Highlights
- The NVIDIA RTX 3060 and RTX 3060 Ti are both excellent mid-range GPUs, each with its own advantages.
- However, there is also the chance that you can get confused when choosing your GPU for both of them.
- Well, that’s the reason why we are here. Here, after reading this guide, your confusion will go away.
Some of the more common RTX 3000 series NVIDIA GPUs today are the GeForce RTX 3060 and the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti.
Designed for the mid-range class, these deliver decent performance between gamers and creators, as well as all users.
But just how do these two cards stack up? We will also compare the architecture, performance, price, power consumption, and more in detail to help you decide which one to buy and for what use case.
Overview of the GeForce RTX 3060 and RTX 3060 Ti
- GeForce RTX 3060: Aimed at 1080p and 1440p gamers, the RTX 3060 launched in early 2021. It is based on the NVIDIA Ampere architecture and supported by 12GB of GDDR6 memory with real-time ray tracing and DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) support.
- GeForce RTX 3060 Ti: The RTX 3060 Ti is the new card of the RTX line and appeared in late 2020, a little above standard level when compared to the 3060. It is built to handle 1440p and, in some cases, even 4K gaming, with its GDDR6 memory of 8GB. It utilizes NVIDIA’s Ampere architecture and has ray tracing and DLSS.
While gamers and creators alike will find use in both cards, the 3060 Ti brings the extra horsepower to the table and targets a slightly more upscale demographic.
Architectural Differences
Both cards are based on the Ampere architecture, but key core specifications vary between them:
- CUDA Cores: The 3060 Ti has 5184 CUDA cores, the 3060 rocks a mere 3840,… and I forget what comes next. The 3060 Ti has more CUDA cores and can handle a lot of simultaneous tasks, leading to better performance on both gaming and productivity workloads.
- Tensor and RT Cores: Each card also lacks NVIDIA’s Tensor Cores for AI workloads like DLSS and RT Cores for ray tracing. It does have more of both types of cores — which means it should actually be a bit nicer at ray tracing and other AI-enhanced features than the 3060 Ti.
- Memory Configuration: The 3060 has more memory (12GB of GDDR6) than the 3060 Ti (8GB). This is most certainly the case due to the 3060 Ti’s 256-bit memory bus (compared to the RTX 3060’s narrower), but even faster memory bandwidth of the tune of 448 GB/s compared to a more reserved bandwidth of just 360 GB/s offered by RTX 3060. This means the 3060 Ti can move data in and out quickly despite having less memory.
Performance Comparison
When it comes to gaming and content creation, performance is always one of the most vital factors when presented with a choice between these two cards.
1080p Gaming
The RTX 3060 and 3060 Ti are winners in the battle of 1080p gaming, though the former is a bit slower across the board (10-20% slower).
This results in a higher CUDA core, RT core, and Tensor core counts, pushing performance to over 100 FPS in the most demanding of titles, especially with ray tracing activated.
1440p Gaming
The RTX 3060 struggles with some 1440p games, so the 3060 Ti is better prepared. At the highest settings in Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and Red Dead Redemption 2, the 3060 Ti delivers significantly higher frame rates when compared with several other games.
4K Gaming
Neither card is really meant for 4K, though the 3060 Ti definitely jumps better on average in that resolution than the Radeon sibling does — there it’s still a tough act to get over 60 fps in games like Fortnite and Rocket League while also lagging behind significantly in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Metro Exodus.
At 4K, the RTX 3060 struggles significantly worse by comparison, which is why it might be worth considering the LED through to occasional signals in this resolution.
Ray Tracing
Ray tracing is hard on any GPU, but both support it — with the RTX 3060 Ti edging its opponent out. More RT cores, in turn, make it more efficient at games that lean on ray tracing pretty hard.
But with DLSS enabled (and both cards can run it), the RTX 3060 is capable of solid ray-traced game performance at 1080p and 1440p.
Productivity and Content Creation
For those using Blender, DaVinci Resolve, or Adobe Premiere Pro, the RTX 3060 Ti again takes the lead. It has a bigger boat of CUDA cores, which means it’s faster for tasks like rendering and encoding when utilizing GPU acceleration.
That being said, when it comes to large datasets and a need for extra video memory, the 12GB VRAM in the RTX 3060 can indeed help, especially in use cases like 3D rendering or scientific simulations.
Power Consumption and Efficiency
Keep in mind that this has drawbacks in terms of power efficiency compared to an RTX 3060 or 3060 Ti.
- TDP (Thermal Design Power): The RTX 3060 is a bit more power-efficient with just a 170W TDP, and the RTX 3060 Ti sits in between them at 200W. That may not seem like a big difference, but translated to real-world stuff, it means you don’t need quite as good a PSU (NVIDIA recommends at least 600W for the 3060 Ti, and 3060 needs around 550W for the RTX).
- Thermals: Cooling NVIDIA worked with all of its board partners to craft similar cooling solutions for both cards. It’s true that it does run a bit hotter, as the RTX 3060 Ti draws more power. That side intake cuts down the thermal area due to the lack of walls for hot air. Making sure good airflow is maintained in your case helps too.
Overclocking Potential
For those interested in maxing out the performance cards, both the RTX 3060 and RTX 3060 Ti appear to have decent overclock with the outcome varying based on chip quality, cooling, and so forth.
#1. RTX 3060 Overclocking
The GPU clock speed of an RTX 3060 typically has some headroom when it comes to modest overclocks.
In some titles, especially at 1080p, this can lead to around a 5-10% performance increase, but there are obviously laws of diminishing returns at play here since it’s based on the more closed-off fabric design than higher-performance GPUs would be for competitive gaming.
#2. RTX 3060 Ti Overclocking
The 3060 Ti should deliver a bit more overclocking headroom than most RX570 decks; however, some users reported gains of up to 10-15%.
Third-party cards with high-quality, improved cooling solutions, such as those from ASUS, MSI and EVGA should prevent the card from approaching too hot levels during overclock.
Although certainly some, the performance gains alone probably are not enough to change this card into a 4K beast.
Price Comparison
Price is, of course, one of the biggest factors when choosing between these two cards.
- The RTX 3060 has an MSRP of $329 (though given the world we live in you might not actually ever pay that much), putting it as one of the low-cost entries to Nvidia’s RTX 30-series group.
- By comparison, the RTX 3060 Ti debuts at an MSRP of $399, though prices can be very different from those of the 3060.
Considering the performance that the RTX 3060 Ti brings to the table, this difference in price for around $70 is typically seen as good value especially if you game at 1440p of do more demanding work with it.
Use Cases: Which Card is Best for You?
Between the RTX 3060 and 3060 Ti, it comes down to your needs and budget.
- For 1080p Gamers: With ray tracing and DLSS off, it is more than capable of high settings 1080p for almost all games. The 3060 is a great value if you mostly game at 1080p and aren’t after absolute top-tier performance.
- For 1440p Gamers: In terms of future-proofing as well, the RTX 3060 Ti represents much better value unless you play at 1080p. And because of more CUDA cores, more bandwidth, and overall better hardware in general, it is best suited for higher resolutions.
- For 4K Gamers: Neither card is really meant for 4K gaming, but if you do want to play at 4K on medium or with DLSS enabled, the 3060 Ti will fare slightly better.
- For Content Creators: For content creators the RTX 3060 Ti easily is the faster card here whether you’re rendering or video editing or any GPU-accelerated task. That said, 12GB of VRAM on the RTX 3060 could technically put it in front in certain applications where your workflow requires more VRAM.
Which One Should You Buy?
- For Budget-Conscious Gamers: If you are more budget-conscious and mostly stick to 1080p gaming, the RTX 3060 still looks like a solid option. It’s a solid performer — especially when paired with DLSS — delivering modest 1440p performance as well. For folks who work with bigger datasets or textures, the 12GB of VRAM also serve as an appealing selling feature.
- For Performance Seekers: RTX 3060 Ti is best value for money if you intend to game at 1440p Though it carries a higher price tag, its extra cores, better ray tracing performance and faster memory bandwidth can help justify the cost. It’s also a superior choice if you do any level of content creation or GPU-intensive work.
- Long-Term Investment: The RTX 3060 Ti also take the win here too if you care for future-proofing. It has the capacity to deliver higher frame rates, demanding games, and even more ray tracing performance than 3060—thus making it a superior option as games begin to advance.
So, that’s all we have for you regarding the comparison of RTX 3060 and 3060 Ti. We hope that this guide has helped you.
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