RTX 3060 8GB vs Arc A750 for Gaming: Which Is Better?

The Arc A750 is the better gaming card for most buyers in a modern, Resizable BAR-capable PC because it is generally faster than the cut-down RTX 3060 8GB in today’s DirectX 12 games, while the RTX 3060 8GB is the safer pick for older systems, DLSS-heavy play, lower power draw and more consistent performance in older titles. The important detail is the “8GB” label: this is not the regular 12 GB RTX 3060, and it is noticeably slower.

Both cards launched on the same day, 12 October 2022. Intel’s Arc A750 arrived at $289 as part of its first desktop GPU lineup. Nvidia’s RTX 3060 8GB appeared quietly as a variant of the original RTX 3060 with less memory and a narrower bus, without a separately announced MSRP, and it drew strong criticism from reviewers for sharing a name with a faster card.

The Numbers on Paper

The bandwidth line explains most of the story. The RTX 3060 8GB has only 240 GB/s, less than half of the A750’s 512 GB/s, and only a 3 MB L2 cache to compensate. That memory bottleneck is what separates it from the regular RTX 3060.

Gaming Performance

How the 8GB Model Differs From the Regular RTX 3060

Hardware Unboxed’s comparison of the two RTX 3060 versions found the 8 GB model averaging about 17% slower across a dozen games at 1080p, with gaps up to around 35% in demanding titles such as Dying Light 2, and a slightly wider gap at 1440p. That is a large penalty for a card with the same name.

Where the A750 Lands

The Arc A750 has generally performed close to or a little above the 12 GB RTX 3060 in review suites; TechPowerUp’s RTX 4060 review data, for example, placed the A750 at roughly 85% of the RTX 4060, a position similar to the regular RTX 3060. Combining that with Hardware Unboxed’s 17% deficit for the 8 GB model suggests the A750 is roughly 15-25% faster than the RTX 3060 8GB on average in modern games. No major outlet has published a large direct comparison of these exact two cards, so treat that range as an estimate built from published reviews.

Typical frame rates, which vary with settings, CPU and patch:

• 1080p high: the A750 usually lands around 60-95 fps in mainstream titles; the RTX 3060 8GB tends to run a step lower, often around 50-80 fps.
• 1440p: the A750’s wide bus helps more here, and it is the more capable card for 1440p at medium settings. The 3060 8GB’s 240 GB/s bandwidth becomes a clear limit.
• Older DX11 and DX9 games: the RTX 3060 8GB can match or beat the A750 in some older titles, because Nvidia’s driver stack is more consistent across older APIs. Synthetic suites like PassMark show this pattern, with the 3060 8GB far ahead in DirectX 11 results and the A750 ahead in DirectX 12.

Ray Tracing

Both cards have hardware ray tracing. Intel’s Alchemist RT units are competitive with Ampere at this tier, and reviews of the regular RTX 3060 found the A750 and A770 trading blows with it in ray-traced games. Against the bandwidth-starved 8 GB model, the A750 should hold a small edge in many RT titles, though neither card is strong enough for heavy ray tracing without aggressive upscaling.

Upscaling and Frame Generation

• RTX 3060 8GB: DLSS 4 super resolution with the transformer model, DLSS ray reconstruction, and broad game support. No DLSS frame generation, since that requires RTX 40 or newer. FSR 3.1 frame generation works where games offer it.
• Arc A750: XeSS with XMX acceleration for good image quality, plus XeSS 3 multi-frame generation that Intel extended to Arc A-series cards in its February 2026 driver, enabled through the driver override in XeSS 2 games.

DLSS remains available in more games and is usually the best-looking upscaler at this level. XeSS on Arc hardware is close in quality, but game coverage is narrower. On frame generation, the A750 now has the edge because Nvidia does not offer DLSS frame generation on RTX 30 cards.

VRAM: Same Capacity, Very Different Bus

Both cards have 8 GB, which handles 1080p at high textures in most games but needs care in some new releases at ultra. The A750’s 256-bit bus does not add capacity, but it does make the card more resilient when games push heavy texture and geometry loads. For both cards, high rather than ultra textures is the safe default in demanding 2025-2026 games.

Power, PSU and Fit

The RTX 3060 8GB is the more efficient card at 170 W against 225 W for the A750. Using TDP plus CPU power plus around 150 W of headroom:

• RTX 3060 8GB + 105 W CPU: 170 + 105 + 150 = 425 W, so a quality 450-550 W PSU.
• Arc A750 + 105 W CPU: 225 + 105 + 150 = 480 W, so a quality 550-600 W PSU.

The A750 needs one 6-pin and one 8-pin lead. The RTX 3060 8GB is listed with a single 12-pin connector, though partner cards vary, so check the specific model’s power input before buying. Both are 2-slot cards; the 3060 8GB is listed at 242 mm, and compact dual-fan versions of both exist. The A750 also needs ASPM settings adjusted to keep idle power low.

The Resizable BAR Rule

Arc cards rely on Resizable BAR. Without it, the A750 can lose a large share of its performance and suffer poor frame pacing. Intel 10th-gen and AMD Ryzen 3000 or newer systems usually support it after a BIOS update. On older platforms the RTX 3060 8GB is the clear choice.

Decision Table

Buying Used in 2026

The RTX 3060 8GB is easy to confuse with the 12 GB model in listings, so confirm the memory size and bus width before paying 12 GB prices. Used 8 GB cards usually sell in the roughly $150-$200 range, and the A750 tends to sit in a similar or slightly lower band. Assuming the A750 is about 20% faster, an A750 at $160 delivers roughly a fifth more performance per dollar than a 3060 8GB at the same price. If the 3060 8GB is priced clearly below the A750, its efficiency and compatibility make it a fair alternative.

Both cards now sit beneath current entry-level models such as the Arc B570, Arc B580, RTX 5050 and RTX 5060. If a new card costs only a little more, the newer generation brings better efficiency, more consistent drivers and newer features.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the RTX 3060 8GB slower than the regular RTX 3060?

Yes. Hardware Unboxed measured the 8 GB model about 17% slower on average at 1080p, with gaps up to around 35% in some games. The cause is the narrower 128-bit bus and 240 GB/s bandwidth, not only the smaller memory size.

Is the Arc A750 faster than the RTX 3060 8GB?

In most modern DirectX 12 and Vulkan games, yes, by an estimated 15-25% based on published review data. The RTX 3060 8GB can be competitive or faster in some older DirectX 11 titles. The A750 also needs Resizable BAR enabled to reach that performance.

Which card has better upscaling?

The RTX 3060 8GB has DLSS 4 super resolution, which is supported in more games and usually offers the best image quality. The A750’s XeSS on XMX hardware is close in quality but appears in fewer titles. The A750 gains frame generation through XeSS 3, which the RTX 3060 lacks in Nvidia’s own DLSS stack.

What PSU do I need for the Arc A750?

A quality 550-600 W unit is a sensible target with a typical gaming CPU, since the A750 has a 225 W TDP. It requires one 6-pin and one 8-pin PCIe connector. The RTX 3060 8GB is easier to power, with a 170 W TDP.

How can I tell if a used RTX 3060 is the 8GB version?

Check the memory size in GPU-Z or the card’s label, and look for a 128-bit bus width. The regular RTX 3060 has 12 GB on a 192-bit bus. Sellers sometimes list both simply as “RTX 3060”, so ask for a screenshot before buying.