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RTX 4060 Ti vs RTX 3060 Ti – should you upgrade?

Comparing the old to the new, we see if it's worth it

Updated: Jul 17, 2023 2:32 pm
RTX 4060 Ti vs RTX 3060 Ti – should you upgrade?

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Trying to find options for graphics cards, we see how the RTX 4060 Ti vs RTX 3060 Ti compare. The generational change between these GPUs will give you an idea of which one to choose. Generally, the newer is the better choice but we see the differences, and if the value matches.

The RTX 3060 Ti came out in December 2020. One of the choices for the best graphics card of its time, it’s a popular choice even to this day. But now the RTX 4060 Ti 8GB was released in May 2023, and is available to purchase, while the 16GB comes sin July of the same year. Is it really worth upgrading to the newest generation? Whether you’re currently on a 3060 Ti or another GPU, it’s worth answering that important question.

RTX 4060 Ti vs RTX 3060 Ti architecture

One of the bigger changes between the options is the generational difference between them. With a move from Ampere architecture to Ada Lovelace architecture. These improve upon the efficiency and performance as well as the process utilized in its production.

With that, we see Nvidia move back to TSMC with its 5nm from Samsung’s 8nm process. So as the 30 series card features the GA104-200 variant with 17.4 billion transistors on the 392mm² die size. Whilst the 40 series card, have 22.9 billion transistors on the 190mm² die size for its AD106-350 GPU.

RTX 4060 Ti vs RTX 3060 Ti specs

RTX 4060 Ti 8/16GBRTX 3060 Ti
GPUAD106-350GA104-200
GPU processTSMC 5nmSamsung 8nm
CUDA cores4,3524,864
Base clock2,310 MHz1,410 MHz
Boost clock2,540 MHz1,665 MHz
VRAM8/16GB GDDR68GB GDDR6
Memory clock/bandwidth18 Gbps/288 GB/s14 Gbps/448 GB/s
Memory interface128-bit256-bit
TGP160/165W200W

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti specs have been announced and we can compare them to the RTX 3060 Ti specifications.

Shaders

Comparing the CUDA cores is not so straightforward between generations due to the changes in generational improvements. But it is what is utilized for processing the graphics and is done so in parallel. And we can see the 4060 Ti has less than its predecessor with 4,352 but it’s part of the way to improve efficiency with the lower TGP of the card and the smaller die size.

Memory

Comparing the VRAM on the cards gives a look into their resolution capabilities. We see the RTX 4060 Ti offers two alternatives, with the 8GB and 16GB options. Whilst the RTX 3060 Ti has just 8GB, but with it a faster bandwidth. But where the new RTX card supposedly makes it up is a new L2 cache on board to improve the performance.

This is since the new card moves from the 256-bit memory interface to a cut-down 128-bit memory interface. So the memory bandwidth decreases but the effectiveness supposedly increases which we’ll see with the performance.

Frequency

The speed at which the process occurs has seen an uptick in the Ada architecture. The move to TSMC likely enables this and the clocks increase to over 2GHz. So we see the base clock increase to 2.31 GHz over 1.31GHz, with the boost up to 2.54GHz from 1.665GHz.

TGP

The total graphics power is how much power is consumed by the card. As well as how much heat energy it will expel from it. And where the new cards shine is with the less power they consume. So you will likely get more performance for the power. You get a drop in 40/35 Watts, a significant amount for the value.

RTX 4060 Ti vs RTX 3060 Ti price

When comparing the MSRP the Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti has an MSRP of $399, and the 8GB 4060 Ti matches that with the same price point. But the 16GB price point is $100 more, so it might be a bit of a harder-to-consider card. However, since the RTX 3060 Ti has been out for some time now – you can’t ignore deals or the second-hand market. This means you can grab the RTX 3060 Ti for cheaper if you do some searching around.

We imagine most people will be skipping an upgrade if they already own a 3060 Ti – it simply isn’t worth the added cost given the minimal performance upgrades we’ll discuss below.

RTX 4060 Ti vs RTX 3060 Ti performance

Comparing the two in TechSpots review, we see that the new card is not that much more impressive. With just an average of 9 FPS more at 1080p (111 vs 102), 4 more at 1440p (78 vs 74), and only 1 at 4k (38 vs 37) it isn’t that big of an improvement. Although since the RTX 4060 Ti has the same launch price and new features like DLSS 3, it could be worth it at the right price. After all, it is just another iteration, but the limited memory bandwidth of the new card might limit its possibilities in the future.

We’d say that the performance jump here is incredibly lackluster. There are only a couple of things that the RTX 4060 Ti has going for it over the 3060 Ti in terms of performance and that’s the Ada Lovelace upgrades and the better power efficiency, allowing it to perform the same but much cooler and be less power-hungry. While the 16GB is not yet available for performance so we have to see what that gets to.

More games will be supporting DLSS 3 in the future, so you can take advantage of the frame generation tech to easily overtake the 3060 Ti – but you need to remember that this isn’t raw performance. Maxing out DLSS settings can have a noticeable effect on the graphics as well as input latency. We should also point out that the 40-series card will perform better in ray tracing too thanks to architectural upgrades.

RTX 4060 Ti vs RTX 3060 Ti – which is better?

When considering choosing between the two options of the RTX 4060 Ti vs RTX 3060 Ti, there is a lot to consider. Strictly speaking, the RTX 4060 Ti is the better card. Slightly better performance and much more efficient. It also benefits from the generational upgrades we mentioned as part of the Ada Lovelace architecture. However, the price point may not be worth it considering you can find a RTX 3060 Ti for cheaper.

If you already have an RTX 3060 Ti, there is no reason to upgrade to the 4060 Ti. The popular 30-series card is still a fantastic performer and could last you for some time, depending on what kind of gaming performance you want to achieve.

RTX 4060 Ti vs RTX 3060 Ti FAQs

How much faster is the 4060 Ti than 3060 Ti?

The RTX 4060 Ti has a 64% faster base clock and a 53% faster boost clock than the RTX 3060 Ti.

How much less is the TGP of the 4060 Ti than 3060 Ti?

The 4060 Ti has a 40/35W lower TGP than the 3060 Ti, that’s for the 8GB and 16GB model respectively.


With a background in engineering and PC gaming, Seb is a staff writer with a focus on GPU, storage, and power supplies. Also one of tech supports in the office he likes helping and solving problems.

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