Reports suggest that market leader Nvidia may be pulling the plug on its popular GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GPUs, sending shockwaves through the industry. According to reports out of China, Nvidia’s add-in-board (AIB) partners are gearing up to increase the manufacturing of the highly anticipated RTX 4060 family of graphics cards. This news has piqued the interest of many enthusiasts and has fueled rumors that the RTX 4060 series is getting closer to us.
Chinese tech news site Benchlife claims to have independent confirmation from Nvidia’s AIB partners that a shift is indeed taking place in their manufacturing plants. Chinese tech BBS sources had previously said that Nvidia has discontinued the shipment of GeForce RTX 3060 Ti units, thus the rising development of the RTX 4060 lineup of graphics processors makes sense. This pivot indicates Nvidia’s intention to introduce the forthcoming wave of GPUs, effectively ending the RTX 3060 Ti’s competitive run in the midrange GPU market.
Early 2021 saw the arrival of the highly regarded GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which immediately became a best-seller in the mid-range industry. While the product’s stated $399 MSRP, many customers were unable to purchase it due to limited supply and the crypto mania of 2020–2022.
Considering the impending release of the RTX 4060 series, the RTX 3060 Ti is no longer considered one of the best graphics cards for gaming. Both standard and Ti versions of the RTX 4060 are planned, so they can meet a wide range of users’ performance requirements. The latest model boasts improved speed and economy, and it comes with a choice between 8GB and 16GB of VRAM. As a result, efforts that were being put into RTX 3060 Ti series have been redirected to the development of these more advanced variants.
Graphics cards of Nvidia’s xx60-family have consistently ranked high in sales for both the business and its AIB partners. The latest Steam Hardware Survey shows that the RTX 3060 and RTX 3060 Laptop GPU are among the most popular graphics cards currently available. Nvidia and its partners plan to release the new graphics cards by the end of May and the middle of July, and they intend to keep warehouses well-stocked to fulfill demand.
The same GA104 GPU used in NVIDIA’s RTX 3060 Ti, RTX 3070, and RTX 3070 Ti appears to still be available in large quantities, according to reports. Since the RTX 4060 family is about to be released, you may be able to get your hands on an RTX 3060 Ti at a reduced price. But users should exercise caution before shelling out $400 for obsolete cards.
Critics and consumers alike have been examining the company’s pricing plan for the upcoming RTX 4060 series with great interest. The most affordable Ada Lovelace Card that Nvidia currently offers is the RTX 4070 (non-Ti) with 12GB of VRAM, which retails for $599. The RTX 4060 Ti 16GB, RTX 4060 Ti 8GB, and RTX 4060 8GB are anticipated to fill the void left by the RTX 3060 Ti’s steep price increase from its debut pricing. These models should be available for under $399 to buyers, making them a more affordable option.
The rumored $299 release price for AMD’s Radeon RX 7600, a mid-range competitor, might put a strain on Nvidia. Although the RX 7600 is expected to ship in the later part of the month, how markets react to it depends on how well it performs in comparison to AMD’s current RX 66xx products.
For all intents and purposes, Nvidia’s decision to cease manufacturing GeForce RTX 3060 Ti chips signals an impending transition to the RTX 4060 series. Since Ampere chips like the RTX 3060 Ti are being phased out, their Ada Lovelace counterparts have been thrust into the limelight. While an official announcement from Nvidia has not yet been made, evidence from a variety of credible sources and common sense both point to this change. There is no doubt that the release of the RTX 4060 series and the performance improvements it brings will revolutionize the graphics card industry and enthrall gamers everywhere.
