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The Nvidia RTX 3060 is sitting at the number one position in the Steam Hardware Survey charts. April 2024 data reveals that about 5.71% of Steam users are still gaming on this GPU. This popularity must mean the card is great for gaming in 2024, right? Well the short answer is no.
The RTX 3060 is currently selling for around $270 to $300 at Walmart, where it it competes with other GPUs like the AMD 6750 XT, 6650 XT, and Nvidia’s RTX 4060.
In this article, we take a look at the value and performance of the RTX 3060 in 2024 to understand if it is worth buying in 2024 or if you’re better off investing in another GPU.
Note: The article is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.
Who should buy the Nvidia RTX 3060 in 2024?
The Nvidia RTX 3060 is an aging three-year-old card in 2024. That said, it still has some use cases, which explains its popularity in 2024.
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Firstly, the RTX 3060 comes with a 12GB VRAM variant which is generally missing at this price range. The extra VRAM provides sufficient headroom for heavier titles to allow this card to still perform well in gaming.
Secondly, the RTX 3060 is actually quite impressive at creative workloads. As you can see in the chart below, it manages to outperform most of the cards in the $300 price range (via YouTube @The Indian Budget Gamer):
Hence, if you’re a video editor, a 3D artist, or a game designer, and occasionally like to game, the 12GB RTX 3060 is a solid option for you even in 2024.
Also read: 5 best graphics cards with 12 GB VRAM (2024)
Why gamers should avoid the Nvidia RTX 3060 in 2024
We've established that the Nvidia RTX 3060 is still good for creative workloads but what about if you just want to game? In that case, you’re probably better off investing your money in another GPU.
As you can see from the following chart, the RTX 3060 lags behind its peers in terms of average FPS in popular titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Spider-Man, and more (via YouTube @Nerd on a Budget)
It is also worth noting that other GPUs in this comparison also fall in the same $300 price backet, which makes it difficult to recommend Nvidia RTX 3060 for gaming in 2024.
Compared to the Nvidia RTX 4060, the RTX 3060 lacks the modern DLSS 3 and AI frame generation that can have a significant impact on framerates.
Check out the chart below (by the GAMING BENCH YouTube channel) to understand how big a difference in performance you can expect with the modern RTX 4060 card (with DLSS 3 and AI frame generation enabled):
As you can see, the RTX 3060 significantly lags behind the RTX 4060 when pushed to 1440p settings. This makes the RTX 4060 a much better bang for your buck.
Nvidia RTX 3060 in 2024: Verdict
If you can make use of its extra VRAM and want a decent gaming experience in sub $300 price bracket, the RTX 3060 can still be considered in 2024.
For pure gaming performance, we don’t recommend buying the RTX 3060. The card isn't simply future-proof enough to handle demanding titles that may launch in upcoming years.
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