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RTX 4060 vs RTX 3060 – Ada Takes the Crown?

With the RTX 4060 on the near horizon, many are curious how it will stand against other Nvidia offerings

Reviewed By: Kevin Pocock

Last Updated on January 2, 2024
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NVIDIA, a prominent player in the Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) field, has consistently pushed boundaries with its cutting-edge technology. As gamers and enthusiasts eagerly await the next generation of GPUs, comparing the anticipated RTX 4060 vs RTX 3060 has become a topic of great interest and speculation.

So, let’s compare both GPUs and see whether the flagship Ada takes the crown or the high-end ampere holds its place.

RTX 4060 vs RTX 3060: Specs Comparison

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 comes with the latest Nvidia Ada Lovelace architecture. Hence, there’s no doubt that it might offer something better in terms of efficiency, benchmarks, and features. However, RTX 3060’s Ampere architecture is not that bad either.

When it comes to ray tracing, the RTX 3060 uses the 2nd generation ray tracing of Nvidia GPUs. On the other hand, the RTX 4060 has dedicated ray tracing cores for the most realistic and immersive gaming.

Both RTX 4060 and RTX 3060 offer AI-accelerated performance. The latter uses Nvidia DLSS for this, and the former uses Nvidia DLSS 3. DLSS is AI-powered graphics for boosted performance. Hence, RTX 4060 gets a little edge here.

The table below lists RTX 4060 vs RTX 3060 specs comparison.

SpecificationRTX 4060RTX 3060
GPU NameAD107GA106
ArchitectureAda LovelaceAmpere
Lithography5 nm8 nm
Bus InterfacePCIe 4.0 x8PCIe 4.0 x16
Memory Frequency2,125 MHz1,875 MHz
Memory Bandwidth272.0 GB/s360.0 GB/s
Shading Units3,0723,584
TMUs96112
ROPs3264
RT Cores2428
Tensor Cores96112
Cache Memory24 MB3 MB
Boost Clock2.461.78
Maximum display resolution4K at 240Hz or 8K at 60Hz with DSC7680×4320
RTX 4060 vs RTX 3060 specs comparison

RTX 4060 vs RTX 3060: Price Comparison

The price of the GeForce RTX 3060 is $329. The demand for this amazing graphics card is high, so the price is still high. On the other hand, the price for GeForce RTX 4060 starts at $299. Although the price seems low now, high demand can lead to a higher MSRP.

RTX 4060 vs RTX 3060: Performance Comparison

RTX 4060 has newer functionalities and better specs, which makes it an ideal choice. However, its predecessor, the RTX 3060, is no less in terms of performance. In most games, including Blender, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, and Autodesk Arnold, the performance metrics were very close, with RTX 4060 gaining a little edge due to the advanced architecture and technology.

Both come powered with DLSS technology that makes every frame better. Additionally, the power consumption with both graphics cards is low. However, RTX 3060 may consume a little more power than RTX 4060, making the latter’s power efficiency top-notch.

The Ada architecture also enhances ray tracing’s performance. With the full glory of ray tracing, RTX 4060 can simulate light behavior in the real world, offering realistic experiences and frames. RTX 3060 has the 2nd generation of ray tracing, which is less powerful than the 40 series GPUs.

Likewise, there are many other reasons to go with RTX 4060. For instance, it has a 225MHz faster GPU clock speed than RTX 3060. Additionally, it has a 55W lower TDP. It also comes equipped with so-called Frame Generation, which will help aid the product with textures and fidelity in heavy FPS workloads.

However, that does not mean RTX 3060 has no edge over RTX 4060. For example, RTX 3060 has 104GB/s more memory bandwidth than RTX 4060. There’s also a 64-bit wider memory bus width and over 500 more shading units.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, both GPUs have some benefits over the other. While the specs for the RTX 4060 look excellent on paper, we will have to wait for it to arrive in the market on June 29 before making any conclusions. This is because Nvidia is rumored to have dropped the price of its RTX 4060 Ti because of low sales. With the latest and more efficient architecture, better ray tracing, and DLSS specs, the Ada Lovelace may well take the crown in the RTX 4060 vs RTX 3060 competition and could prove to be one of the best graphics cards out of Nvidia for some time. But we will have to wait and see if RTX 3060 continues to have a foothold on the market.

FAQs

Is RTX 4060 Better Than RTX 3060?

The RTX 4060’s specs, like VRAM, Cuda Cores, and total graphics power, are all very appealing. However, the poor performance of the Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti has put a question mark in people’s minds. So whether RTX 4060 is better than RTX 3060 can only be confirmed after June 29, 2023.

Will RTX 4060 Run 4K?

RTX 4060 will run 4K. But with ray tracing enabled, your systems might face some issues, especially if you are using the RTX 4060 8GB variant.

Ryan Epps is a copywriter and content manager for PCGuide. He loves researching the newest PC components and watching underrated anime from the 90s.