With the RTX 3060, Nvidia’s smallest RTX 3000 graphics card has been launched. However, it is either hardly available or only at inflated prices. MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann explains why he would not buy the RTX 3060 at such prices.
Here’s the deal: On February 25, 2021, Nvidia’s latest graphics card was released. And the reviews for the RTX 3060 attest to its very good full HD performance. With some compromises, even WQHD resolutions (1440p) are possible. Nvidia’s recommended price is 329 euros / US dollars.
This is the current situation: Our colleagues from GameStar looked into the availability of the RTX 3060 and the results are sobering. The card is either unavailable or available at high prices. Prices start here from 500 euros and go up to around 700 euros.
Basically, the selling prices are above the launch prices of the RTX 3070 (500 euros) and in some cases even above the MSRP prices of the RTX 3080 (699 – 729 euros). However, the comparison is not entirely fair, as the faster graphics cards are currently also not available at MSRP and also cost several hundred euros more. Currently, no graphics card is available at the recommended price and that is unlikely to change anytime soon.
With the current prices, one should simply ask oneself whether one really wants to pay the high prices that retailers and scalpers currently demand from buyers.
Here’s why I would never pay 700 euros for an RTX 3060
Who is this card for? Essentially, one should realize what one should get for 329 euros / US dollars. With the MSRP of 329 euros, Nvidia actually wants to mainly convince owners of a GTX 1060 to upgrade. The graphics card is from 2016/2017 and the leap in performance is significant.
And for the price of 329 euros, you also get a really good graphics card with the RTX 3060. However, neither retailers nor scalpers give us a chance to buy the graphics card at a reasonably fair price.
| GeForce RTX 3060 | |
|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 |
| Base Clock | 1320 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1670 MHz |
| Memory Size | 12 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Interface Width | 192-bit |
| TDP (Power Consumption) | 170 Watts |
Why 700 euros is too much: For graphics cards with comparable performance, you paid around 300 to 400 euros last summer. The RTX 3060 offers a bit more, but the price seems inappropriate.
Especially, you should note that this is actually a full HD card with WQHD reserves. Asking more than 500 euros seems strange. Because gamers who play in full HD are hardly willing to pay more than 300 euros for a graphics card. For me, that is definitely too much money.
Benchmarks from various independent tests also show that the GeForce RTX 3060 delivers the smallest performance leap among the new graphics cards in the RTX 3000 series.
If you look at the benchmark from GameStar, the RTX 3060 is only a few FPS ahead of the RTX 2060 Super. The difference between RTX 3070 and RTX 2070 Super is significantly larger (158.8 vs. 128.8 FPS).
According to PC-Welt, the street price for the graphics card is also far too high, considering the performance, as the name RTX 3060 suggests that you get a stripped-down RTX 3060 Ti. However, the benchmark shows that the performance of the RTX 3060 ranks 20 to 30% below that of the Ti version.
An extensive analysis of the differences between RTX 3060 and RTX 3060 Ti can also be read here on MeinMMO.
Compared to older Nvidia graphics cards, this price madness becomes even more apparent:
- The GeForce RTX 2070 cost around 365 euros in summer 2020 and offers comparable performance to the RTX 3060 and also has the same ray tracing features.
- The RTX 2070 Super delivers slightly more performance and cost around 420 euros in summer 2020.
Also in comparison to AMD, the current price does not get better. The RX 5700 (XT) from AMD is generally faster than the RTX 3060. The RTX 3060 has more and newer features, especially ray tracing and DLSS. You won’t get these features with the RX 5700 (XT).
The few available devices are often purchased by scalpers, who then resell them for double the price. Retailers are now also following suit with the prices. Additionally, miners are interested in the GPUs, even though the RTX 3060 is said to be unsuitable for miners.
YouTuber: RTX 3060 is a really great card, but way too expensive
How serious the price problem is, is also explained by the YouTuber JayzTwoCents in his YouTube video. He is a YouTuber with currently 3.24 million subscribers who looks at and tests hardware and accessories. JayzTwoCents has also been able to test the RTX 3060. We have embedded his video for you here:
This is what the YouTuber says: He explains in his video that for 329 US dollars, the RTX 3060 would actually be a really great card, especially when compared to the RTX 2060.
But with the current situation, he is far from satisfied, as the prices for the graphics card are currently far above the MSRP. And for the performance of this GPU, that is simply far too high.
Moreover, the 12 GB video memory of the graphics card is just a marketing gimmick, which the graphics card doesn’t need at all. Buyers are to at least believe that they are getting something for their 500 euros. In the video, you can find his opinion from minute 10:30.
You should not buy an RTX 3060 for 700 euros
As long as prices are beyond the 400 euro mark, the RTX 3060 is therefore not recommended for its performance. Because with the high prices, you are only supporting scalpers and retailers who profit from the low availability.
If I had to decide today between buying an RTX 3060 for 600 euros or a RTX 3070 for 550 euros in two years, or even a RTX 4000 graphics card (if it is available in 2022), then I wouldn’t have to think long, because the RTX 3070 is a really good graphics card:
- The RTX 3070 is the best mid-range graphics card for under 500 euros
- Nvidia’s RTX 3060 or RTX 3060 Ti – Here are the differences
However, you currently have to expect to pay hefty premiums for all reasonably new or recently released graphics cards. Both retailers and scalpers are currently profiting from the scarcity.
If you are not willing to pay that, then you will have to wait, as rising prices are also not sparing older graphics card series. Even Nvidia’s announced mining graphics cards will not let the price of gaming graphics cards drop.
Alternatively, you will have to look in the used market. Here you may be lucky and find a good graphics card for reasonably fair prices. However, you must be willing to forgo original packaging, accessories, and manufacturer warranty. Not everyone is willing to do that:
What alternatives are there to the high prices of the RTX 3060?
If you want a new graphics card and can’t wait, then you can look at current pre-built PCs.
Here’s the advantage: The advantage is that computer manufacturers are significantly better supplied and are prioritized higher than individuals looking for just a graphics card. Here, availability and prices are generally significantly better.
Hardware manufacturers often first install graphics cards and other modules in their own complete PCs before additional components are released to the open market. Because the margins for complete PCs are usually better for manufacturers.
When is the purchase not worthwhile? The purchase of a pre-built PC can be worthwhile especially if you are considering upgrading your PC significantly. However, if you already have a modern system and only want to upgrade the graphics card, the purchase is hardly worthwhile.
At least the competitor AMD has now presented its latest graphics card with the RX 6700 XT. But this one is not aimed at the RTX 3060, but at the RTX 3070. How the card performs in the first benchmarks will be covered in the follow-up article.
