Radeon RX 7900M vs GeForce RTX 3060
Aggregate performance score
Radeon RX 7900M outperforms GeForce RTX 3060 by a substantial 30% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.
| Place in performance ranking | 71 | 33 |
| Place by popularity | 5 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 42.76 | no data |
| Architecture | Ampere (2020−2022) | RDNA 3 |
| GPU code name | Ampere GA106 | Navi 31 |
| Market segment | Desktop | Laptop |
| Release date | 12 January 2021 (3 years ago) | 19 October 2023 (less than a year ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $329 | no data |
| Current price | $317 (1x MSRP) | no data |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance to price ratio. The higher, the better.
Detailed specifications
General performance parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. These parameters indirectly speak of performance, but for precise assessment you have to consider their benchmark and gaming test results. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.
| Pipelines / CUDA cores | 3584 | 4608 |
| Core clock speed | 1320 MHz | 1825 MHz |
| Boost clock speed | 1777 MHz | 2090 MHz |
| Number of transistors | 13,250 million | 57,700 million |
| Manufacturing process technology | 8 nm | 5 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 170 Watt | 180 Watt (160 - 200 Watt TGP) |
| Texture fill rate | 199.0 | 601.9 |
Form factor & compatibility
Information on GeForce RTX 3060 and Radeon RX 7900M compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop video cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility). For notebook video cards it's notebook size, connection slot and bus, if the video card is inserted into a slot instead of being soldered to the notebook motherboard.
| Laptop size | no data | large |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| Length | 242 mm | no data |
| Width | 2-slot | no data |
| Supplementary power connectors | 1x 12-pin | None |
VRAM capacity and type
Parameters of VRAM installed: its type, size, bus, clock and resulting bandwidth. Integrated GPUs have no dedicated video RAM and use a shared part of system RAM.
| Memory type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 12 GB | 16 GB |
| Memory bus width | 192 Bit | 256 Bit |
| Memory clock speed | 15000 MHz | 18000 MHz |
| Memory bandwidth | 360.0 GB/s | 576.0 GB/s |
| Shared memory | - | - |
Connectivity and outputs
Types and number of video connectors present on the reviewed GPUs. As a rule, data in this section is precise only for desktop reference ones (so-called Founders Edition for NVIDIA chips). OEM manufacturers may change the number and type of output ports, while for notebook cards availability of certain video outputs ports depends on the laptop model rather than on the card itself.
| Display Connectors | 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort | Portable Device Dependent |
| HDMI | + | no data |
API compatibility
List of supported graphics and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |
| Shader Model | 6.5 | 6.7 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| OpenCL | 2.0 | 2.2 |
| Vulkan | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| CUDA | 8.6 | no data |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Non-gaming benchmark performance comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance score. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
Radeon RX 7900M outperforms GeForce RTX 3060 by 30% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Passmark
This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark, part of Passmark PerformanceTest suite. It gives the graphics card a thorough evaluation under various types of load, providing four separate benchmarks for Direct3D versions 9, 10, 11 and 12 (the last being done in 4K resolution if possible), and few more tests engaging DirectCompute capabilities.
Benchmark coverage: 25%
Radeon RX 7900M outperforms GeForce RTX 3060 by 30% in Passmark.
3DMark 11 Performance GPU
3DMark 11 is an obsolete DirectX 11 benchmark by Futuremark. It used four tests based on two scenes, one being few submarines exploring the submerged wreck of a sunken ship, the other is an abandoned temple deep in the jungle. All the tests are heavy with volumetric lighting and tessellation, and despite being done in 1280x720 resolution, are relatively taxing. Discontinued in January 2020, 3DMark 11 is now superseded by Time Spy.
Benchmark coverage: 17%
Radeon RX 7900M outperforms GeForce RTX 3060 by 111% in 3DMark 11 Performance GPU.
3DMark Fire Strike Graphics
Fire Strike is a DirectX 11 benchmark for gaming PCs. It features two separate tests displaying a fight between a humanoid and a fiery creature made of lava. Using 1920x1080 resolution, Fire Strike shows off some realistic graphics and is quite taxing on hardware.
Benchmark coverage: 14%
Radeon RX 7900M outperforms GeForce RTX 3060 by 135% in 3DMark Fire Strike Graphics.
Gaming performance
Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.
Average FPS across all PC games
Here are the average frames per second in a large set of popular games across different resolutions:
| Full HD | 122
−18.9%
| 145
+18.9%
|
| 1440p | 81
−30.9%
| 106
+30.9%
|
| 4K | 51
−49%
| 76
+49%
|
FPS performance in popular games
Full HD
Low Preset
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 79
−26.6%
|
100−105
+26.6%
|
Full HD
Medium Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 75−80
−23.7%
|
90−95
+23.7%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 102
+2%
|
100−105
−2%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 140−150
−28.9%
|
180−190
+28.9%
|
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 85−90
−22.5%
|
100−110
+22.5%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 78
−28.2%
|
100−105
+28.2%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 90−95
−17.2%
|
100−110
+17.2%
|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 100−110
−28.7%
|
130−140
+28.7%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 160−170
−18.6%
|
190−200
+18.6%
|
| Hitman 3 | 120
+7.1%
|
110−120
−7.1%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 259
+7.5%
|
240−250
−7.5%
|
| Metro Exodus | 120−130
−12.5%
|
130−140
+12.5%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 100−110
−14.7%
|
110−120
+14.7%
|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 226
−12.4%
|
250−260
+12.4%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 108
−13%
|
120−130
+13%
|
Full HD
High Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 75−80
−23.7%
|
90−95
+23.7%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 85
−17.6%
|
100−105
+17.6%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 140−150
−28.9%
|
180−190
+28.9%
|
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 85−90
−22.5%
|
100−110
+22.5%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 75
−26.7%
|
95−100
+26.7%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 90−95
−17.2%
|
100−110
+17.2%
|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 100−110
−28.7%
|
130−140
+28.7%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 160−170
−18.6%
|
190−200
+18.6%
|
| Hitman 3 | 104
−7.7%
|
110−120
+7.7%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 180−190
−33.1%
|
240−250
+33.1%
|
| Metro Exodus | 58
−133%
|
130−140
+133%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 100−110
−14.7%
|
110−120
+14.7%
|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 180
−41.1%
|
250−260
+41.1%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 171
+3%
|
160−170
−3%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 100−110
−17.3%
|
120−130
+17.3%
|
Full HD
Ultra Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 75−80
−23.7%
|
90−95
+23.7%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 75
−33.3%
|
100−105
+33.3%
|
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 85−90
−22.5%
|
100−110
+22.5%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 64
−25%
|
80−85
+25%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 90−95
−17.2%
|
100−110
+17.2%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 160−170
−18.6%
|
190−200
+18.6%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 142
−69.7%
|
240−250
+69.7%
|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 154
−123%
|
344
+123%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 73
−130%
|
168
+130%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 59
−107%
|
120−130
+107%
|
Full HD
Epic Preset
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 100−110
−14.7%
|
110−120
+14.7%
|
1440p
High Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 85−90
−42.5%
|
120−130
+42.5%
|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 100−110
−26.9%
|
130−140
+26.9%
|
1440p
Ultra Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 45−50
−32.7%
|
65−70
+32.7%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 60
−15%
|
65−70
+15%
|
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 65−70
−31.9%
|
90−95
+31.9%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 39
−28.2%
|
50−55
+28.2%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 94
−30.9%
|
123
+30.9%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 90−95
−38.3%
|
130−140
+38.3%
|
| Hitman 3 | 68
−19.1%
|
80−85
+19.1%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 106
−29.2%
|
130−140
+29.2%
|
| Metro Exodus | 89
−13.5%
|
100−110
+13.5%
|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 115
−117%
|
249
+117%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 65−70
−44.8%
|
95−100
+44.8%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 45
−33.3%
|
60−65
+33.3%
|
1440p
Epic Preset
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 75−80
−28.9%
|
95−100
+28.9%
|
4K
High Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 45−50
−44.4%
|
65−70
+44.4%
|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 35−40
−42.1%
|
50−55
+42.1%
|
| Hitman 3 | 45
−8.9%
|
45−50
+8.9%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 55−60
−41.4%
|
80−85
+41.4%
|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 43
−76.7%
|
76
+76.7%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 63
−84.1%
|
116
+84.1%
|
4K
Ultra Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 30−35
−41.9%
|
40−45
+41.9%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 38
−10.5%
|
40−45
+10.5%
|
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 27−30
−41.4%
|
40−45
+41.4%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 18
−16.7%
|
21−24
+16.7%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 27−30
−40.7%
|
35−40
+40.7%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 60−65
−43.5%
|
85−90
+43.5%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 60
−36.7%
|
80−85
+36.7%
|
| Metro Exodus | 50
−32%
|
65−70
+32%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 27
−25.9%
|
30−35
+25.9%
|
4K
Epic Preset
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 40−45
−42.5%
|
55−60
+42.5%
|
This is how RTX 3060 and RX 7900M compete in popular games:
- RX 7900M is 19% faster in 1080p
- RX 7900M is 31% faster in 1440p
- RX 7900M is 49% faster in 4K
Here's the range of performance differences observed across popular games:
- in Horizon Zero Dawn, with 1080p resolution and the Medium Preset, the RTX 3060 is 7% faster.
- in Metro Exodus, with 1080p resolution and the High Preset, the RX 7900M is 133% faster.
All in all, in popular games:
- RTX 3060 is ahead in 4 tests (6%)
- RX 7900M is ahead in 62 tests (94%)
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 44.22 | 57.62 |
| Recency | 12 January 2021 | 19 October 2023 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 12 GB | 16 GB |
| Chip lithography | 8 nm | 5 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 170 Watt | 180 Watt |
The Radeon RX 7900M is our recommended choice as it beats the GeForce RTX 3060 in performance tests.
Be aware that GeForce RTX 3060 is a desktop card while Radeon RX 7900M is a notebook one.
Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Comparisons with similar GPUs
We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.
