Since the RTX 40 Series was first revealed last autumn, it’s quickly become every hardware enthusiast’s go-to graphics card. But that doesn’t mean its predecessor has nothing left to offer. In fact, the RTX 30 Series still has plenty for gamers and might be the GPU for you in 2023.
Please note, there is limited availability for RTX 30 Series GPUs and gaming PCs.
First released in September 2020, the RTX 30 Series supported 2nd generation ray tracing, used NVIDIA’s Ampere architecture, and made use of DLSS to upscale your games. With these and other core capabilities in common across the line, each GPU has a lot to offer gamers. Which is the best choice comes down to you.
That’s why we’re going to break down each graphics card in the RTX 30 Series to answer the question of the day – is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series worth it (for you at least) in 2023?
At the lower end of the series sits the humble RTX3060. While we won’t be seeing steady 4K resolution and high-performance frame rates from this GPU, it still has a place in someone’s PC. It’s more than capable of 1080p gaming, which is enough for some players. If you’re an entry-level PC gamer or think of yourself as more of a casual player, then this graphics card and the gaming PCs that use it will be sufficient for you. It helps that it doesn’t cost as much as other GPUs too.
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RTX 3060 GPUs are available starting from £248.99*
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GeForce RTX 3060 12GB Graphics Card
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Next in line is the 3060 Ti. While its little brother sports more memory (12GB of GDDR6 memory for the RTX 3060 against 8GB for this one), this one has more CUDA cores. With a few extra of these parallel data processing units under the hood, it’s a more powerful GPU despite having less memory. As such, it’s a great choice for mid-range builds and gamers. We’re not quite in 4K or 1440p territory yet, but it’s good for QHD performance.
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RTX 3060 Ti GPUs are available starting from £319.99*
NVIDIA RTX 3070 Graphics Card
NVIDIA CUDA Cores
5,888
Memory Size
8 GB
Boost Clock (GHz)
1.73
Memory Type
GDDR6
Dimensions (in)
9.5 x 4.4
Power Draw
220W
With the RTX 3070, we hit the midway point in many ways. The price starts to creep up, so those looking for a gaming PC on a budget might find themselves a bit priced out. Similarly, performance hits a midway mark. While the 3070 can probably clear 30 FPS on many games, it’s not the 4K powerhouse hardware enthusiasts crave. It’s an odd spot for it to be in, but a great card for anyone upgradingfrom the RTX 20 Series.
RTX 3070 GPUs are no longer available
NVIDIA RTX 3080 Graphics Card
NVIDIA CUDA Cores
8,704
Memory Size
10 GB
Boost Clock (GHz)
1.71
Memory Type
GDDR6X
Dimensions (in)
11.2 x 4.4
Power Draw
320W
Now things are getting meaty. From a price-to-performance perspective, the 3080 stands atop the RTX 30 Series mountain. If you want to build yourself a high-end gaming machine, unlock 4K resolutions, and get yourself a truly immersive gaming experience, then this is the card for you. The drawbacks? Well, the graphics card is also a step up in size and power draw, so you’ll need a case and PSU to support it. The same goes for your CPU and RAM, so investing in hardware is key to using this GPU for a top-tier gaming rig.
RTX 3080 GPUs are no longer available
NVIDIA RTX 3090 Graphics Card
NVIDIA CUDA Cores
10,496
Memory Size
24 GB
Boost Clock (GHz)
1.70
Memory Type
GDDR6X
Dimensions (in)
12.3 x 5.4
Power Draw
350W
To put it bluntly, the RTX 3090 is big. Big on memory, big on size, big on power draw… you get the picture. It’s also big on price, so the question you need to ask is simple; do I need this graphics card for gaming? The answer is no, unless you are going all out. With more memory than any game is reasonably asking for and creative suite drivers, the RTX 3090 is best suited to productivity users. If you work in animation, then make sure your system is rocking this power. For gamers, take that price difference, invest in one of the other RTX 30 Series graphics cards, and treat yourself to some stylish peripherals instead.
RTX 3090 GPUs are no longer available
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*Prices correct at time of writing and PC specs are subject to change.
Since the RTX 40 Series was first revealed last autumn, it's quickly become every hardware enthusiast's go-to graphics card. But that doesn't mean its predecessor has nothing left to offer. In fact, the RTX 30 Series still has plenty for gamers and might be the GPU for you in 2023.
The short answer is yes. The Nvidia RTX 3080 remains a powerful option for gamers in 2024 thanks to its astounding 8,704 CUDA cores, ray tracing, and DLSS capabilities.
Yes, out of all the RTX 3000 series, 3090 is the only one you should buy. Do not spend so much money on an RTX 3090 just for playing games. Buy it only if you are doing 3D rendering, animation, AI, video editing, machine learning, etc. People were using 2 x RTX 3090 for rendering Hollywood movies.
Q: Is the Nvidia RTX 3080 still a good GPU in 2023? A: While the RTX 3080 remains a capable GPU, newer options like the RTX 4080 and RTX 4070 offer improved performance and features.
In conclusion, we can say that the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 is still a solid choice in 2024 if you can get hold of a good custom design for under $300, especially if you prioritize Nvidia features and a large memory capacity.
Why did companies stop making GeForce RTX 3090 while still making 3050, 3060, 3070, and 3080? - Quora. Production of all of these GPU ceased in mid 2022, a few months before the 40-series launched. The reason it looks the way you see it is because there was a surplus of the lower SKU's.
The GeForce 30 series began shipping on September 17, 2020. The initial launch, consisting of the RTX 3070, RTX 3080, and RTX 3090, occurred during the 2020–2023 global chip shortage, resulting in widespread and notable shortages of the series as a whole that lasted from the series' launch until 2022.
Only a small number of graphics cards can even manage 4K — the RTX 3090 and 12GB RTX 3080 among them — in the most demanding titles, and the trade-off in performance compared to 1440p usually isn't worth it.
Compared to the slower RTX 3080, the 3090 offers 10 - 20% higher gaming performance, but only above 4k. Still it has not enough power for 8k gaming at maximum detail settings. The RTX3090 is rated at 350 Watt but the power efficiency is still quite good.
Nvidia's premium RTX 3080 is built to readily handle heavy 1440p and 4K gaming for 5+ years. Even the professional Quadro workstation cards can surpass 10 years through careful usage.
The 3080 is overkill within this resolution unless you have a super-powerful monitor with at least 140Hz. If you care to use the 3080 GPU in this range, you can easily push over 100FPS even in the most demanding games.
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 was considered a high-end and powerful graphics card for gaming and other graphics-intensive tasks. Its performance capabilities were highly regarded, and it was capable of handling the latest games and demanding applications with ease.
Still, an RTX 3060 isn't a great investment if you're buying a GPU in 2024. Even among the mediocre options in budget graphics cards right now, the RTX 3060 is behind. If you're looking at making an upgrade to your PC, a current-gen GPU, be it from AMD, Nvidia, or Intel, is your best bet.
A 3060 is the sweet spot for those who want the latest RTX which is future proof. 3050 laptops people know are just overpriced and just a forcibly released for budget gaming. The 17" display is huge, only 1080p though. I never felt that the display lacks anything at all.
How long would a 3060 Ti last for 1440p gaming? I can say with confidence that it will definitely last for 6 years or more if your target is at high, 1440p, and 60fps. The RTX 3060 Ti can play most AAA games on ultra, 1440p, and still get > 120fps.
Given the demands of modern games, it's just not worth it to pick up the RTX 3060 when there are other more powerful options at around $300. For example, the RTX 4060 is around 19% faster at 1080p, and it's available for around $300.
Overall, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series offers great improvements in rendering performance compared to the RTX 30 Series. The RTX 4090 24GB is the standout performer, with a 90% faster rendering performance over the last generation, while the RTX 4080 16GB posted a more modest 43% speed improvement.
I can say with confidence that it will definitely last for 6 years or more if your target is at high, 1080p, and 60fps. The RTX 3060 Ti can play most AAA games on ultra, 1080p, and still get > 140fps. If you will be staying with 1080p, and only aiming for 60fps, I'd say it's a damn good card.
Nvidia's premium RTX 3080 is built to readily handle heavy 1440p and 4K gaming for 5+ years. Even the professional Quadro workstation cards can surpass 10 years through careful usage. But cheaper models like the RTX 3050 trim costs using components that may only last 3-4 years for 1080p gaming before falling behind.
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