GeForce RTX 3060
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 is one of the most popular mid-class video cards presented by NVIDIA within the Ampere architecture. In this article, we will look at the development history, announcement and release dates, architecture details, characteristics, gaming performance at the time of release versus competitors, as well as interesting facts about the RTX 3060 video card.
Development and announcement date
The Ampere architecture was announced by NVIDIA in September 2020, bringing many innovations such as an improved 8nm manufacturing process and new technologies such as RTX IO and DLSS 2.0. These technologies have enabled the creation of more realistic graphics scenes and faster processes such as 4K imaging and artificial intelligence.
NVIDIA announced the RTX 3060 in January 2021 as an affordable and powerful desktop graphics card designed with a focus on gamers looking for a balance between cost and performance.
Release date
GeForce RTX 3060 went on sale in February 2021. Priced at around $329 at launch, it was one of the most affordable ray tracing and DLSS 2.0 graphics cards on the market.
Detailed architecture and characteristics
The RTX 3060 is based on the Ampere architecture and uses the GA106 GPU. The video card has 3584 CUDA cores, 112 tensor cores and 28 RT cores. The base clock frequency is 1320 MHz, and the boost clock is 1780 MHz.
The video card is equipped with 12 GB GDDR6 video memory with a bandwidth of 360 Gbps, and the video memory interface is 192 bits. The TDP of video cards is 170 W, which requires a fairly powerful power supply and an effective cooling system for stable operation.
Gaming performance at launch compared to competitors
At launch, the RTX 3060 offered excellent gaming performance at 1080p and 1440p resolutions at high and ultra settings. Compared to the previous generation, RTX 2060, the video card showed a significant improvement in performance thanks to the Ampere architecture and new technologies.
One of the main competitors of the RTX 3060 is the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, which also offers good performance in the mid-range segment. Depending on the game and graphics settings, these video cards can offer similar performance, although the RTX 3060 has an advantage in games that support ray tracing and DLSS 2.0.
Interesting facts about the video card
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The RTX 3060 is the first mid-range graphics card in the RTX 30 line to offer 12GB of GDDR6 VRAM, allowing for more texture and data processing and improved performance in modern games.
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The graphics card supports NVIDIA Reflex and NVIDIA Broadcast technologies, which enhance the gaming experience and provide useful tools for streamers and content creators. NVIDIA Reflex technology helps reduce system latency and make gameplay more responsive, while NVIDIA Broadcast improves audio and video for streaming and video conferencing.
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The RTX 3060 was available in various variants from NVIDIA partners, offering variety in cooling options, clock speeds and design. This gave consumers the opportunity to choose the graphics card that best suited their requirements and preferences.
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 marks a milestone in the evolution of mid-range graphics cards, delivering an affordable and powerful product that offers an excellent balance between cost and performance. The Ampere architecture and support for new technologies such as ray tracing and DLSS 2.0 make the RTX 3060 an attractive choice for gamers and enthusiasts looking for high gaming performance at a reasonable cost.
Compared to competitors like the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, the RTX 3060 delivered comparable performance in many games, especially those that support ray tracing and DLSS. This highlights NVIDIA's leadership in the GPU market and their commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.