GeForce RTX 3060 8 GB vs 9600M GT
Primary details
GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.
| Place in performance ranking | not rated | 105 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Architecture | G9x (2007−2010) | Ampere (2020−2024) |
| GPU code name | NB9P-GS | GA106 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Desktop |
| Release date | 4 June 2008 (16 years ago) | 12 October 2022 (1 year ago) |
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 | 32 | 3584 |
| CUDA cores | 32 | no data |
| Core clock speed | 120 MHz | no data |
| Boost clock speed | no data | 1777 MHz |
| Number of transistors | 314 million | 12,000 million |
| Manufacturing process technology | 65 nm | 8 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 23 Watt | 170 Watt |
| Texture fill rate | 8.000 | 199.0 |
| Floating-point performance | 0.08 gflops | 12.74 gflops |
Form factor & compatibility
Information on compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop graphics cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility).
| Laptop size | medium sized | no data |
| Interface | MXM-II | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| Length | no data | 242 mm |
| Width | no data | 2-slot |
| Supplementary power connectors | None | 1x 12-pin |
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 | GDDR2, GDDR3 | GDDR6 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 1 GB | 8 GB |
| Memory bus width | 128 Bit | 128 Bit |
| Memory clock speed | 800 MHz | 15 GB/s |
| Memory bandwidth | 25.6 GB/s | 240.0 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 | No outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |
| HDMI | - | + |
API compatibility
List of supported graphics and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.
| DirectX | 11.1 (10_0) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |
| Shader Model | 4.0 | 6.7 |
| OpenGL | 3.3 | 4.6 |
| OpenCL | 1.1 | 3.0 |
| Vulkan | N/A | 1.3 |
| CUDA | + | 8.6 |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Non-gaming benchmark performance comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.
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.
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 4 June 2008 | 12 October 2022 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 1 GB | 8 GB |
| Chip lithography | 65 nm | 8 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 23 Watt | 170 Watt |
9600M GT has 639.1% lower power consumption.
RTX 3060 8 GB, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 14 years, a 700% higher maximum VRAM amount, and a 712.5% more advanced lithography process.
We couldn't decide between GeForce 9600M GT and GeForce RTX 3060 8 GB. We've got no test results to judge.
Be aware that GeForce 9600M GT is a notebook card while GeForce RTX 3060 8 GB is a desktop 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.
