Is the RTX 3060 still a value for money in 2024?

NVIDIA is one of the leading companies in the manufacturing of graphics cards. They have produced the best GPUs, from low-budget to higher-tier ones, according to the user’s needs. Their RTX series is well known for providing good value for money. NVIDIA launched its new RTX 3060 GPU back in 2021. But how does it perform after three years in 2024? In this article, we will know if the mighty 3060 is still a value for money in 2024.

NVIDIA and the RTX 30 series:

NVIDIA announced it would bring its RTX 30 series back in September 2020. There was a massive demand for the new GPUs, and hundreds and thousands of preorders caused the company to run out of stock. The release and shipments from the online stores were postponed repeatedly. Besides, the COVID-19 pandemic made distributing the newly arrived graphics cards to retail and online shops harder. 

The RTX series came in different levels. The RTX 3050 GPUs were entry-level, the 3060 and 3060ti were mid-tier, the 3070 and 3080 were High-end, and the most premium GPUs were the 3080ti and 3090 for Enthusiasts. All these graphics cards, from the entry-level to the high-end, provided the best specs in their individual categories. 

The new GPUs soon gained the trust of consumers, and the company’s revenue started to grow higher in the following years. In 2020, the annual revenue was $10.92 Billion USD, which increased to $16.67 Billion USD in 2021. In 2022, the revenue jumped up to $26.9 Billion, which was almost $10 billion more than the previous year. The RTX 30 series was a success for NVIDIA.

What makes the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 so unique?

The RTX 3060 was launched in a mid-price range category. The GPU was available for only $329. The low price tag and many high-end specifications make the GPU attractive to consumers. Here are some reasons behind the success of the GPU

Powerful hardware:

The RTX 3060 came with all the latest and most robust hardware features. The GPU was made in GA106 architecture with Samsung’s 8n process technology. The graphics card has 3584 GPU CUDA cores and 112 tensor cores. It also has 28 RT cores, which will help you play games while turning on the ray-tracing option. The base clock is 1320 MHz, which can boost up to 1777 MHz. All these specs are enough to make a Graphics card fit for your needs.

12 GB of VRAM, the game changer:

Many GPU specialists will tell you that VRAM doesn’t have much impact on the GPU’s performance. But in 2024, VRAM is one of the most essential parts of a graphics card. Most of the games in 2024 are VRAM-hungry, and GPUs with small VRAM can’t cope.

One of the biggest selling points of the RTX 3060 was its massive 12 GB VRAM option. The 3060Ti and even the RTX 4060 come with an 8 GB VRAM option. The 12 GB of VRAM can handle larger games well without putting extra pressure on the GPU. This keeps your GPU health and temperature well, as well as causing fewer performance drops. 

No Compromise in Gaming:

If you are looking for a GPU for gaming, the RTX 3060 is the best option. With this GPU, you can play all the latest games in 1080P settings without any lag, stutter, or frame drop. 

Most of the games showed decent FPS while being tested. The GPU provided a constant 60 FPS in Watch Dogs Legion, 95 FPS in Horizon Zero Down, and 122 FPS in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. 

The GPU struggles a bit in 1440p gaming. If you want to play 2.5k or 2k games, we suggest you use the RTX 3080 version. Overall, the gaming performance of the RTX 3060 is decent and the best for a 1080p gamer. 

Excellent Software Features:

The RTX 3060 series comes with Nvidia’s latest software features. You will get G-Sync, DLSS, Reflex, and many more updated software features with the GPU. NVIDIA shows no compromises in regular updates and improving the software quality of its GPUs. The RTX 3060 also produces less temperature than the other GPUs available in the market. On our test, we had an average 65-degree Celsius temperature in the 3060 unit. 

Is it worth buying an RTX 3060 in 2024?

The answer is yes; you can still buy the RTX 3060 in 2024 if you are a mid-range 1080p gamer. Besides, if you do a lot of video, photo editing, and graphics designing, this GPU can be the best option in 2024. 

One of the main reasons behind this is the 12 GB VRAM of the unit, as it will let you play any game of 2024 effortlessly. The newer version of the RTX series, the RTX 4060, comes with an 8 GB VRAM option, which is not sustainable for the future. 

The GPU has all the hardware and software features to support all the latest games, even in high settings. You can play most games in the ultra settings with ray tracing and DLSS on with a minor frame drop. 

Besides, the price will be low in 2024. You can buy the MSI RTX 3060 from Amazon for only $289 in 2024. So, budget-wise, the GPU can be your best companion for gaming for the next few years.