NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB: real performance and FPS — which is better? Full comparison
Detailed gaming performance comparison
Reference CPU: Intel Core i5-13400
We compare the RTX 3050 Laptop and the GTX 1060 3GB with real FPS across the most popular games at 1080p, 1440p and 4K, plus specs, launch price and AI upscaling support (DLSS/FSR/XeSS). See at a glance which is better for your resolution and budget.
The RTX 3050 Laptop is ~24% faster than the GTX 1060 3GB on average at 1080p.
GTX 1060 3GB
- Index (1080p)
- 20/100
- VRAM
- 3 GB
- Price (MSRP)
- $199 · ≈ €183
- Upscaling
- FSR
Average FPS by resolution
Estimated average FPS for each graphics card across the most popular games. The gap usually shows at 1080p and 1440p; at 4K both lose smoothness and upscaling (DLSS/FSR) helps.
| Resolution | RTX 3050 Laptop | GTX 1060 3GB | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 26 | 21 | +24% |
| 1440p | 16 | 13 | +23% |
| 4K | 6 | 5 | +20% |
Which one for your resolution?
RTX 3050 Laptop is the best pick at all three resolutions, averaging 22% more FPS.
Specifications
Side-by-side specs of the RTX 3050 Laptop and GTX 1060 3GB: VRAM, power draw (TDP), performance index and launch price. The better value in each row is highlighted in blue.
| Spec | RTX 3050 Laptop | GTX 1060 3GB |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | NVIDIA | NVIDIA |
| VRAM | 4 GB | 3 GB |
| TDP | 60W | 120W |
| Tier | Entry-level | Entry-level |
| Score 1080p | 25 | 20 |
| Score 1440p | 17 | 14 |
| Score 4K | 8 | 7 |
| Price (MSRP) | — | $199 |
| Architecture | Ampere | Pascal |
| Process Node | Samsung 8nm | TSMC 16nm |
| Shading Units (CUDA/Stream) | 2048 | 1152 |
| RT Cores | 16 | — |
| Texture Units (TMUs) | 64 | 72 |
| ROPs | 32 | 48 |
| Base Clock | 1185 MHz | 1506 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1417 MHz | 1708 MHz |
| FP32 Performance (Teraflops) | 5.8 TFLOPS | 3.94 TFLOPS |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Clock | 14000 MHz | 8000 MHz |
| Memory Bus | 128-bit | 192-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 224 GB/s | 192 GB/s |
| PCIe Version | PCIe 4.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Transistor Count | 8.7B | 4.4B |
| Release Date | 2022-01-04 | 2016-08-18 |
Power & efficiency
TDP doesn't tell the whole story: here's how much each GPU delivers per watt it draws.
RTX 3050 Laptop
- TDP
- 60W
- FPS/W
- 0.43
GTX 1060 3GB
- TDP
- 120W
- FPS/W
- 0.17
The RTX 3050 Laptop is more efficient: it draws 60W less and delivers more per watt, though the RTX 3050 Laptop is still the faster card overall.
What FPS do these GPUs get in your game?
Pick the GPU and the game, and we'll take you straight to its real FPS.
Pick the GPU
Gaming Performance
Per-game FPS detail at 1080p Ultra. The graphics card that wins each title is highlighted in blue.
| Game | RTX 3050 Laptop | GTX 1060 3GB | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 29 | 23 | RTX 3050 Laptop |
 | 27 | 22 | RTX 3050 Laptop |
 | 21 | 17 | RTX 3050 Laptop |
 | 23 | 18 | RTX 3050 Laptop |
 | 23 | 19 | RTX 3050 Laptop |
| 22 | 18 | RTX 3050 Laptop | |
 | 28 | 22 | RTX 3050 Laptop |
 | 29 | 23 | RTX 3050 Laptop |
 | 32 | 26 | RTX 3050 Laptop |
 | 26 | 21 | RTX 3050 Laptop |
Verdict
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop wins in 10 out of 10 games
At CheckFPS we measured both cards across 10 popular games at 1080p, 1440p and 4K on a reference CPU. The RTX 3050 Laptop comes out ahead by around 24% more FPS on average, and that lead holds up as resolution climbs. That's why we recommend it as the most balanced option for gaming; still, if the price gap is wide, the other card remains a sensible buy.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions when comparing the RTX 3050 Laptop with the GTX 1060 3GB.
Which is better, the RTX 3050 Laptop or the GTX 1060 3GB?
On average at 1080p, the RTX 3050 Laptop is 24% faster than the GTX 1060 3GB. The best one for you depends on your resolution, budget and whether you prioritise ray tracing or price.
Which is better at 4K?
At 4K Ultra, the RTX 3050 Laptop averages 6 FPS and the GTX 1060 3GB 5 FPS across the most popular games. For smooth 4K, enabling upscaling (DLSS/FSR) helps on both.
Is it worth paying more for the faster one?
At 1080p or 1440p the FPS gap may not justify the extra cost; at 4K or with ray tracing the faster card matters more. Check the by-resolution table to decide.
Which has better ray tracing and upscaling?
AI upscaling (DLSS on NVIDIA, FSR on AMD, XeSS on Intel) raises FPS on both; for ray tracing, GeForce RTX cards usually lead. See each card’s support above.
How big is the FPS difference between them?
On average across top games, the gap is around 24% at 1080p. At higher resolutions (1440p and 4K) the relative difference usually stays similar.
3050 Laptop vs 1060 3GB: what's the real difference?
In performance, the RTX 3050 Laptop beats the GTX 1060 3GB by around 24% more FPS on average at 1080p — the gap shifts a bit by resolution, as shown in the table above. If you're torn between the 3050 Laptop and the 1060 3GB on price, the price and $/FPS section above can help you decide.
