By Zhiye Liu
published
Looks like it'll be based on AD107, if a leaker is to be believed.
Nvidia's forthcoming GeForce RTX 4060 aims to compete with the best graphics cards for gaming. However, if the rumored specifications are accurate, the GeForce RTX 4060 may disappoint a lot of gamers.
Nvidia's GeForce RTX x060-tier graphics cards have always been a fan favorite for budget-conscious gamers. The latest Steam Hardware Survey (opens in new tab) can attest to the statement. The last three generations of GeForce RTX x060-series models are among Steam's top ten most used graphics cards. The GeForce GTX 1060 and GeForce RTX 2060 are currently the second and fourth most popular graphics cards, while the GeForce RTX 3060 finds itself in sixth place. Although the Ada Lovelace architecture offers a significant upgrade over Ampere, the GeForce RTX 4060's potential specifications look disheartening.
According to hardware leaker kopite7kimi (opens in new tab), who has a solid track record of reliable information, the GeForce RTX 4060 reportedly uses the AD107 silicon. It's a die that we already know about because Nvidia utilizes it for the company's mobile GeForce RTX 4060 and GeForce RTX 4050 SKUs. So yes, barring any changes, the GeForce RTX 4060 appears to use a die tailored to mobile graphics cards.
The GeForce RTX 4060 seemingly employs the PG190 PCB with the AD107-400-A1 at heart. That means the Ada-powered graphics card will wield 3,072 CUDA cores, 96 Tensor cores, and 24 RT cores. The last-generation GeForce RTX 3060 had 3,584 CUDA cores, 17% more than the GeForce RTX 4060. Both use different architectures, of course.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Specifications
Swipe to scroll horizontally
| Graphics Card | GeForce RTX 4060* | GeForce RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | AD107 | GA106 |
| Process Technology | TSMC 4N | Samsung 8N |
| Transistors (Billion) | ? | 12 |
| Die size (mm²) | 146 | 276 |
| SMs | 24 | 28 |
| GPU Cores | 3,072 | 3,584 |
| Tensor Cores | 96 | 112 |
| RT Cores | 24 | 28 |
| Base Clock (MHz) | ? | 1,320 |
| Boost Clock (MHz) | ? | 1,777 |
| VRAM Speed (Gbps) | 18 | 15 |
| VRAM | 8GB GDDR6 | 12GB GDDR6 |
| VRAM Bus Width | ? | 192 |
| ROPs | 32 | 48 |
| TMUs | 96 | 112 |
| TFLOPs FP32 (Boost) | ? | 12.7 |
| Bandwidth (GBps) | ? | 360 |
| TGP (watts) | 115 | 170 |
| Launch Date | 2023 | 2021 |
*Specifications are unconfirmed.
The GeForce RTX 4060 may arrive with 8GB of 18 Gbps GDDR6 memory. The memory modules are reportedly faster since the regular GeForce RTX 3060 uses 15 Gbps modules. However, the GeForce RTX 3060 has 12GB, apparently, 50% more than the GeForce RTX 4060. It's a substantial compromise that'll ultimately affect performance in modern titles, such as Hogwarts Legacy, that can devour VRAM.
The leaker didn't share the memory interface for the GeForce RTX 4060, but there aren't too many options. The GeForce RTX 4060 is unlikely to retain the 192-bit memory bus, which has been the norm since the GTX 1060. That means the GeForce RTX 4060 may only offer up to 288 GB/s of bandwidth, representing a 20% less than the GeForce RTX 3060.
The GeForce RTX 4060 will receive an L2 cache upgrade because of the Ada Lovelace architecture. The hardware leaker pegged the GeForce RTX 4060 with a 24MB L2 cache, 700% larger than the one on the GeForce RTX 3060. If we compare the GeForce RTX 4060 to the other Ada-based SKUs that have launched, it sports half the L2 cache of the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti. Given the other Ada GPUs have up to 8MB of L2 cache per 32-bit interface, it would appear that the RTX 4060 is also cut down in that area as well.
Maybe Nvidia's decision to roll with mobile silicon was to lower the power requirement for the GeForce RTX 4060. Kopite7kimi believes that the GeForce RTX 4060 will have a 115W TDP. That's crazy because it would put the GeForce RTX 4060 almost on the same level as a GeForce GTX 1660 (120W) in terms of TDP. For comparison, even the GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile (120W) consumes more power. The GeForce RTX 3060 sports a 170W rating, so the GeForce RTX 4060 has a 32% lower TDP.
Overall, if the leaks are correct, RTX 4060 is shaping up to be a rather odd solution. The lack of VRAM will certainly prove limiting, and while the L2 cache could make up for the loss in bandwidth, it still ends up feeling like less of an upgrade than other models. But then we said the same thing about the RTX 4070 Ti with its 192-bit interface. Time will tell how the RTX 4060 actually stacks up, and how much it will cost.
Be In the Know
Get instant access to breaking news, in-depth reviews and helpful tips.
Zhiye Liu
RAM Reviewer and News Editor
Zhiye Liu is a Freelance News Writer at Tom’s Hardware US. Although he loves everything that’s hardware, he has a soft spot for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM.
Topics
Graphics
Components
55 CommentsComment from the forums
Metal Messiah. ""The GeForce RTX 4060 may retain a 192-bit memory bus, which has been the norm since the GTX 1060.""
That seems unlikely. The GPU will sport a 128-bit bus interface for sure, same as the rumored RTX 4060 Ti SKU (also because it will come in an 8GB VRAM flavor). That gives the card 288 GB/s bandwidth and all of that will fall within a 115W reference TDP.Reply
cyrusfox 14% less cores, 2/3 the VRAM (12gb was generous though on the 3060). This is what comes to mind
Reply
blue screen of fun! Seems like an odd choice to make an underpowered 4060.
On the other hand, releasing a 4050 with the mobile GPU could be a really great option. I'd love to have a relatively inexpensive single slot card that I could add to some of the underpowered workstations around my workplace. The only options for that are either insanely expensive or very old...Reply
(Video) The RTX 4060 2.5x Faster Than The RTX 3060 - LoveLace NEW GPU Leaks!! Speculation!AgentBirdnest Less VRAM isn't really surprising. The 3060's 12GB was an interesting, somewhat bizarre choice, considering that the 3070 and OG 3080 only had 8 and 10 GB, respectively.
If it's true that it has 14% fewer cores than the 3060, though... dang, that's just sad. :-/ Higher clocks will probably make it perform similarly, but not for a cheaper price.
It feels like the entire RTX 40 series will be a mulligan. I hope it will be, and that Nvidia learns a lesson and gets back to actual progress next year, but I'm not gonna hold my breath.
Reply
PlaneInTheSky Just 8GB VRAM in 2023, wow.
A game like Hogwarths Legacy uses more in 1080p.
And with consoles having 16GB shared VRAM, 8GB is a serious problem for any cross platform title.
This card better be around $200 or something, because it's already behind the curve.
https://i.postimg.cc/13xL6zwv/l-n-mn-n.jpg
Reply
InvalidError PlaneInTheSky said:
A game like Hogwarths Legacy uses more in 1080p.Only if you push it to 1440p Ultra RT where the RTX3060 only does 26FPS on average, not really playable. If you lower details enough to get 50+FPS average, then 8GB GPUs like the 3070Ti beat the 12GB RTX3060, VRAM is no longer the main limiting factor.
Seems like 8GB is just about right for the amount of details that can be pushed out with the 3060's compute power.
(Video) The RTX 4060 costs... $499..? Is Nvidia Getting it Completely WRONG?The worst part about the RTX4060 will likely be its MSRP which I wouldn't be surprised if it was $500, which would be absolutely atrocious value per dollar for what should be 50-tier hardware.
Reply
PlaneInTheSky Only if you push it to 1440p Ultra RT
hello, anybody home?
Reply
InvalidError PlaneInTheSky said:
hello, anybody home?How much VRAM usage a game or hardware monitoring software reports has no direct correlation with how much of the VRAM's buffer is actually used to render frames. You have to look for the point where performance drops off a cliff from exceeding available VRAM for that.
Reply
PlaneInTheSky How much VRAM usage a game or hardware monitoring software reports has no direct correlation with how much of the VRAM's buffer is actually used to render frames.
You are wrong again. It is used to render frames, and it does impact in-game FPS.
That 3060 12GB VRAM is beating that 3080 10GB and 3070 8GB in-game, in 1080p, with higher FPS.
I suggest you stop now, admit your mistake, before digging deeper.
(source: Hardware Unboxed)
Reply
neblogai PlaneInTheSky said:
That 3060 12GB VRAM is beating that 3080 10GB and 3070 8GB in-game, in 1080p, with higher FPS.(Video) AMD's Threadripper Lies Come Back to Haunt Them... - Tech News Feb 19That FPS count just means you need to turn off RT, or lower other settings, as this tier of GPU could not run well with these settings at good fps, even if it had enough VRAM (as the 306012GB shows). And then, without RT/Ultra settings, 8GB will be fine, even in a such an outlier title as HL.
Reply
FAQs
How many CUDA cores does RTX 3060 have? ›
Why does RTX 3060 have 12GB RAM? The 3060 uses a 192-bit memory bus which is slower than the 3060 Ti's 256-bit memory bus. The reason the 3060 uses 12GB is because 192-bit cards have 6 memory chips used over six lanes (32×6=192). A 256-bit card uses 8 chips on 8 lanes (8×32=256).
Why does the 3070 have less VRAM than the 3060? ›In short, because the RTX 3060 has slower memory than the RTX 3070. The RTX 3060 has a smaller 192 bit memory bus, clocked at 1875 MHz, while the RTX 3070 has a 256 bit memory bus clocked at 1750 MHz.
Does RTX 3060 have Cuda cores? ›The RTX 3060 has 28 RT cores, 112 Tensor cores, and 3,584 CUDA cores, compared to 38, 152, and 4,864 in the RTX 3060 Ti, respectively.
How much VRAM does RTX 3060 have? ›| Graphics Card | RTX 3060 Ti | RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM (GB) | 8 | 12 |
| VRAM Bus Width | 256 | 192 |
| ROPs | 80 | 48 |
| TMUs | 152 | 112 |
CUDA, which stands for Compute Unified Device Architecture, Cores are the Nvidia GPU equivalent of CPU cores that have been designed to take on multiple calculations at the same time, which is significant when you're playing a graphically demanding game.
What graphics card is better than the 3060? ›The 3060 Ti will only be capable of running many graphically intensive games between 40-50fps on average at 4K resolution and max settings. If 4K gaming is your goal, then an RTX 3070 or RTX 3080 will probably be a better bet.
Is RTX 3060 12GB better than 8GB? ›Based on this testing, the RTX 3060 12GB averaged 110FPS (91FPS at 1%) at 1080p and 79FPS (65FPS at 1%) at 1440p. On the other hand, the 8GB model averaged 94FPS (78FPS at 1%) at 1080p and 67FPS (54FPS at 1%) at 1440p. These results put the 8GB model 15% slower than the 12GB variant.
What is better than Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060? ›The 3060Ti offers performance above what is required for most at 1080p, with far greater abilities at 1440p than the standard RTX 3060. It also boasts far more legs for Ray Tracing than the RTX 3060, with the extra raw power helping to offset the performance overhead of the real-world lighting tech.
Why does 3060 have 12GB of VRAM? ›The only reason the 3060 has 12gb is due to the 192 bit buss design which basically limits it to either using 6gb or 12gb of VRAM and 6gb is likely too little for some modern games.
Why does 3060 have more VRAM? ›
The actual reason is that the 3060 was originally engineered to use 6GB of VRAM, not 12, but since almost all of AMD's RX products had more VRAM at a given price than Nvidia counterparts, Nvidia just decided to up the size of VRAM chips on the 3060 from 1GB to 2GB per die, resulting in this ridiculous piece of tech ...
Is RTX 3060 overkill? ›3060 Ti is not an overkill, that card has a good value and actually is more meant for 1080p maybe 1440p. Overclocked, it's only 2 percent behind the stock RTX 3070, so maybe even 4k performance.
How many cores do you need for a 3060? ›The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 is a fast desktop graphics card. It is based on the GA106 Ampere chip and offers 12 GB GDDR6 graphics memory with a 192 Bit memory bus. It offers 3,584 cores and supports PCIe 4.0.
Is the RTX 3060 a good graphics card? ›As a mainstream card, the RTX 3060 primarily targets 1080p and 1440p gaming. Some lighter games may also run fine at 4K, or in some cases, you could shoot for 4K at medium settings. But despite having more VRAM than even the RTX 3080, frame rates definitely take a hit at the highest resolutions.
What is the difference between CUDA and GPU? ›CUDA is a parallel computing platform and programming model developed by NVIDIA for general computing on its own GPUs (graphics processing units). CUDA enables developers to speed up compute-intensive applications by harnessing the power of GPUs for the parallelizable part of the computation.
Does RTX 3060 have 8GB VRAM? ›As for the card itself, it's a copy of their RTX 3060 LHR model with 12GB VRAM. It is the same dual-slot and dual-fan design with reference specs, which are the same for both SKUs. The only difference is that 8GB memory is attached to a 128-bit memory bus, not 192-bit.
What specs do you need for a RTX 3060? ›- 550 Watt or greater power supply.
- PCI Express, PCI Express 2.0 or PCI Express 3.0 compliant motherboard with one graphics slot.
- One available 8-pin PCIe power dongle.
- Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 7.
System Suggestions GeForce RTX 3060 is best suited for resolutions up to and including 3840x2160. We recommend a high-end processor and 16GB of RAM for optimal performance.
Does more CUDA cores mean more FPS? ›Moreover, in the games where framerates matter a lot, like in FPS games, maintaining a higher frame rate consistently also requires a good amount of CUDA cores doing their job.
Does more CUDA cores mean better performance? ›So don't think that a graphics card with more CUDA cores will necessarily perform better than the one with fewer Stream Processors, or the other way around. CUDA cores may be a bit more optimized but there are no glaring differences in terms of performance. Or even visual quality between the two.
How do I enable all CUDA cores? ›
Enable CUDA optimization by going to the system menu, and select Edit > Preferences. Click on the Editing tab and then select the "Enable NVIDIA CUDA /ATI Stream technology to speed up video effect preview/render" check box within the GPU acceleration area. Click on the OK button to save your changes.
Why is 3060 Ti better than 3060? ›Despite them sharing the same name, the RTX 3060 Ti is significantly more powerful than the RTX 3060, thanks to its better GPU, its abundance of CUDA, Tensor, and RT Cores, and is wider memory bandwidth. The RTX 3060 Ti, on average, performs better than the RTX 3060 at all resolutions.
How powerful is RTX 3060? ›As a mainstream card, the RTX 3060 primarily targets 1080p and 1440p gaming. Some lighter games may also run fine at 4K, or in some cases, you could shoot for 4K at medium settings. But despite having more VRAM than even the RTX 3080, frame rates definitely take a hit at the highest resolutions.
Why does 3060 have 12GB and 3070 8GB? ›Why does RTX 3060 have 12GB and 3070 have 8GB? In short, because the RTX 3060 has slower memory than the RTX 3070. The RTX 3060 has a smaller 192 bit memory bus, clocked at 1875 MHz, while the RTX 3070 has a 256 bit memory bus clocked at 1750 MHz.
What graphics card is as good as a 3060? ›If you're looking to save a few bucks on your RTX 3060, ZOTAC is an excellent option to consider. The ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Twin Edge is one of the more affordable RTX 3060 options on the market. This card packs 3584 CUDA cores and 12GB of 192-bit GDDR6 VRAM—with a max boost speed of 1777MHz.
What do CUDA cores do? ›CUDA Cores are parallel processors, just like your CPU might be a dual- or quad-core device, nVidia GPUs host several hundred or thousand cores. The cores are responsible for processing all the data that is fed into and out of the GPU, performing game graphics calculations that are resolved visually to the end-user.
What is the difference between RTX 3060 6GB and 3060 8GB? ›One noticeable difference between the two is memory size. The 3060 has 12GB GDDR6 while the 3060 Ti contains 8GB GDDR6. The 3060 also has a boost clock of 1777 MHz, which is higher than the 3060 Ti's 1,665 MHz, so it's expected to be the faster GPU.
What version of CUDA does Nvidia RTX 3060 use? ›RTX 3060 uses the Ampere architecture, which requires CUDA 11.