How do I optimize my RTX 3060 for gaming? (2023)

Is RTX 3060 good enough for gaming?

As a mainstream card, the RTX 3060 primarily targets 1080p and 1440p gaming. Some lighter games may also run fine at 4K, or in some cases, you could shoot for 4K at medium settings. But despite having more VRAM than even the RTX 3080, frame rates definitely take a hit at the highest resolutions.

EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 XC Overclocking

We can make up some of the difference, but overclocking on graphics cards usually gets around 10% more performance at best. After testing and tuning, we ended up with a maximum stable overclock of +200 MHz on the GPU core, and +1000 MHz (17Gbps effective speed) on the memory.

The 3060 delivers a cinematic 33fps at 4K, but things look a lot better at 1440p (54fps) and 1080p (68fps). Focusing on 1080p, we're getting around 72 per cent the performance on an RTX 3060 Ti at 82.5 per cent of the cost; not a great trade-off unfortunately.

In the end, the RTX 3060 is still a very solid buy a year in and will be a GPU that could easily last for years to come, similar to the GTX 1060 and 1660 before it. I would have no problem recommending anyone upgrade to the RTX 3060, even from a higher-tier non-RTX card like the 1080, similar to the move I made myself.

NVIDIA RTX 30-series cards have a maximum temp of 93C, meaning they can run this hot without throttling speeds or shutting down.

For example, the GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs have a maximum listed temperature of 93° C (199.4° F).

Is 16gb RAM enough for RTX 3060?

For example, if you have an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (which has 8 GB of VRAM), we recommend 12-16 GB of RAM. Accordingly, if you have an RTX 3090 (with 24 GB of VRAM), we recommend 32-64 GB of RAM as an optimal amount.

With a boost clock of 1777 MHz for the reference cards, the RTX 3060 is the highest clocked Nvidia GPU from the Ampere family so far. As usual, the real-world clocks are even higher than the boost clocks (except in FurMark). The EVGA card averaged 1876MHz in the Metro test, and 1609MHz in FurMark.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060

This particular card positions itself in the budget market, but still offers users slightly better performance than the 3050 with legs to play some games at 1440p. In terms of competition, this card rivals AMD's RX 6600XT, and the later released 6650XT.

This graphics card was launched in 2021 as a performance-focused 1080p gaming GPU and is a successor to the extremely popular GTX 1060 and RTX 2060 family of GPUs. Theoretically, the RTX 3060 is a solid option for the average gamer.

0.18 USD / Day

*Please note that values are only estimates based on past performance - real values can be lower or higher.

The 3060 Ti is certainly not the most powerful graphics card on the market. However, if you are looking for something mid-range which is good value for money then it certainly could be a good option.

AMD 5000 Series Ryzen 9 5900X

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is currently the best CPU for the RTX 3060 Ti. It is a 12-core, 24-thread CPU with a base clock of 3.7 GHz and a boost clock of 4.8 GHz. It also has a TDP of 105W and is compatible with the AM4 socket.

The Ryzen 5 3600 is a decent budget option to pair with an RTX 3060 Ti. This processor was introduced in 2019 as a part of the Zen 2-based Ryzen 3000 lineup.

The GPU supports eDP 1.4b to connect the internal monitor. There is no more Max-Q variant (formerly used for the low power variants) but every OEM can choose to implement Max-Q technologies (Dynamic Boost, Whisper Mode). The performance depends on the TGP setting and cooling of the laptop.

What is the recommended wattage for a RTX 3060?

Nvidia recommends a 550W PSU as minimum for the RTX 3060. A 500W model might be enough, but you might also see occasional shutdowns if the power use spikes on both CPU and GPU to above 500W. I would buy a 650W PSU for those components just to be sure.

NVIDIA's optimal range is between 70 and 85 degrees Celsius (~158-185 Fahrenheit), while AMDs are at their best at around 60 to 70 Celsius (~140-158 Fahrenheit).

I found one source claiming that 85 C is pretty normal, and another claiming that it should be in the 60 - 70 C range. Mine runs at around 50 for low demand games but fluctuates around 75-85 for higher demand games and I don't want to artificially shorten its life by running it too hot for too long.

Although it's normal to see low GPU usage in eSports titles, it should be around 95-100% in the latest AAA games. If you're getting less than 80-90% GPU usage in demanding games, you most likely have a CPU bottleneck. The CPU has to feed data to the GPU.

No, GPU fans don't always spin. The fans will only start spinning once the GPU has reached a certain temperature.

Temperatures for the RTX 3060 Ti FE are good as well. Most GPUs can happily run at 70C, and that's basically where the card ends up at stock. Because of the higher fan speeds we applied during overclocking, that actually drops the temperature (but increases the noise levels).

Nope, you can totally go with a heatsink and fan… Like I do. If you want to go water cooling you can but I typically avoid it.

And, the answer to that is: in some scenarios and depending on how much RAM you have, yes, adding more RAM could increase your FPS. Games require a certain amount of memory to run. The amount of memory that games require to run can vary from game to game.

Does Nvidia automatically optimize games?

Optimize Your Game Settings

Not to worry. NVIDIA taps into the power of the NVIDIA cloud data center to test thousands of PC hardware configurations and find the best balance of performance and image quality. Then it automatically configures personalized graphics settings based on your PC's GPU, CPU, and display.

In conclusion, having a higher frame rate has definitive, measurable benefits: smoother animations improves target tracking, smaller ghosts and tears help reduce distracting effects, and lower System Latency helps you see targets sooner with a more responsive feel.

Theoretically, the RTX 3060 is a solid option for the average gamer. Most AIB partners have come up with triple fan options with chunky heatsinks for this particular video card. Furthermore, the 3060 has ample VRAM. Nvidia paired the card with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory to make it a long-lasting component.

The RTX 3060 is the best value card if it's around 400$. So it's worth it. It does have Ray Tracing but perfomance will be lower and many games don't support Ray Tracing.

The 3080's GA102 GPU offers more cores, more memory, faster core and boost clock speeds, and faster memory than the 3060 Ti's GA104 GPU. This difference only gets bigger if you compare the 3060 Ti to the 12GB version of the RTX 3080.

Bottom Line: If you want the best marriage of price, performance, and features for 4K and 1440p gaming, Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Founders Edition is matched only by its own step-up RTX 3070 sibling. This card owns the $399 price point and delivers great value.

The RTX 3060 contains 3,584 CUDA cores and a core clock performance of 1,320 MHz, while the 3060 Ti has 4,864 CUDA cores and a core clock performance of 1410 MHz. Despite the lesser VRAM and a lower boost clock, the RTX 3060 Ti offers better performance.

Officially, the RTX 3060 launches today with prices starting at just $329. Realistically? You're as likely to find one at that price as you are to find an RTX 3060 Ti at $399, RTX 3070 at $499, or RTX 3080 at $699 — not entirely impossible, perhaps, but highly unlikely.

The 3070 has more cores and higher clock speeds so will drive better performance if you're using ray tracing often. However, if you're not doing this, the 3060Ti is a better bet.

Is RTX 3060 or 3090 better?

However, the RTX 3060's target of smooth gameplay with ray tracing turned on is dwarfed by RTX 3090 8K ambitions. This means that the RTX 3090 is designed to serve enthusiast gamers, while the 3060 is a budget gamer's best friend.

To that end, the RTX 3070 is ~54% faster than the RTX 3060 in Cyberpunk 2077. Now, because the price gap between both GPUs is ~29%, the RTX 3070 has a greater performance per dollar ratio. Thus, you should buy the RTX 3070 than the RTX 3060 if you want the most bang for the buck.