GeForce RTX 3060 12GB vs Intel Arc A750

Winner:
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
Main Difference:
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB has more VRAM while Intel Arc A750 features AV1 encoding.
Page Summary:
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB wins because its generous memory buffer handles high-resolution textures and complex workloads better than the more restricted memory capacity found on the Intel card.
Last updated:
January 31, 2026

The Essentials

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB

MSRP:
$329
See Current Price
Spec Sheet:
Core Count:
3584
Thread Count:
Base Clock:
1320 MHz
Boost Clock:
1777 MHz
Integrated Graphics:
VRAM:
12.0 GB
L3 Cache:
12.0 GB
TDP:
170 W
Socket:
192 bit
Bus Width:
192 bit
Release Date:
2021-01-12
Gaming Scores:
(Higher is better)
Resolution
Rasterization
Ray Tracing
1080p
30.7
27.6
1440p
24.4
20.7
4K
16.3
16.3
Gaming and Productivity Scores:
(Higher is better)
Gaming
Productivity

Intel Arc A750

MSRP:
$269
See Current Price
Spec Sheet:
Core Count:
3584
Thread Count:
Base Clock:
2050 MHz
Boost Clock:
2400 MHz
Integrated Graphics:
VRAM:
8.0 GB
L3 Cache:
8.0 GB
TDP:
225 W
Socket:
256 bit
Bus Width:
256 bit
Release Date:
2022-10-12
Gaming Scores:
(Higher is better)
Resolution
Rasterization
Ray Tracing
1080p
25.8
25
1440p
21.6
19.1
4K
15.9
12.1
Gaming and Productivity Scores:
(Higher is better)
Gaming
Productivity
Note about scores:
We measure this card's performance against the absolute best GPU currently available. The numbers show the percentage of performance you get compared to the market leader at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions, with the leader at 100. These scores are aggregated from a wide range of different games to create a reliable average. However, keep in mind that performance in specific titles may deviate from this average depending on how that game is optimized.
Note about scores:
We measure this processor's performance against the absolute best CPU currently available. The numbers show the percentage of performance you get compared to the market leader in both gaming and workstation tasks, with the leader at 100. These scores are aggregated from a wide range of different games and applications to create a reliable average. However, keep in mind that performance in specific software may deviate from this average depending on how that program is optimized.

Performance Deep Dive

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
Gaming Analysis:

The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB functions as a high-headroom choice for standard high-definition play that manages to maintain steady performance even when stepping up to slightly higher resolutions. While the raw hardware speed targets a middle-tier experience, the inclusion of a 12GB VRAM buffer on a 192-bit bus acts as a meaningful safety net against the stuttering and texture pop-in that can occur with cards limited to 8GB of memory. You can generally keep texture settings high without the engine struggling to manage high-resolution assets or hitting a hard ceiling during memory-heavy scenes.

  • Standard High-Definition Gaming: This is where the card feels most natural and responsive. It handles modern titles with a fluidity that keeps gameplay smooth and avoids the heavy, sluggish feeling typical of entry-level hardware.
  • Higher Resolution Performance: Moving beyond the basics causes the chip to lose momentum, though it remains functional for several types of games. You will likely rely on DLSS 2 to maintain a steady visual flow, as fast-motion scenes can begin to feel less snappy when the hardware is pushed to its architectural limits.
  • VRAM and Textures: The 12GB of GDDR6 memory is a standout feature for this tier of hardware. This generous capacity allows for larger texture packs and more complex mod lists than what is typically possible on cards with narrower memory limits, ensuring that frame times stay more consistent during long sessions.
  • Ray Tracing Capability: While the Ampere architecture includes 28 Ray Tracing cores, turning these effects on involves a heavy performance trade. Though the hardware supports the technology, the penalty to overall smoothness is significant enough that most players will find the visual trade-off difficult to justify in fast-paced titles.
  • Upscaling Support: You have access to DLSS 2 for improved performance through temporal upscaling. It is important to note that this card does not support the AI frame generation found in later generations, so your ceiling is determined by the actual rendering power of the silicon.
Intel Arc A750
Gaming Analysis:

The Intel Arc A750 is built for steady performance at 1080p, and while it relies on the older Xe-HPG architecture, it handles standard resolutions with surprising competence. You can expect a fluid experience in a wide variety of titles if you keep your expectations targeted toward a standard display setup. While the hardware can stretch into higher resolutions, it lacks the raw headroom to remain consistently smooth as the pixel count climbs, often leads to a heavy performance trade-off in demanding scenes.

With 8GB of GDDR6 memory, you are working within a clear ceiling for texture quality. In modern titles that push high memory demands, this capacity serves as a bottleneck that prevents you from maxing out every visual slider. Trying to load massive texture packs or ultra-level assets may lead to stuttering or visible hitches when the card runs out of room. The 256-bit bus width is wide for a card at its launch MSRP of $269, which helps data move quickly through the pipeline, but the 8GB limit remains the final decider for your settings.

The hardware includes 28 ray tracing cores, but enabling these effects usually comes with a massive cost to stability. Because these are first-generation cores, they often struggle with the heavy math required for complex lighting or sharp reflections. Toggling these features on can quickly turn a fluid game into a choppy experience. If you decide to use these effects, you will need to rely on Intel XeSS upscaling to regain a playable feel. Without that AI-assisted help, native ray tracing performance is generally too heavy for most AAA games, making standard rasterized settings the better path for a stable experience.

  • 1080p Gaming: A reliable and fluid choice for high settings in most titles.
  • 1440p Gaming: Performance is inconsistent and typically requires dropping to medium settings to stay smooth.
  • 4K Gaming: The hardware lacks the resources for a playable experience at this resolution.
  • Texture Quality: Capped by the 8GB ceiling, requiring more conservative choices in memory-heavy releases.
  • Lighting Effects: Ray tracing is present but functions mostly as an enthusiast experiment due to the steep performance tax.
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
Productivity Analysis:

While the hardware is designed to handle high-definition play, the 12GB of VRAM transitions this card from a standard gaming chip into a stable entry point for professional creative work. Hardware speed is only one part of the equation when you are building a workstation, as technical limitations like memory capacity often dictate whether a project can even be opened. This specific model provides a massive buffer that prevents the system from hitting a hard wall when you load high-resolution assets or complex 3D scenes that would overwhelm cards with less memory.

  • The 12GB memory buffer acts as a safety net for 4K video editing and high-resolution textures where 8GB often serves as a functional ceiling. Having this extra overhead means the software can keep more data on the card rather than swapping to slower system memory, which preserves the responsiveness of your workstation during long sessions.
  • The Ampere architecture provides deep integration with professional suites through the CUDA ecosystem, offering a level of driver stability that is helpful when reliability is the priority. Whether you are using specific rendering engines or hardware acceleration for creative effects, the software support is mature and functions without the friction often found on less established platforms.
  • A 192-bit memory bus facilitates a steady flow of data that helps the timeline feel responsive when you are scrubbing through footage or moving the playhead across a busy project. This bandwidth ensures that the preview window updates with minimal delay, allowing for a more natural rhythm while editing rather than a stuttering experience.
  • The inclusion of 112 Tensor cores provides the necessary hardware for modern AI-assisted tools like background removal and automated masking. With 12.7 TFLOPS of compute performance, these specialized tasks finish quickly, which transforms the hardware into a capable choice for local AI experiments or smart filtering in photography applications.
  • The dedicated hardware encoder offloads the heavy lifting of video exports and live broadcasts to a specialized block on the silicon. This allows your primary system resources to remain available for the actual creative task, ensuring the final output is processed efficiently without causing the rest of your software to become sluggish or unresponsive.

Stability is the metric that matters most when a project is due and you cannot afford a technical failure. This hardware is not the fastest available, but the generous memory capacity makes it a reliable tool for people who need to ensure their renders finish without running out of resources. It offers a level of comfort that is rare for a mid-range component, providing the headroom needed to handle professional workloads without the constant worry of hitting hardware limits. You are getting a tool that prioritizes consistent progress over theoretical peak speeds.

Intel Arc A750
Productivity Analysis:

While the gaming side of the Intel Arc A750 translates well to standard displays, moving into a professional workload highlights the specific strengths and physical limitations of the Xe-HPG architecture. You are shifting from a hobbyist environment to one where driver stability and software compatibility dictate your daily pace. It is a capable tool for entry-level creators who need high-speed data paths, but it requires a disciplined approach to asset management to avoid hitting the hardware's fixed hardware ceilings. You cannot treat a mid-tier card like a dedicated workstation flagship and expect it to handle massive, unoptimized projects without friction.

The 8GB VRAM buffer acts as a hard boundary for anyone working in 3D rendering or high-resolution video production. Attempting to edit a dense 4K timeline with multiple layers of color grading and complex effects can lead to significant slowdowns when the memory fills up. Professional rendering in applications like Blender often requires the entire scene to fit within this video memory, so 8GB does not provide much headroom for complex geometry or oversized textures. When your project exceeds this limit, the system must swap data to the slower system RAM, causing the creative process to lose its snappy feel. Large, high-density scenes are generally out of reach for this specific memory configuration.

The 256-bit bus width and 512 GB/s memory bandwidth are the standout technical features that help the card punch above its weight in specific tasks. When you are scrubbing through raw footage, this wide highway for data movement prevents the stuttering playback that often affects other cards in this tier. The inclusion of dedicated AV1 encoding is a practical advantage for modern streamers and video editors who need fast exports without relying entirely on the CPU. However, choosing this hardware means stepping away from the established CUDA ecosystem which remains a standard for many professional suites. You gain impressive raw compute through the 17.2 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, but you might spend more time managing software updates or ensuring your specific apps are fully optimized for Intel silicon.

  • Video Editing: The high memory bandwidth ensures responsive timeline scrubbing, though the 8GB buffer limits the complexity of 4K effects.
  • 3D Rendering: The 28 ray tracing cores assist with viewport interactivity, but the lack of traditional industry-standard software hooks may require extra configuration.
  • Encoding Power: The built-in AV1 encoder provides a modern solution for high-quality exports and efficient streaming workflows.
  • Computational Tasks: Strong raw compute figures handle standard rendering and AI-assisted image tools with competitive speed.
  • System Requirements: A 650W power supply is the recommended starting point to ensure the system remains stable under heavy sustained rendering loads.
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
Feature Analysis:

A 170W power draw places this hardware into a comfortable category for most mid-sized cases where heat management remains straightforward and predictable. While the base manufacturer requirement suggests a 450W power supply, pairing this card with a 550W unit provides the necessary electrical headroom to handle transient spikes without stressing your components. This extra cushion ensures that your system maintains stability during long gaming sessions or overnight renders when a smaller unit might struggle under the constant thermal and electrical load.

  • The PCIe 4.0 x16 interface ensures that the card communicates with your motherboard through a full set of data lanes. This provides a level of flexibility for those upgrading older systems that only support PCIe 3.0, as you avoid the technical bottlenecks sometimes found on budget cards with narrower lane counts.
  • The power delivery relies on a single connector that uses standard cabling rather than the newer, more rigid power standards found on high-end flagship cards. This makes the installation process much simpler for standard power supplies and allows for easier cable management in smaller chassis where space for thick adapters is limited.
  • The 12GB VRAM capacity provides a significant buffer for 1440p textures and complex asset libraries that frequently exceed the limits of 8GB hardware. Having this physical memory on the board allows you to keep settings high without the stuttering that occurs when a system is forced to swap data between the GPU and slower system RAM.
  • The Ampere architecture lacks the specific specialized hardware for AI-generated frame interpolation found in more recent generations. Your performance is tied directly to the raw rendering capability of the silicon and the standard upscaling features available in the software ecosystem.
  • The physical footprint of these cards is generally compact enough to fit into most standard towers without requiring specialized brackets or oversized enclosures. This makes it a versatile choice for builders who prefer a functional, no-fuss assembly over the massive cooling solutions required by higher-wattage components.

Choosing this hardware is a decision to prioritize physical memory capacity and architectural stability over the latest software-driven features. It serves as a dependable workhorse that integrates easily with a wide variety of power supplies and older motherboards without requiring expensive platform upgrades. You are investing in a component that handles fundamental tasks like high-resolution texture loading and local compute work with a level of reliability that defined its generation. It remains a practical option for builders who value consistent, predictable behavior across a broad range of legacy and modern hardware configurations.

Intel Arc A750
Feature Analysis:

The 225W power draw stands out as the primary logistical hurdle for a build centered on the Intel Arc A750, as this hardware pulls more electricity than typically expected in this performance tier. While the base technical specification suggests a 550W power supply, you should pair this card with a 650W unit to accommodate the abrupt power spikes that occur during intensive gaming or complex rendering tasks. Providing this extra room ensures that your system does not shut down unexpectedly when the silicon demands a momentary surge of current. Because the card utilizes a standard combination of one 6-pin and one 8-pin connector, you can rely on traditional power cables without the need for specialized adapters or the specific clearance requirements of modern high-wattage headers. This straightforward physical installation makes the card compatible with a wide variety of existing cases and legacy power supplies that haven't been updated for the newest standards.

The 8GB VRAM capacity represents a fixed ceiling that dictates your long-term resolution and texture settings regardless of other internal hardware strengths. While the 256-bit memory bus facilitates a high rate of data transfer, the physical volume of memory is small enough that high-resolution texture packs can quickly saturate the buffer. If you push the software beyond this 8GB limit, you are likely to encounter stuttering as the system struggles to manage data overflow between the card and the rest of your PC. It is a build reality that requires a more disciplined approach to settings, where choosing slightly lower presets often yields a much more stable and consistent experience than chasing visual extremes that the hardware cannot technically sustain over time.

Platform compatibility serves as the final non-negotiable requirement because the Xe-HPG architecture relies heavily on Resizable BAR to function at its intended level of performance. You must verify that your motherboard and processor support this feature, as failing to enable it in the BIOS will lead to a significant and noticeable loss in frame consistency and overall speed. This technical dependency makes the card a poor fit for older systems from the pre-2020 era that lack the necessary firmware support. While driver consistency has improved significantly since the initial launch of the platform, the Arc A750 still appeals most to the type of user who enjoys checking for software updates and fine-tuning system configurations to maximize hardware potential.

  • Power Management: The 225W TDP requires a 650W power supply to ensure stability against power fluctuations during heavy use.
  • Memory Boundaries: The 8GB VRAM limit makes 1080p the ideal target resolution to avoid stuttering caused by over-saturated video memory.
  • Cable Setup: Standard 6-pin and 8-pin power connectors provide broad compatibility with existing ATX power supplies.
  • Platform Connectivity: The PCIe 4.0 x16 interface provides a full-speed data path, though the hardware effectively mandates Resizable BAR support.
  • Software Commitment: Optimal results require frequent driver updates and a motherboard BIOS modern enough to support current communication standards.
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
Full Tech Specs:
Feature Specification
Name GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
MSRP $329
Release Date 2021-01-12
Chipset Manufacturer NVIDIA
Memory Size 12 GB
Memory Type GDDR6
Memory Bus 192 bit
Memory Clock 1875 MHz
Memory Bandwidth 360.0 GB/s
Base Clock 1320 MHz
Boost Clock 1777 MHz
Shading Units 3584
Ray Tracing Cores 28
TMUs 112
ROPs 48
Pixel Rate 85.3 GPixel/s
Texture Rate 199 GTexel/s
Compute Power (FP16) 12.7 TFLOPS
Compute Power (FP32) 12.7 TFLOPS
Compute Power (FP64) 199.0 GFLOPS
Architecture Ampere
Process Size 8 nm
Interface PCIe 4.0 x16
Power Connectors 1x 12-pin
TDP 170 W
Suggested PSU (Minimum) 550 W
Intel Arc A750
Full Tech Specs:
Feature Specification
Name Intel Arc A750
MSRP $269
Release Date 2022-10-12
Chipset Manufacturer Intel
Memory Size 8 GB
Memory Type GDDR6
Memory Bus 256 bit
Memory Clock 2000 MHz
Memory Bandwidth 512.0 GB/s
Base Clock 2050 MHz
Boost Clock 2400 MHz
Shading Units 3584
Ray Tracing Cores 28
TMUs 224
ROPs 112
Pixel Rate 268.8 GPixel/s
Texture Rate 537.6 GTexel/s
Compute Power (FP16) 34.4 TFLOPS
Compute Power (FP32) 17.2 TFLOPS
Compute Power (FP64) 2.2 TFLOPS
Architecture Xe-HPG
Process Size 6 nm
Interface PCIe 4.0 x16
Power Connectors 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin
TDP 225 W
Suggested PSU 650 W

Final Verdict

Choosing the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is the smart move for most builders because that massive memory buffer creates a safety net for modern titles. While the Intel Arc A750 came out later with a lower $269 MSRP, its 8GB ceiling acts like a hard wall that can cause stuttering when games try to load massive texture packs. The NVIDIA card launched at a $329 MSRP and justifies that higher entry point by offering stability across a much wider range of legacy and modern applications.

Technical performance between these two is often neck and neck in standard rasterization, but the hardware foundations differ significantly. The Intel card features a wider memory bus and higher bandwidth which helps it move data quickly, yet it lacks the sheer capacity to store the assets it needs for demanding settings. NVIDIA also benefits from a more mature driver ecosystem and better software compatibility for professional tasks like 3D rendering or complex video editing where CUDA is standard. Intel does include a modern AV1 encoder which is great for high-quality streaming, but that single feature rarely outweighs the peace of mind you get from having extra memory. Power requirements are another factor. The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB is more efficient and easier on your power supply compared to the higher draw of the Intel hardware.

  • Software Maturity: NVIDIA drivers are reliable and work with almost every game out of the box.
  • Memory Capacity: The 12GB of VRAM allows for higher texture settings without hitting performance drops or crashes.
  • Broad Compatibility: Better support for various rendering engines and legacy game engines.

Buy GeForce RTX 3060 12GB if you want a reliable card that handles high-resolution textures and professional creative software without running out of memory. Buy Intel Arc A750 if you are building a streaming rig at a $269 MSRP and specifically need the AV1 hardware encoder.

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