We’re still waiting for the RTX 4060 release date, but Nvidia is reportedly preparing another RTX 3060 graphics card instead. The refreshed Ampere model might end up with an upgrade to GDDR6X VRAM and a different GPU. However, you’ll naturally miss all the bells and whistles of DLSS 3 included with the Lovelace GeForce options.
The Nvidia RTX 4060 has yet to join its GeForce squadron in the battleground for the best graphics cards, but the next-gen wars are arguably just beginning. If our RTX 4070 Ti review is anything to go by, we’re still waiting for a midrange hero, and rumors suggest the GPU giant is sadly still determined to sell RTX 3000 cards.
According to TechPowerUp GPU Database Publisher, Fantasy T4C, a new RTX 3060 will be a thing, armed with the same GA104 GPU and 12GB of faster GDDR6X memory (via Videocardz). Naturally, the latter should offer memory bandwidth benefits and will likely cost a bit less than the eventual Nvidia RTX 4060.
Of course, Nvidia hasn’t confirmed any plans for another RTX 3060 model, and we’d take any whispers with a grain of salt. However, the company has a habit of re-releasing older cards and claims that the RTX 3000 is still part of the current-gen family. So the leaked model in question could, in theory, launch alongside the RTX 4060 as a cheaper option, as we estimate the entry-level Lovelace card will cost more than the RTX 3070 at launch.
As mentioned above, opting for an RTX 3000 graphics card in 2023 comes with obvious caveats, as innovative features like Nvidia DLSS 3 only work on the RTX 4000. Currently, features like than Frame Generation are locked behind a higher price, as even the cheapest Lovelace card we tested, the RTX 4070 Ti, costs $799.
We can only hope that more affordable 4000-series cards will arrive soon, as even the mid-range Nvidia RTX 4070 has yet to show its face. While it’s likely to be a while before Ampère truly retires, it would be nice to see some entry-level successors bring DLSS 3 capabilities this year.