RTX 3060 12GB
RTX 3060 12GB Review & Specifications
The RTX 3060 12GB is based on the Ampere architecture and manufactured using the 8 nm nm process node. It was launched approximately 5 years, 6 months ago, originally priced at $329. It features 3584 cores, including 80 compute units (SMs), 112 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 48 render output units (ROPs). For ray tracing and AI-accelerated tasks, it also includes 28 dedicated RT cores and 112 Tensor cores, enabling advanced rendering and upscaling features where supported. It has a base clock of 1320 MHz and a boost clock reaching up to 1777 MHz. The RTX 3060 12GB comes equipped with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory across a 192-bit bus. Memory runs at 1875 MHz and delivers a total memory bandwidth of 360 GB/s.
This GPU has a low thermal design power (TDP) of 170 W. It is generally compatible with almost all PC cases and is excellent for SFF and compact systems where heat dissipation is a concern.
RTX 3060 12GB Performance
RTX 3060 12GB is an entry-level graphics card with a relative gaming performance score of 26.92%. It performs well at 1080p and can handle 1440p with optimized settings or features like DLSS and FSR, though it's not suitable for 4K. Intended for for casual gamers or users who play occasionally on general-purpose PCs.
The RTX 3060 12GB offers 12 GB of VRAM — a reasonable amount for its class. It performs well in 1080p gaming and modest 1440p workloads, though its lower compute performance may limit use of advanced settings or ray tracing. With support for DLSS, NVIDIA users can extend playability at higher resolutions. In creative tasks like photo editing or Full HD video, the GPU is adequate. Thanks to the NVIDIA ecosystem, this GPU is capable of basic AI experimentation, including inference with smaller models or quantized architectures — a good entry-level solution for developers interested in ML.
This GPU scores 31.6% on the performance-per-price scale, indicating low value. Given both its limited VRAM and modest performance, better options exist for most users.
General Information
| GPU Name | RTX 3060 12GB |
|---|---|
| GPU Code Name | GA106 |
| Release Price | $329 |
| Selected Model | Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 15 Gbps GDRR6 192-Bit HDMI/DP PCIe 4 Tri-Frozr Torx Fan Ampere RGB OC Graphics Card (RTX 3060 Gaming X Trio 12G) |
| Current Price Amazon | $699 |
| Amazon Price Updated | 1 week, 4 days ago |
| Launch Date | 5 years, 6 months ago |
| GPU Available | True |
| Architecture | Ampere |
|---|---|
| Foundry | Samsung |
| Process | 8 nm |
| Transistors | 12000 million |
| Die Size | 276 mm² |
| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| TDP | 170 W |
| Cores | 3584 |
|---|---|
| CUs (SMs) | 80 |
| TMUs | 112 |
| ROPs | 48 |
| RT Cores | 28 |
| Tensor Cores | 112 |
| L1 Cache | 128 KB (per SM) |
| L2 Cache | 3 MB |
| Base Clock | 1320 MHz |
|---|---|
| Boost Clock | 1777 MHz |
| Memory Size - Type | 12 GB GDDR6 |
|---|---|
| Memory Bus Width | 192 bit |
| Memory Clock | 1875 MHz |
| Memory Bandwidth | 360 GB/s |
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |
|---|---|
| OpenGL | 4.6 |
| OpenCL | 3.0 |
| Vulkan | 1.4 |
| Shader Model | 6.8 |
Theoretical Performance
| Pixel Rate | 288.00 GPixel/s |
|---|---|
| Texture Rate | 199.00 GTexel/s |
| FP16 | 12.74 TFLOPS |
| FP32 | 12.74 TFLOPS |
| FP64 | 199.02 GFLOPS |
Gaming Performance Chart
RTX 3060 12GB Compared to Similar Performance GPUs
GPU Price / Performance Table
| GPU (Desc) | Price (Desc) | Gaming_1080p (Desc) | Gaming_1440p (Desc) | Gaming_2160p (Desc) | Game_1440p/Price (Desc) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
$329❗
|
↑
9.7%
|
29.9%
|
23.9%
|
18.4%
|
71.9%
|
|
|
$321
|
0.0%
|
30.2%
|
23.8%
|
18.6%
|
73.4%
|
|
|
$549
|
0.0%
|
28.6%
|
22.6%
|
17.6%
|
40.7%
|
|
|
$285❗
|
0.0%
|
25.9%
|
22.4%
|
17.8%
|
77.9%
|
|
|
$699
|
↑
68.8%
|
26.9%
|
22.3%
|
18.9%
|
31.6%
|
|
|
$350
|
0.0%
|
26.9%
|
21.0%
|
17.9%
|
59.3%
|
|
|
$240❗
|
0.0%
|
26.6%
|
20.7%
|
17.0%
|
85.5%
|
|
|
$200
|
0.0%
|
23.7%
|
19.9%
|
16.8%
|
98.4%
|
|
|
$479
|
↑
50.1%
|
24.5%
|
19.3%
|
14.5%
|
39.8%
|
GPU Specification Table
| GPU (Desc) | Architecture | Shader/TMU/ROP/RT | Base/Boost Clock | Memory | Mem Clock/Bandwidth | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RX 6650 XT | Navi 23 / 7 nm / RDNA 2.0 | 2048 / 128 / 64 / 32 | 2055 MHz / 2635 MHz | 8 GB GDDR6 / 128 bit | 2190 MHz / 280 GB/s | 176 W |
| RX 7600 | Navi 33 / 6 nm / RDNA 3.0 | 2048 / 128 / 64 / 32 | 1720 MHz / 2655 MHz | 8 GB GDDR6 / 128 bit | 2250 MHz / 288 GB/s | 165 W |
| RX 6600 XT | Navi 23 / 7 nm / RDNA 2.0 | 2048 / 128 / 64 / 32 | 1968 MHz / 2589 MHz | 8 GB GDDR6 / 128 bit | 2000 MHz / 256 GB/s | 160 W |
| Arc A750 | DG2-512 / 6 nm / Xe HPG | 3584 / 224 / 112 / 28 | 2050 MHz / 2400 MHz | 8 GB GDDR6 / 256 bit | 2000 MHz / 512 GB/s | 225 W |
| RTX 3060 12GB | GA106 / 8 nm nm / Ampere | 3584 / 112 / 48 / 28 | 1320 MHz / 1777 MHz | 12 GB GDDR6 / 192 bit | 1875 MHz / 360 GB/s | 170 W |
| RTX 2070 | TU106 / 12 nm nm / Turing | 2304 / 144 / 64 / 36 | 1410 MHz / 1620 MHz | 8 GB GDDR6 / 256 bit | 1750 MHz / 448 GB/s | 175 W |
| RTX 2060 SUPER | TU106 / 12 nm nm / Turing | 2176 / 136 / 64 / 34 | 1470 MHz / 1650 MHz | 8 GB GDDR6 / 256 bit | 1750 MHz / 448 GB/s | 175 W |
| Arc A580 | DG2-512 / 6 nm / Xe HPG | 3072 / 192 / 96 / 24 | 1700 MHz / 2000 MHz | 8 GB GDDR6 / 256 bit | 2000 MHz / 512 GB/s | 175 W |
| RX 6600 | Navi 23 / 7 nm / RDNA 2.0 | 1792 / 112 / 64 / 28 | 1626 MHz / 2491 MHz | 8 GB GDDR6 / 128 bit | 1750 MHz / 224 GB/s | 132 W |
Graphics Cards Based on the RTX 3060 12GB GPU
| Specification | Perf Chart |
|---|---|
| Price |
$420❗
|
0.0%
|
| GPU | Nvidia RTX 3060 12GB |
| Manufacturer | ASUS |
| Chip/Process/Arch | GA106 / 8 nm nm / Ampere |
| Cores/TMU/ROP/RT | 3584 / 112 / 48 / 28 |
| Base/Boost MHz | 1320 MHz / 1777 MHz |
| Factory OC MHz | 1777 MHz |
| VRAM / Bus | 12 GB GDDR6 / 192 bit |
| Mem Clock/Band | 1875 MHz / 360 GB/s |
| TDP | 170 W |
| Power Connector | 1 x 8-pin |
| Dimensions | 200x123x38 mm |
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