Asus Launches GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GDDR6X GPUs
Nvidia has launched its GeForce RTX 40 series (Ada) graphics cards, but the chipmaker isn’t ready to say goodbye to Ampere just yet. Similarly, Nvidia has not officially announced his GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GDDR6X, but Asus has just confirmed the existence of his new Ampere SKU.
The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GDDR6X is part of a rumored update that includes models such as the GeForce RTX 3060 GDDR6X, GeForce RTX 3060 8GB and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GA102. The update suggests that Nvidia may have accumulated too many Ampere dies and is looking for ways to get rid of them. So the next contender for the best graphics card could come from Nvidia’s Ampere family, not Ada.
As first discovered by video cards (opens in new tab), Asus lists the TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8G GDDR6X and TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Ti OC Edition 8G GDDR6X graphics cards, with the latter models coming with factory overclocks. The standard version boosts to 1,665 MHz, the same boost clock as the regular GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Founders Edition. However, Asus’ graphics cards have an OC mode that boosts the clock speed even further to 1,695 MHz. On the other hand, the OC edition has a default boost clock of 1,775 MHz and a 1,785 OC boost clock.
Asus GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GDDR6X Specifications
CUDA core | Boost clock in default mode | OC mode boost clock | memory | memory speed | memory interface | bandwidth | part number | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Ti OC Edition 8G GDDR6X | 4,864 | 1,755MHz | 1,785MHz | 8GB GDDR6X | 19Gbps | 256 bits | 608GBps | TUF-RTX3060TI-O8GD6X-Gaming |
TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8G GDDR6X | 4,864 | 1,665MHz | 1,695MHz | 8GB GDDR6X | 19Gbps | 256 bits | 608GBps | TUF-RTX3060TI-8GD6X-Gaming |
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti | 4,864 | 1,665MHz | none | 8GB GDDR6 | 14Gbps | 256 bits | 448GBps | none |
Improved boost clock speeds help the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GDDR6X deliver higher performance than the vanilla version. However, the real star of the show is the switch from 14 Gbps GDDR6X memory to 19 Gbps GDDR6X memory. The amount of memory and the 256-bit interface remain the same, but GDDR6X memory increases memory throughput for Ampere graphics cards.
The standard GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers up to 448 GBps of memory bandwidth, while the GDDR6X variant offers up to 608 GBps. The new SKU represents a 36% improvement, which we should be able to see in gaming benchmarks.
Unfortunately Asus didn’t list the TDP for their custom GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GDDR6X graphics card. How much GDDR6X memory will affect the graphics card’s TDP is still a mystery. According to Asus’ design, the new variant seems to consume more power.
The TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Ti OC Edition 8G only uses a single 8-pin PCIe power connector. In contrast, Asus equips the TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Ti OC Edition 8G GDDR6X with two 8-pin PCIe power connectors. Both graphics cards have the same boost clock, so clock speed is not the reason for the higher power requirements. Instead, it comes down to memory type.
Considering that each 8-pin PCIe power connector is suitable for 150W, this is a radical change. However, the extra power connector doesn’t necessarily mean the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GDDR6X will draw a total of 150W. Asus suggests his 750W power supply for the TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Ti OC Edition 8G GDDR6X despite the twin 8-pin PCIe power connectors. This is the same minimum recommended value as the TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Ti OC Edition 8G. From the placement of the power connector, we can conclude that the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GDDR6X’s TDP is likely high, but not significant enough to warrant a larger power supply.
It is unknown when Nvidia will announce the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GDDR6X. It shouldn’t be long after Asus has already listed the brand’s custom his model.