Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti vs 3060 – how do they compare?

In anticipation of a busy period for GPUs, we’re taking a look at the RTX 4060 Ti vs 3060 to see how they shape up.

Now that the official release date for Nvidia’s RTX 4060 Ti 8GB has passed, understanding how it could compare to the previous gen graphics cards is a sound way of deciding whether the new card is worth it. There’s also the 16GB version to consider that will release some time in July. There’s been a notable lack of excitement about other cards in the RTX 40-series. The RTX 4060’s specs have left people wanting more, most notably the lack of VRAM and memory bandwidth.

The RTX 3060 was released back in February 2021 and standout as an affordable 1080p powerhouse. In the aftermath of a new card, like the RTX 4060 Ti being released, you can expect to see its previous gen cards like this one drop in prices, potentially making your decision a little harder if you’re deciding whether to upgrade.

The affordable GPU market is a big one, so there’s a fair bit at stake here. There’s more competition coming round the bend too, with speculation about the RX 7800 release date circulating online.

With so much to consider, we’re better off diving into our comparison. Below we’re discussing the specs, performance and price differences of these graphics cards. Let’s go!

RTX 4060 Ti vs 3060 – specs comparison

	RTX 4060 Ti 8GB specs	RTX 4060 Ti 16GB specs	RTX 3060 12GB specs
Architecture	Ada (TSMC 4N)	Ada (TSMC 4N)	Ampere
CUDA Cores	4,352	4,352	3,584
Base Clock (MHz)	2,310	2,310	1,320
Boost Clock (MHz)	2,540	2,540	1,777
Memory	8GB GDDR6	16GB GDDR6	12 GB GDDR6
Memory Bus	128-bit	128-bit	192-bit
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s	288 GB/s	360 GB/s
TDP	160W	165W	170W

First thing you’ll probably notice is that we’ve included two models for the 4060 Ti. There’s one with 16GB VRAM and one with just 8GB. Any experienced gamer knows that VRAM plays a key role in your PC’s performance, specifically in terms of load times and improving image quality. Given that the 8GB is pretty minuscule by modern gaming standards, opting for the 16GB VRAM would be preferable over the smaller 8GB VRAM option. If you dig a little deeper though, both 4060 Ti models share the same memory bandwidth of 288GB/s, meaning the difference between the cards will likely be minuscule, despite having paid $100 more.

You should also pay attention to the different base and boost clock speeds between the cards. For those unaware, base and boost clocks play a role in the performance of a GPU and give some indication of what it can cope with under intense workloads. Both models of the 4060 Ti outperform the RTX 3060 here, though clock speeds are just a small part of the picture. We’ll go into a little more depth below, but it’s fair to say that the 3060 is overall outperformed by the 4060 Ti.

RTX 4060 Ti vs RTX 3060 – architecture

Architecture is one of the most important considerations when researching a GPU. Since the RTX 4060 Ti belongs to Nvidia’s 40-series family it too has the current-gen Nvidia architecture nicknamed Ada Lovelace. GPUs with Ada Lovelace architecture enjoy considerable advancements over Ampere architecture, which is built into the RTX 3060. The Ada chip is based on TSMC’s 4nm N4 technology, making it an astonishing half the size of the Ampere chip based on Samsung’s 8nm process. So, from this, we can say that the 4060 Ti is the more power efficient chip.

DLSS 3.0 support is another winning feature that the 4060 Ti enjoys over the 3060 Ti. Those with slightly older CPUs will be particularly drawn by this since DLSS 3.0 boosts the frame rate without the need for a Ryzen 7000 or Intel 13th Gen CPU.

RTX 4060 Ti vs RTX 3060 – performance

While the specs tell us that the 4060 Ti is a pretty powerful graphics card, let’s look closer at how all this might translate to performance.

It goes without saying that the 4060 Ti’s Ada Lovelace architecture will be a considerable draw for some gamers looking to boost their FPS and enjoy advanced Ray Tracing amongst other current-gen features.

• Amazon US – RTX 4060 Ti
• Best Buy US – RTX 4060 Ti
• Newegg US – RTX 4060 Ti

However, the main question is whether the 4060 Ti will be let down by its low 8GB VRAM and minimal . With increasingly demanding games, it’s worth asking whether 8GB is enough for gaming. While the arrival of a 16GB model will improve things, the 3060 shouldn’t be cast aside just because it’s from the previous generation.

We’ve decided to include Nvidia’s chart displaying the performance of the RTX 4060 Ti compared to the RTX 3060 Ti. Though it’s not strictly for the RTX 3060, we still thought it would provide a handy comparison:

Meanwhile, WePC’s recommendation of the best RTX 3060 graphics cards hammers in this idea that the 3060 offers a brilliant price to performance ratio, and continues to be amongst the best 1080p graphics cards for gaming.

RTX 4060 Ti vs RTX 3060 – price

This price is obviously more appealing than some of the other 40-series graphics cards. In fact, the RTX 4060 Ti is the first Nvidia 40-series card with an MSRP under $500.

The RTX 3060 meanwhile can be copped via Amazon for less than $400. What’s more, we’ve seen 3060 graphics card drop in price in May which we’re expecting to continue in July in anticipation of new GPU arrivals.

It’s difficult to beat the 3060’s price to performance ratio, especially if you’re not looking to game in more than 1080p. That being said, it’s been almost two years since the card was released, so in the interests of future proofing your graphics card, the 4060 Ti is likely a safer option.

RTX 4060 Ti vs RTX 3060 – final word

As is common, it all comes down to balancing price and performance. From the specs and benchmarks we’ve seen, there is no doubt that the RTX 4060 Ti performs better. However, the RTX 3060 can be found for a lower cost.

The 4060 Ti has good specs on every front other than the 8GB VRAM. Potential buyers shouldn’t gloss over its Ada Lovelace architecture that seriously boosts a card’s efficiency and performance.

So, unless you’re a gamer on a budget, the 4060 Ti looks like it’s going to be a sound option for your gaming rig.

If you’re keen to learn more, take a look at how the RTX 4060 Ti compares to the 3060 Ti here.