transistors across 159 mm², giving a density of 118.9M per mm². The AD106 die is 18.2% larger by area and holds 21.2% more transistors.

Core counts are identical across all functional units: 3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 24 RT cores, and 96 tensor cores. This means the architecture implements the same execution resources on both dies, but with different transistor budgets. The extra transistors on the AD106 go toward higher clock capability and possibly other uncore features, though the database does not specify what those are.

Clock behavior differs substantially. The AD106 has a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz. The Max-Q has a base clock of 1140 MHz and a boost clock of 1470 MHz. This 990 MHz boost clock difference (67.3% higher on the desktop part) is the main architectural differentiator in practice, since the core configuration is otherwise identical.

Memory clocks also differ: the AD106 runs memory at 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective) versus 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) on the Max-Q. Both use GDDR6 with a 128-bit bus. The physical form factor differs as well: the AD106 is a dual-slot card with a 1x 12-pin power connector and a 300 W suggested PSU, while the Max-Q is an IGP (integrated graphics package) with no power connectors and no suggested PSU. Display outputs also differ: the AD106 has 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the Max-Q's outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent."

The production status differs: the AD106 is End-of-life, while the Max-Q is Active. The predecessor and successor generations differ too: the AD106 follows GeForce 30 and precedes GeForce 50, while the Max-Q follows GeForce 30 Mobile and precedes GeForce 50 Mobile.

The Verdict

The data indicates two distinct products for different use cases. The RTX 4060 AD106 is a desktop card with significantly higher clock speeds, delivering 67.3% more FP32 throughput and 6.25% more memory bandwidth than the Max-Q variant. It operates at 115 W TDP, requires external power through a 12-pin connector, and is a dual-slot PCIe 4.0 x8 card. Its production status is End-of-life, having been released in 2024-03-31.

The RTX 4060 Max-Q is a mobile part with a 35 W TDP, no power connectors, and an IGP form factor. It runs at much lower clocks (1470 MHz boost versus 2460 MHz) and consequently produces 9.032 TFLOPS versus 15.11 TFLOPS. It is still in Active production, released earlier on 2023-01-02. The Max-Q trades compute throughput for power efficiency, fitting into thin-and-light laptops where a 115 W card is not feasible.

For users who need maximum performance in a desktop chassis, the AD106 is the clear choice based on the recorded specifications: it has higher clocks, more bandwidth, and the same core configuration. For mobile systems where power draw and physical size are constrained, the Max-Q is the only viable option among the two, given its 35 W TDP and IGP form factor. Neither part has a recorded benchmark score, so the verdict rests entirely on theoretical throughput and power characteristics. The identical core counts mean that any software workload that scales with clock speed will favor the AD106 proportionally to the clock ratio.

The release timeline also matters: the Max-Q has been available since early 2023 and remains active, while the AD106 launched over a year later and is already end-of-life. This suggests the desktop part may be harder to source going forward, while the mobile part remains a current product.

Specification Differences

| Specification | RTX 4060 AD106 | RTX 4060 Max-Q |

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

| Chip | AD106 | AD107 |

| Generation | GeForce 40 | GeForce 40 Mobile |

| Transistors | 22,900 million | 18,900 million |

| Die Size | 188 mm² | 159 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 121.8M / mm² | 118.9M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1830 MHz | 1140 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2460 MHz | 1470 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective) | 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 272.0 GB/s | 256.0 GB/s |

| Pixel Rate | 118.1 GPixel/s | 70.56 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 236.2 GTexel/s | 141.1 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 15.11 TFLOPS | 9.032 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 15.11 TFLOPS (1:1) | 9.032 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 115 W | 35 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

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

| Suggested PSU | 300 W | None |

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

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

| Release Date | 2024-03-31 | 2023-01-02 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 30 | GeForce 30 Mobile |

| Successor | GeForce 50 | GeForce 50 Mobile |

The two parts share identical core counts (3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 24 RT cores, 96 tensor cores), memory size (8 GB GDDR6), bus width (128 bit), bus interface (PCIe 4.0 x8), and API support (DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4). The differences are concentrated in clock speeds, power envelope, physical form factor, and production lifecycle.