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We will compare RTX 4060 laptop vs RTX 3060 laptop to help you make your final decision.
The RTX 4060 is Nvidia’s latest addition to the 40-series family. The newly released graphics card be found in models including Razer Blade, MSI Cyborg, and other Acer and ASUS laptops. Equipped with Nvidia’s new Ada Lovelace architecture, RTX 4060 laptops pack a punch and can handle intense workloads.
But where does that leave RTX 3060 laptops, which were released almost two years ago? It’s easy to be distracted by the stunning new specs offered by the 4060, but in truth, 3060 laptops remain popular for a reason. You can expect a 3060 laptop to deliver a good mid-range performance for a more affordable price.
Your choice between RTX 4060 laptop and RTX 3060 laptop depends on your budget and usage. If you’re after a gaming laptop, consider our selection of the best 4060 gaming laptops. Or, if money is at the forefront of your mind, check out our selection of the best gaming laptops under $1000.
It’s a tough decision, so we’ll be guiding you through how these laptops compare in terms of performance, price, and specs to make things easier.
So, let’s jump to it! Here are the differences and similarities between RTX 4060 laptop vs RTX 3060 laptop.
RTX 4060 laptop vs RTX 3060 laptop – specs comparison
We’ve listed the most important laptop specs below. Read further down for an explanation of what these features mean.
| Specs | RTX 4060 laptop graphics card | RTX 3060 laptop graphics card |
| GPU | AD107 | GA106-300 |
| CUDA Cores | 3,072 | 3,840 |
| Clock Speed | 1.47 – 2.37GHz | 0.9 – 1.425GHZ |
| VRAM | 8GB GDDR6 | 6GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 128-bit | 192-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 256 GB/s | 360 GB/s |
| TGP | 115W | 170W |
The bottom line is that the RTX 4060 clearly comes out in terms of performance, particularly in terms of its lower TGP and current-gen Ada Lovelace architecture. If you’re looking to game in 4K, or else plan to put your laptop through intensive workloads, an RTX 4060 laptop will likely be better suited to the job.
Architecture
Like the other 40-series graphics cards, the RTX 4060 is based on the 4nm process of TSMC (known as Ada Lovelace). In comparison, the 3060 is built upon the 8nm Samsung process (known as Ampere).
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If you’re wondering what the 4nm differences mean between these two GPUs, the smaller process size of the 4060 chip means more transistors can be put into the same amount of space. And how does this equate to performance? Well, it increases the efficiency of the laptop which you can see in the 4060’s significantly lower TGP. We’ll discuss this more below.
GPU & CUDA Cores
Though it’s tempting to conclude that the RTX 3060 gaming laptop has a higher number of CUDA Cores which must equate to better performance, this would be incorrect.
Read More: RTX 3060 gaming laptop price – are they worth it?
The reason for the higher number of CUDA Cores is to do with the size of the GPU chip, in this case, the GA106-300. While CUDA Cores are important for gaming performance, it is not a simple equation of more CUDA Cores equating to a higher performing laptop.
In other words, the Ada Lovelace GPU chip is smaller, but it’s also more powerful than the Ampere chip.
Clock speed and TGP
Clock speed is super important when examining performance.
As you can see from the table, both the base and boost clock speeds are greater on the 4060. As a general rule, a higher clock speed equates to a faster CPU (though other factors, like GPU architecture, come into play).
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As for TGP (Total Graphics Power), the story is slightly different, since not all laptop graphics cards are created equal. The amount of power a particular RTX 4060 laptop uses might well be different compared to another RTX 4060 laptop. This means that a greater performance (which you can get a sense of in clock speed) might be at the expense of battery life.
When choosing the laptop you want, consider which features you want to prioritize. For example, if you’re on the go a lot, you might have to sacrifice a bit of processing power for better battery life.
VRAM, memory bus & memory bandwidth
VRAM is the short term memory of a graphics card and is worth paying extra attention to if you’re a gamer or graphics designer. This is because more VRAM and larger memory bus/bandwidth enable a smoother experience and better frame rate latency.
Although the memory bus and bandwidth are lower for 4060 laptops, the 4060 will still be better equipped for handling high resolutions like 4K.
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Meanwhile, the RTX 3060 still boasts a decent amount of VRAM. The only potential issue is that games further down the line will likely demand more VRAM. While it’s no issue, especially for gaming at 1080p right now, it’s definitely something to think about in several years.
If you can afford it, go for a 4060 laptop to better future-proof your set-up.
RTX 4060 laptop vs RTX 3060 laptop – price
We’ve seen some impressive RTX 4060 laptops, but at what price? We’ve seen them listed from anywhere between $1,099 to an eye-watering $2,699. Below we’ve listed some worth checking out in order of price (cheapest first).
MSI Katana
Display
15.6″
Resolution
1920 x 1080
RAM
16GB
Refresh Rate
144Hz
GPU
RTX 4060
CPU
Intel Core i7-12650H
XMG Neo 16 (E23)
Display Size
16″
Resolution
2560 x 1600
RAM
16GB
Refresh Rate
240Hz
GPU
RTX 4060
CPU
Intel Core i9-13900HX
Razer Blade 16 RTX 4060 Gaming Laptop
Display size
16in
Resolution
2560 x 1600p
RAM
16GB
Refresh rate
240Hz
GPU
RTX 4060
CPU
i9-13950HX
It’s possible to find an RTX 3060 laptop for much less than $1,000, and if you do, it’s probably on sale. So, in a way, the RTX 4060 potentially offers the best value if you’re going for one of the cheaper models.
- ASUS ROG Zephyrus 14″ RTX 3060 laptop – was
$1,399now $999 - Acer Predator Helios 15.6″ 3060 gaming laptop – $1,499
Final word
Overall, we hope brought you closer to making your final decision.
Unless you’re keen to snag a laptop for under $1000 while some of these deals last, the RTX 4060 laptop potentially offers better value if you’re going for a cheaper model. That being said, the 3060 laptops will remain relevant until at least 2025, so if you can find one for a price that you like, by all means, go for it!
Frequently asked questions
What is the RTX 4060 laptop GPU equivalent to?
In laptop terms, the RTX 4060 GPU equates roughly to the RTX 3070 laptop of the previous gen, though with the added bonus of DLSS 3.0 support and RDNA 3.
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