What Is the Difference? Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 vs. 3060 Ti (2024)

If you're new to GPUs or trying to replace an older card like the GTX 1050 Ti or GTX 1080, the GeForce 30-series GPUs are a great place to start. Great specifications and performance have always defined Nvidia GeForce GPUs. Its lineup of RTX GPUs, particularly the 3060 and 3060 Ti, are some of the best in class.

On the surface, the RTX 3060 and RTX 3060 Ti look similar; they share a name, architecture, cooling systems, and dimensions. However, they have some differences, and this is how you pick between the Nvidia RTX 3060 and RTX 3060 Ti for your gaming PC.

RTX 3060 vs. RTX 3060 Ti: Specifications

Both cards use Samsung's 8nm technology process, but the number of transistors differs. The RTX 3060 contains 13.25 billion transistors, while the RTX 3060 Ti has a transistor count of 17.4 billion. More transistors typically indicate a newer, faster processor.

However, the RTX 3060, the slightly newer model, is built atop the Ampere GA106 GPU die. The RTX 3060 Ti, on the other hand, is based on the physically bigger GA104 GPU die, which reduces heat concentration.

The RTX 3060 contains 3,584 CUDA cores and a core clock performance of 1,320 MHz and a boost clock of 1,777 MHz, while the RTX 3060 Ti has 4,864 CUDA cores, a core clock performance of 1,410 MHz, and a boost clock of 1,665 MHz.

Another noticeable difference between the two is memory size. The RTX 3060 has 12GB GDDR6, while the RTX 3060 Ti has 8GB GDDR6.

With the combination of the faster clock speed, faster boost clock speed, and more VRAM, you'd expect the Nvidia RTX 3060 to be faster than the RTX 3060 Ti—but that's not the case.

Despite having 8GB VRAM and a lower boost clock, the RTX 3060 Ti offers better performance. One reason is that the RTX 3060 has a smaller and slower memory bus than the RTX 3060 Ti. This means data exchange takes longer on the 3060, translating to lower overall memory bandwidth for the GPU.

The RTX 3060 Ti features a higher 256-bit bus, allowing it to deliver 448GB/s of memory bandwidth. In addition, the RTX 3060 Ti revision launched in January 2023 offers an even faster 608GB/s bandwidth (through its upgrade to GDDR6X VRAM). The higher bandwidth allows the GPU to access more memory during operation.

On the other hand, the RTX 3060 has a 192-bit memory bus, resulting in a lower available bandwidth of 360GB/s.

Here's a comparison table showing the two cards' specifications (and the RTX 3060 Ti's 2023 update).

The performance of a card depends on its cooling system specs (temperature and power specifications). The Recommended Power System and Graphics Card Power for the RTX 3060 are 550W and 170W, respectively, while for the RTX 3060 Ti, are 600W and 200W, respectively.

Both GPUs have a similar maximum temperature, but the 3060 Ti consumes more power than the 3060. This means the 3060 Ti is less power-efficient and could reach its maximum temperature faster.

RTX 3060 vs. RTX 3060 Ti: Performance

The differences in performance between the RTX 3060 and the RTX 3060 Ti depend on the specifications of the Add-In Board (AIB) model. For instance, comparisons between the MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Ventus 3X OC and the MSI GeForce RTX 3060 VENTUS 2X 12G OC indicate that the 3060 Ti delivers slightly better gaming performance, despite having less VRAM.

Now, although 12GB VRAM sounds incredible, there aren't a great deal of opportunities to put 12GB VRAM to use, especially given the limitations of the RTX 3060's bandwidth, as previously mentioned. As such, the 8GB of VRAM on the RTX 3060 Ti is more than enough for 1440p gamers, the target audience.

At 1080p and 1440p, both cards deliver over 60 fps but always below 50 fps with more GPU-intensive games. The performance differences barely reach two-digit fps.

The RTX 30-Series lineup is packed with some of the best GPUs for 4K gaming and can easily run intensive games without any noticeable performance difference. To learn more about RTX 3060 models, we recommend checking out our iGame RTX 3060 Ultra W OC review.

RTX 3060 vs. RTX 3060 Ti: Pricing and Availability

The MSRP for the RTX 3060 is $329, while the 3060 Ti is $399. Going with this price tag, both GPUs deliver great value for money. The caveat is that the supply of Nvidia's 30-Series GPUs remains limited, so finding these GPUs at the recommended retail price is difficult. However, you can buy the 3060 via third-party stores at a price range of $350 to $500 and the 3060 Ti for around $550 to $800.

RTX 3060 vs. RTX 3060 Ti: Which Is Better?

For gamers, it would be best to consider the VRAM of the graphics card, while for crypto-miners, the GPU's hash rate is more important.

The RTX 3060 has 12GB VRAM, which, while it doesn't outshine the 3060 Ti on performance, is quite effective for gaming. This is because the VRAM advantage of the RTX 3060 is insignificant at the resolution these cards are aimed at, 1080 and 1440p.

Benchmark results of the RTX 3060 vs. RTX 3060 Ti show the Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti is the superior GPU—but it wins by a very slim margin.