The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is a high-end 1440p gaming graphics card developed by NVIDIA. The card was officially launched in December 2020, and like all the cards based on NVIDIA’s Ampere architecture, it was built upon Samsung’s 8 nm manufacturing process. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti features a GA104 graphics chip, with the die size of 392 mm², and 17,400 million transistors.
Despite having almost 40% smaller die size compared to the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is capable of delivering the same performance, while costing half as much. As such, the RTX 3060 Ti is a direct competitor to both the Radeon RX 6700 XT and the RTX 2080 SUPER.
The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti comes with 4,864 shading units, 38 stream multiprocessors, 38 ray tracing cores, and 8GB of GDDR6 memory which communicates with the CPU via 256-bit memory bus. Its base GPU clock is 1,410 MHz, while the boost clock goes up to 1,665 MHz. The card also supports all the latest technologies, such as DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan APIs, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 2.0, NVIDIA G-Sync, NVIDIA DLSS, NVIDIA GeForce Experience and NVIDIA GPU Boost. The card also features full support for PCIe 4.0 x16 bus interface, and has a TDP of around 200 watts.
Read also: The Best GeForce RTX 3070 Graphics Cards
Speaking of its performance, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is able to deliver excellent performance at both 1440p and 4K resolutions. On average, the RTX 3060 Ti is about 32% faster than the previous-gen GeForce RTX 2060, and is about 60% faster than the Pascal-based GeForce GTX 1060 6GB. The card can run the latest AAA titles, such as Battlefield V or Call of Duty: Warzone, at 120 FPS on ultra settings in 1440p resolution, and can run very demanding action-adventure titles, such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, at 80 FPS on ultra settings in 1080p resolution.
The RTX 3060 Ti can also run highly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 at 80 FPS in 1080p on ultra settings. The card also features ray tracing performance similar to the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER, but comes with a significantly lower price tag and power consumption. Featuring such incredible shading performance, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is without a doubt one of the best graphics cards currently available on the market.
Since many authorized AIB partners and manufacturers produce different variants of GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, we have compiled a list of best custom-made models of this card available on the market. Some of them have uniquely designed coolers and PCB layouts, while some of them come with extra features such as RGB lightning, or software utilities. Take a look, and decide which one best suits your needs.
Best Overall:
EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti FTW3 ULTRA
Best Cooling:
MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Ventus 3X OC
Best Premium:
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3060 Ti OC
Best Design:
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Founders Edition
Best Compact:
ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Twin Edge OC
Best Overall: EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti FTW3 ULTRA
Boost Clock: 1,800 MHz | Memory: 8GB GDDR6 | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin | Outputs: 3 x DP, 1 x HDMI
- Factory overclocked
- Top-notch 1440p performance
- Efficient cooling solution
- Low-key heatsink design
- All-metal backplate
- A bit on the pricier side
If you are looking for a powerful graphics card for your gaming PC, then you’ll love the EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti FTW3 ULTRA. Up until recently this card was extremely popular among crypto miners, but with cryptocurrency mining craze winding down, the card is now much cheaper and more accessible. When it comes to gaming performance, this card is simply outstanding. It can run almost all games at more than 60 FPS in 1440p resolution, and is powerful enough to deliver decent 4K gaming experience.
The RTX 3060 Ti FTW3 ULTRA comes with a factory increased boost clock speed of 1,800 MHz, which should deliver 8% additional performance compared to the non-overclocked models. The card also features a chunky triple-fan iCX3 cooling solution, and an all-metal backplate which provide great cooling performance. Although it features customizable ARGB LEDs on its side, the card features a low-key design, which we find quite attractive. The card is a bit on the pricier side, but given the fact that it can provide great gaming performance, it is well-justified.
Best Cooling: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Ventus 3X OC
Boost Clock: 1,695 MHz | Memory: 8GB GDDR6 | Power Connectors: 1 x 8-pin | Outputs: 3 x DP, 1 x HDMI
- Great 1440p gaming performance
- Efficient triple-fan cooling solution
- Ample amounts of thermal pads
- Bundled support bracket
- Very large dimensions
- Not suitable for overclocking
The MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Ventus 3X OC is a graphics card that has good looks, efficient cooler, and is able to run fairly cool and quiet while still performing great. It features a huge triple-fan cooling solution which includes MSI’s advanced TORX fans, and it comes with ample amounts of thermal pads to transfer heat directly to the heatsink for better cooling.
The card also comes with a built-in anti-bending strap, and support bracket, and its backplate features big opening to help dissipate heat more quickly. Compared to the MSI RTX 3060 Ti GAMING X TRIO, this card has a weaker VRM solution, meaning it’s not designed to support extreme overclocking. Nevertheless, this is a well-built, sturdy, and cool graphics card which should deliver great 1440p gaming experience on ultra settings.
Best Premium: ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3060 Ti OC
Boost Clock: 1,890 MHz | Memory: 8GB GDDR6 | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin | Outputs: 3 x DP, 2 x HDMI
- Stunning aesthetics
- Outstanding performance
- Great overclocking potential
- Overkill cooling system
- RGB lightning
- Very large physical dimensions
- Very expensive
The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3060 Ti OC is simply an amazing graphics card. It features 13.5% higher boost clock than the NVIDIA’s Founders Edition model, and it comes with a nearly three-slot thick cooler that is able to deliver overkill cooling performance. Speaking of its shading performance, the ROG Strix RTX 3060 Ti OC is on par with the RTX 2080 SUPER, and sometimes even with the RTX 2080 Ti, which is great for a card that costs half as much.
Featuring a huge heatsink with three axial-tech fans, the ASUS ROG Strix RTX 3060 Ti OC runs very cool. Under full load the cards runs slightly below 60°C, and with silent BIOS enabled, its temps never exceed 62°C. Acoustics of this card are also top-notch, and coil squealing is barely noticeable when it renders high amounts of frames. This card is also a very good overclocker, as it can easily reach clock speed of 2,000 MHz, and can be pushed up to 2,150 MHz if overclocked properly. Overall, this is a fantastic graphics card, and should be at the top of your list if you want to own a premium-quality RTX 3060 Ti.
Best Design: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Founders Edition
Boost Clock: 1,665 MHz | Memory: 8GB GDDR6 | Power Connectors: 1 x 12-pin | Outputs: 3 x DP, 1 x HDMI
- Premium design
- Efficient cooling system
- Compact dimensions
- Affordable price
- Slightly noticeable coil whine
- Not very good for overclocking
The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Founders Edition features the one of the best heatsinks and PCB designs of all RTX 3060 Ti cards currently available on the market. Designed and produced exclusively by NVIDIA, the RTX 3060 Ti FE comes with an incredibly good-looking heatsink, and it packs some other unique features, such as the 12-pin power connector and dual axial-flow cooling system.
Compared to other AIB models of RTX 3060 Ti, the Founders Edition model features very compact dimensions, which makes it perfect for installing in smaller computer cases. Under full load, the card runs very quiet, as it produces only 36 dBA of noise, and its temps never go past 75°C. The Founders Edition model also consumes a bit less power than other AIB models, and it requires a 550 W power supply unit. The biggest drawback of this card is that it’s not best suited for overclocking, and that it features a built-in LHR mining limiter.
Best Compact: ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Twin Edge OC
Boost Clock: 1695 MHz | Memory: 8GB GDDR6 | Power Connectors: 1 x 8-pin | Outputs: 3 x DP, 1 x HDMI
- Great for mATX and ITX cases
- Very energy efficient
- Solid overclocking potential
- Useful dedicated software suite
- No RGB lighting
- Fans produce a lot of noise under full load
ZOTAC GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Twin Edge OC is a minified version of the RTX 3060 Ti that features simplified design, and was built to stay as close as possible to the Founders Edition price tag. The card features no RGB lighting, and its cooling block is comprised of only two alternate spinning fans that are attached to an aluminum heatsink. The best thing about this card is that it measures only 222 mm in length, which means it can fit into most mATX and mini-ITX cases.
The card’s temps never exceed 70°C during long gaming sessions, which we find to be quite acceptable. Unfortunately, it is one of the loudest custom RTX 3060 Ti cards, as its fans produce around 42 dB of noise under full load. The card also exhibits a small amount of coil whine which can be barely heard next to its loud fans. However, this is also one of the most energy efficient custom designed RTX 3060 Ti cards, since it consumes around 220 watts, and requires only one 8-pin power connector to run. For its size, the Twin Edge OC is also a pretty good overclocker, as it can easily reach core clock speed of 2,000 MHz, and thus deliver up to 6% better performance than the Founders Edition model. In short, the ZOTAC RTX 3060 Ti Twin Edge OC is a nice alternative to the Founders Edition model.
Conclusion
The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the best budget high-end graphics card currently available on the market. If you plan to use it only for 1080p gaming, then don’t waste your money, as this card is an overkill even for 1440p gaming. Delivering splendid rendering performance, as well as ray-tracing performance, this card is well worth buying, provided you obtain it at the MSRP price. We hope our buying guide helped you in search of the information you were looking for. If you still feel confused, and need advice about buying, feel free to post a comment below. We will try to help you.
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