Evgas | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti FTW2 Evga Ftw3: With the release of the GeForce RTX 30 Series of graphics cards, Nvidia has been on an epic tear. So much so that finding one in stock has been like tracking Sasquatch. With the launching of its new GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Founders Edition midrange GPU, the business hopes to maintain its hot streak—and those scorching sales. At the time of writing, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is nearly unrivaled at $399. Also with AMD’s older Radeon RX 5700 Series cards unable to stay up. Even the new RX 6800 Series are dropping frequently enough to propel the RTX 3060 Ti higher in the rankings than we expected.
The RTX 3060 Ti, which will be available on December 2, is another outstanding member of Nvidia’s “Ampere” family. It receives our Editors’ Choice award as a midrange card that punches well beyond its weight class. So is only a credible competitor? Above it is the excellent $499 GeForce RTX 3070.
Evgas | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti FTW2 Evga Ftw3
The Style: Strong Elegance, Again
I was greeted by the familiar RTX 30 Series Founders Edition graphics-card facelift when I pull out the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. The twin push-pull fan configuration reduced PCB and a new heatsink that fills in the spaces, where the PCB lived on the Founders Cards of the RTX 20 series.
In the 30th Series, the only significant differences between RTX 3060 Ti and the rest of the Founders are changes to paints, except for the 9.5-inch footprint of the lower card.
The RTX 3070 and GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition cards we tested enclose a brushed matte-gray strip of metal. At the same time, the RTX 3060 Ti is wrapping in a powdered silver finish. As a result, it strikes the same combination of “mature” and “intimidating” that we’ve discussed in prior RTX 30 Series card assessments. But it lightens things up just a touch, in line with its lower position in the performance tree.
The card’s top edge features the reintroduction of Nvidia’s 12-pin power connector, Which accepts an adapter. That converts a standard eight-pin power supply line into this more minor, proprietary input.
With three 1.4b DisplayPort connections and one 2.1 HDMI output, the RTX3060 TI maintains the same interface design as the rest of the 30 Series. But, again, the VirtualLink port in the USB-C format of the RTX 20 Series is missing.
RTX 3060 Ti Founders Edition Specs
Let’s start with some specifications. Then, we’ll check how the RTX 3060 Ti compares against the two GeForce cards it’s aimed at, the RTX 2060 and 2060 Super.
Suppose the complete redesign shroud wasn’t enough to convince you that the 30 Series is bringing. Also, a whole new level of heat (or, in this case, cool) to the table, the spec bumps from the RTX 2060 Super to the RTX 3060 Ti should. The GA104 is constructed on the Samsung 8nm technology and powered by the RTX 3060 Ti. And it packs just over 60% more transistors into even less space than the TU106 die feature in the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 and GeForce RTX 2060 Super.
On AMD’s side of the comparison fence, the RTX 3060 Ti should be pitted against AMD’s current offering at $399: the Radeon RX 5700 XT. If you look at our above chart, you might question what the $579 Radeon RX 6800 and $649 Radeon RX 6800 XT do. Given their cost, both of those cards are punching well into the heavyweight division. Without giving away the finish, we’ll say, “Stay till the benchmarks to find out.”
Radeons In The Crosshairs: RTX 3060 Ti Testing
PC Labs put the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti through various simulated and real-world benchmarks based on DirectX 11 and 12. Our 2020 PC Labs test setup is Intel-based, with a PCI Express 3.0 rather than a 4.0 motherboard. There is an Intel Core i9-10900K processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and the Asus ROG Maximus XII Hero (Wi-Fi) motherboard. It is equipped with a solid-state drive. All cards listed below with their most recent drivers have been checked on this device for even play. Based on our studies with the Core i9-10900K and latest Ryzen 9 CPUs. This system is the best proper configuration for 2020 to remove the CPU from the frame rate equation. (To learn more about how we assess graphics cards, go here.)
The RTX 3060 Ti’s sports potential, which included the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO) and Rainbow Six: Siege, was some of our tests. The rest of our usual benchmarking method was likewise carried out by our card. It examines the ability of a card to play AAA games in the highest standards and the way it plays in synthetic criteria that stress the card in different ways.
Synthetic Benchmarks Are The Results Of Testing
Synthetic benchmarks can help predict real-world gaming performance. UL’s Fire Strike Ultra from around 2013 is still a reasonable estimate of the burden imposed by mainstream 4K gaming. We look only at the test’s Graphics Subscore, not the Overall Score, to isolate the card’s performance. In the meantime, we conducted 3DMark’s Time Spy Extreme test, which is a good indicator of how well a card will perform in DirectX 12 games at 4K resolution. Finally, Port Royal is exclusively a ray-tracing test for RTX cards, testing how well they handle ray-tracing jobs. (This explains the blank results for AMD cards on that one.) Also included are a few GPU-acceleration tests (Furmark and LuxMark); additional information on those can be found at the “how we test” link above.
In synthetic testing, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti quickly outperforms the previous generation of Nvidia cards and AMD’s rDNA one choices, such as the RX 5700 XT. The RTX 3060 Ti easily exceeded the RX 5700 XT in 3DMark, trading wins and losses with the RTX 2080 Super, but in Superposition, the RTX 3060 Ti easily outperformed the RX 5700 XT.
Testing Outcomes: Recent AAA Games
Now, let’s move on to the real-world games you can play. By each case (for these AAA titles), we usually selected the highest in-game preset and, if available, DirectX 12. In contrast, the multiplayer-focus and esports titles in the following chart group (such as CS: GO and Rainbow Six: Siege) were set somewhat below top detail settings to maximize frame rates.
In our Red Dead Redemption 2 runs, the card was so close to predictions that it was almost spooky. Even with every resolution we tested, it was a single frame quicker than the RTX 2080 Super (Nvidia’s chosen point of comparison for the RTX 3060 Ti). If all the remaining RTX 30 Series cards hadn’t been as tight as a drum until now, we’d be sufficiently skeptical to look again. But that tale kept repeating itself as we went through the rest of the benchmarks. In most cases, the RTX 3060 Ti was only a few fps faster or slower than the RTX 2080 Super.
Then there’s the RTX 3060 Ti’s performance vs. the Nvidia card it’s set to replace at both price and badge number: the $399 RTX 2060 Super. The results increased as we continued through the testing process. The RTX 3060 Ti is around 40% faster than its predecessor in 4K. It commonly crosses the barrier for high-definition gameplays in titles like Shadow of Tomb Raider, Death Stranding, and Far Cry 5, 60 frames per second (fps). The RTX 3060 Ti should be a top competitor come Christmas time if you already have a 4 K / 60 Hz display or hope to receive one soon.
Outcomes Of Multiplayer Games
Most PC Labs’ game tests are meant to push graphics cards to their limits, multiplayer gaming. Therefore, it’s all about achieving the best combination of graphical fidelity and frame rate. Keeping this in mind, we’ve kept CS: GO, Rainbow Six: Siege, and Final Fantasy. XIV calibrated to the best combination of basic settings advancements (such as increased anti-aliasing and lower shadows). While still striving to keep 1080p frame rates above 144fps.
What is the significance of 144 frames per second? That is the desired goal for extremely competitive esports gamers with gaming monitors that run at 144Hz or higher. However, a consistent 80fps or 90fps at your targeted resolution is sufficient for more casual players utilizing conventional 60Hz monitors. Also, with additional overhead to prevent drops below 60fps.
The RTX 3060 Ti nearly missed the new 360fps-at-1080p ceiling set by 360Hz panels like the Asus ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN in CS: GO, which was a slam dunk for any card over $300.
Meanwhile, Final Fantasy 14, which runs on an engine known for favoring Nvidia cards, kept the RTX 3060 Ti at 1080p within shot range of the AMD RX 6000 Series cards.
Legacy AAA Titles Passed Testing
Next, let’s examine how the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti performs in several AAA titles beyond their prime. We performed some quick testing on several oldies-but-goodies that still provide a AAA gaming experience. Hitman Runs Sleeping Dogs, Tomb Raider (2013), and the BioShock: the legacy tests include endless runs. Infinite runs. The latter is a game with no right to being as well optimized as it was in 2020.
The driver inconsistencies we found in our review of the RX 6000 Series cards become even more apparent when the RTX 3060 Ti enters the fray. On these older titles, things were already looking dicey versus the RTX 3070 Founders Edition. And the RTX 3060 Ti steps in to finish the deal. The $399 RTX 3060 Ti maintains up with or even outperforms. The frame rates of 579 RX 6800 in all three Bioshock resolutions: Infinite, Hitman: Sleeping, and Absolute Dogs. The more resolution the RTX 3060 Ti is anticipating to exceed even 649$ in the duplicate titles, the more the Radeon RX 6800 XT will work. Here and there, something happens.
Overclocking And Thermals: New Cooling Takes Form
We have conducted the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti stress test for 10 minutes at 3DMark Port Royal. The temperature expectation set by previous releases in the RTX 30 Series series of Founders Edition cards. At the same time, only its predecessors’ temperatures for 20 series RTX 3080 and RTX 3070 Founders Editions might be compatible. The RTX 3060 Ti significantly outpaces them.
While the RTX 2060 Super reached 74 degrees Celsius. The RTX 3060 Ti never above 60 degrees Celsius throughout our stress test. It is one of the most fabulous cards in the last several years we tested. We were even beating out the low-end, super-small Zotac GeForce GTX 1650 OC, which reached 57 degrees C.
RTX 20 Series made all of the design changes between the release of the RTX 20 Series. The RTX 30 Series seems to be paying off in midrange cards like the RTX 3060 Ti. And the improved airflow design can hit the sweetest thermal spot. It’s among all of Nvidia’s RTX 30 Series cards thus far. The principles of thermodynamics are rigid, and solving them will always be one of the most challenging challenges for engineers. Also, whether in industrial design or chip architecture. The Founders Edition cards are rare because they attack those challenges with a unique method. Also, the first proper overhaul we’ve seen in GPU heatsinks in years. They’re fantastic cards.
Team Green Will Not Relent In Its Pursuit Of Victory
When the RTX 2080 Super release, we at PC Labs thought it was a terrific card. But it didn’t have the same amount of “Super” -ness that the RTX 2070 Super did. So much for all of that Superstition: The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti outperforms. Every test we ran is slow down effectively the $699 RTX 2080 Super. Also, the cost of entering high-detail 1440p and 4K gaming in half.
The RTX 30 Series is continuing to remedy Nvidia’s Turing-era high costs by delivering massive advances in gaming and synthetic performance. (With one major caveat: only if you can find one of the cards for sale!) Aside from frame rates and benchmarks. The company’s revolutionary cooling method appears to have finally struck its sweet spot in the RTX 3060 Ti’s power output. This aggressive card was mount in a thermally and physically secure PC enclosure.
Compared to AMD’s other closest competitor in terms of price, the $399 Radeon RX 5700 XT from 2019, the results are even more precise: Nvidia is now unrivaled in the intermediate. However, an RDNA 2-based midrange solution from AMD in the coming months appears to be unavoidable at this time. Therefore Nvidia currently delivers the best combination of performance, features, and technology at the $399 MSRP.
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