At the end of February, the GeForce RTX 3060 will launch, the smallest RTX 3000 graphics card. This provides interested parties with another graphics card option. MeinMMO explains who should consider the graphics card priced at 319 euros and for whom the RTX 3080 remains the better deal.
What is the RTX 3060? Nvidia introduced the GeForce RTX 3060 at CES 2021 alongside mobile RTX 3000 graphics cards. It is the smallest card in the lineup. Currently, the Ti variant is still the smallest version, as the RTX 3060 Ti sold out quickly.
Who is the graphics card aimed at? Nvidia targets its new mid-range graphics card primarily at gamers who want to play in full detail at Full HD. The RTX 3060 offers an entry into the world of ray tracing at a price of 329 US dollars, while the RTX 3080 is priced at 699 US dollars.
Both graphics cards are very similar, as they use the same architecture (Ampere) and both aim to provide gameplay with a stable 60 FPS while ray tracing is activated.
What you should note: Currently, there is no official release date for the RTX 3060, and thus no independent tests are available yet. However, the technical specifications are known and can be easily compared with other models. We will have to wait a little longer until tests appear. Tests for the RTX 3080 and the slightly faster Ti variant of the RTX 3060 are already online.
In the title image: Nvidia’s RTX 3080 and RTX 3060 Ti.
Overview of RTX 3080 and RTX 3060:
| RTX 3080 | RTX 3060 | |
|---|---|---|
| CUDA Cores | 8704 | 3584 |
| Base Clock | 1440 Mhz | 1320 Mhz |
| Boost Clock | 1710 Mhz | 1780 Mhz |
| Memory Size | 10 GB GDDR6X | 12 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Interface Width | 320-bit | 192-bit |
| Power Consumption in Watts | 320 | 170 |
RTX 3080 vs RTX 3060: What are the differences?
Different memory: The RTX 3060 has more memory at 12 GB compared to the RTX 3080, which has only 10 GB. Nvidia explained in its official blog post that the 192-bit wide memory interface would only allow 6 or 12 GB. Therefore, they opted for 12 GB of video memory.
While the RTX 3080 appears to have less memory on paper, it offers significantly faster video memory. This features a 320-bit memory interface, providing much more bandwidth than the RTX 3060 with its 192-bit interface. This allows for significantly more data.
This is likely to be the better option in the long run, as 6 GB is no longer sufficient for many games nowadays. For many modern games, 8 GB is recommended.
Power consumption: While the RTX 3080 has a power consumption of 320 watts, the RTX 3060 is more economical. It only requires 170 watts, meaning you don’t need such a strong power supply. While Nvidia recommends a 750-watt power supply for the RTX 3080, it is 550 watts for the RTX 3060.
CUDA Cores: CUDA stands for “Compute Unified Device Architecture” and refers to an interface for computers that utilize the graphics processors. It was developed by Nvidia. In simple terms, the more CUDA cores a GPU has, the more powerful it is.
This is where the biggest difference between the two graphics cards lies: While the RTX 3060 offers 3584 CUDA cores, the RTX 3080 has more than double at 8704. This naturally provides significantly more performance with the RTX 3080.
RTX 3080 or RTX 3060: Who should buy which graphics card?
Nvidia clearly targets mid-range gamers with the RTX 3060. This refers to players who are willing to spend more money on their gaming PC but generally do not want to spend more than 400 euros on a graphics card.
With the RTX 3060, they are targeting users who are already gaming in the mid-range with a comparable graphics card like a GeForce GTX 1060 or a Radeon RX 480 and want new hardware for top titles like Cyberpunk 2077.
The RTX 3080, priced around 700 euros, is significantly more expensive than the RTX 3060 but also offers correspondingly more performance. However, not every gamer should opt for the more expensive version.
Here’s what you should consider when buying a graphics card:
- The RTX 3060 is suitable especially for gamers whose current graphics card can no longer handle new top titles with stable 60 FPS and want to play in Full HD.
- The RTX 3080 is aimed at gamers who want more than Full HD and is primarily targeted at players with 4K resolution. Competitive gamers should consider the RTX 3080 in general.
- For those who want Full HD frame rates exceeding 100 FPS, the RTX 3070 is also worth looking at. The price for the Founder’s Edition is 499 euros.
- For the sake of completeness, the RTX 3090 should also be mentioned. At a price of over 1500 euros, it is not relevant for the average gamer and appeals more to enthusiasts.
Alternatives: What about the RTX 3060 Ti?
Nvidia released the RTX 3060 Ti as a slightly faster variant of the RTX 3060 at the end of December 2020. This is a graphics card primarily aimed at competing with AMD in the mid-range in the WQHD area. The GameStar praises the high performance of the new graphics card in their test.
RTX 3060 vs RTX 3060 Ti comparison:
| RTX 3060 Ti | RTX 3060 | |
|---|---|---|
| CUDA Cores | 4864 | 3584 |
| Base Clock | 1441 Mhz | 1320 Mhz |
| Boost Clock | 1670 Mhz | 1780 Mhz |
| Memory Size | 8 GB GDDR6 | 12 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Interface Width | 256-bit | 192-bit |
| Power Consumption in Watts | 200 | 170 |
With a suggested retail price of 399 euros, it is priced around 100 euros above the RTX 3060 and is also an interesting alternative for gamers who want to play in Full HD.
RTX 3080: Availability will remain a problem in 2021
This is how availability looks: What applies to the RTX 3080 at the moment is likely to also apply to the release of the RTX 3060: Availability is expected to be severely limited, and not every interested party will be able to take a card home in the end.
Currently, it is also expected that availability will remain tight until summer 2021.
This other RTX graphics card is coming in 2021: Throughout the year, the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti could also launch. So far, there are only rumors about when the card will come. However, it is very likely that the Ti variant of the RTX 3080 will be equipped with 20 GB of video memory. Everything we currently know about the Ti model has been summarized for you in our article.
