NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
Also called nvidia geforce rtx 3060, geforce rtx 3060
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series desktop graphics card on Ampere, with 12 GB GDDR6 at 170 W board power on an 8 nm process.
What you need to know
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 is a desktop gpu with a thin public spec record.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 launched in February 25, 2021. 12 GB GDDR6 is the frame buffer on the reference sheet. Treat the spec table as the facts. Missing fields stay Unknown.
- Still good?
- For lighter settings and older games
- Product age
- 5 years old
- Upgrade pressure
- Moderate
What this hardware means today
Age and usefulness are not the same number. This page keeps them separate.
- Performance today
- Good. Still strong for 1440p and creator work when the rest of the PC keeps up.
- Product age 5 years old
- Aging. Launched February 25, 2021. Newer series exist. That does not make this card unusable by itself.
- Support status
- Supported. Current GeForce Game Ready and Studio drivers still cover this generation unless the vendor has retired it.
- Upgrade pressure
- Moderate. Upgrade pressure comes from native 4K, VRAM-heavy titles, or wanting current-generation features.
Where does it sit?
Ampere sits on the recent GeForce RTX timeline. Partner cards can change coolers, connectors, and clocks.
Performance context
These are qualitative readings, not a fake 8.7 out of 10. Resolution, settings, and the CPU still win.
1080p gaming: Good
More GPU than most 1080p setups need if this card is in the current or previous generation.
1440p gaming: Good
This is the job many desktop cards in this class were sold for.
4K gaming: Limited
Native 4K is where memory size and the memory bus show up. Upscaling changes the picture.
Creator work: Good
GPU acceleration in apps is real. Large timelines still want more VRAM than a thin card has.
Efficiency: Excellent
The sheet lists 170 W board power. Partner cards can differ.
Should you upgrade?
Probably not if the card is not the bottleneck.
Upgrade makes more sense if
- You play at native 4K and the frame buffer is the limit
- Current games are GPU-bound at your resolution and settings
- You need current-generation features this card does not have
- Your present GPU is a much older generation and this would be a real step up
Upgrade makes less sense if
- You already play at a resolution this card can feed
- The CPU, RAM, or storage is what actually stalls the machine
- You are shopping for a newer card in the same class to fix a software or driver problem
Specifications
Figures below follow NVIDIA's public reference sheet. Partner cards can raise clocks and change coolers, connectors, and outputs. The Feex Hardware Database fills fields the vendor page does not publish. Fields without a recorded value are omitted.
Graphics processor
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere using a 8 nm process.
| Manufacturer | NVIDIA |
|---|---|
| Family | GeForce RTX 30 Series |
| Architecture | Ampere |
| GPU | GA106-302-A1 |
| Manufacturing process | 8 nm |
| Transistors | 12,000 million |
| Die size | 276 mm² |
| Integrated | No |
| Mobile | No |
| Workstation | No |
| Segment | Desktop |
Shader configuration
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 lists 3584 shading units on this sheet.
| CUDA cores | 3584 |
|---|---|
| Compute units | 28 |
| Texture mapping units | 112 |
| Render output units | 48 |
| Ray tracing cores | 28 |
| Tensor / AI cores | 112 |
Clock speeds
Base clock is 1.32 GHz. Boost reaches 1.78 GHz.
| Base clock | 1.32 GHz |
|---|---|
| Boost clock | 1.78 GHz |
Memory
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 addresses 12 GB.
| Memory type | GDDR6 |
|---|---|
| Memory size | 12 GB |
| Memory interface | 192-bit |
| Memory bandwidth | 360 GB/s |
| Memory clock | 1.88 GHz |
Power and board
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 lists 170 W board power.
| Board power | 170 W |
|---|---|
| Recommended system power | 550 W (vendor system guidance) |
| Bus | PCIe 4.0 |
Market
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 launched February 25, 2021 at USD 329 (suggested price at launch).
| Launch date | February 25, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Launch MSRP | USD 329 (suggested price at launch) |
Independent scores
These are third-party benchmark figures stored in the Feex Hardware Database. They are not Feex measurements.
| PassMark G3D | 16,887 PassMark figure via PassMark Videocard Benchmark. Not a Feex measurement. |
|---|---|
| PassMark G2D | 975 PassMark figure via PassMark Videocard Benchmark. Not a Feex measurement. |
Compatibility
| Slot | PCIe 4.0 |
|---|---|
| Power | 170 W on the sheet. The power plug is a partner-card detail. |
| Case | Length, thickness, and slot count vary by partner cooler. Measure the case, not the SKU name. |
| PSU | 550 W (vendor system guidance) |
The SKU name is not a cooler, a length, or a power plug. Read the exact partner card before you buy or install.
Seat power connectors fully. A loose high-power plug can overheat. That is a connector problem, not a reason to assume the GPU is dead.
Driver packages from a previous GPU are a common crash source. Clean-install the current vendor package before you replace hardware.
No display after install
Plug the monitor into the GPU outputs, not the motherboard, unless this is an integrated part. A black screen with fans spinning is often a power plug, a seated PCIe card, or the display cable.
Driver installs, then games crash
Use the vendor package that matches this generation. A leftover driver from a previous GPU is a common cause.
Sources and verification
Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Partially Verified. How we research.
- NVIDIA specifications · Primary specification source
- Feex Hardware Database · Secondary specification source. CC BY 4.0.
- PassMark Videocard Benchmark · Independent benchmark. Not a Feex measurement.
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