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Choosing between the Nvidia RTX 3060 12 GB and 3060 8 GB could be confusing for some users. The GPUs share a similar specs sheet apart from their VRAM. The price gap has also narrowed down over the past few months, as the 12 GB variant is being sold at a discounted price of $299, down from the launch MSRP of $329. While this makes both cards priced similarly, they are anything but the same.
The 3060 12 GB has cemented itself as the most popular GPU out there, according to Steam Hardware Survey charts. The 8 GB version, on the other hand, exists to offer a capable alternative to the Intel Arc A750 and the RX 7600, both of which are available within a similar price range.
Disclaimer: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinions.
Nvidia RTX 3060 12 GB vs RTX 3060 8 GB: The gap isn't as wide as one thinks
The performance gaps created by the difference in VRAM capacities are quite interesting. Both graphics cards are based on a near-similar GPU. Let's compare their on-paper specs before delving into how they hold up in the latest titles.
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Specs comparison
Both variants of the RTX 3060 are based on a similar GA106 graphics processor. They ship with 3,584 CUDA, 112 Tensor, and 28 RT cores. The GPUs also share a similar 170W TDP despite the 8 GB card theoretically having a lower demand.
The biggest difference is in the memory capacity. Besides having fewer memory chips, the cheaper card is based on a 128-bit memory bus. This is a downgrade from the 192-bit bus on the 12 GB option. This changes the available memory bandwidth, thereby affecting performance in titles that demand extra VRAM.
A detailed side-by-side comparison of the GPUs is as follows:
Performance comparison
In terms of in-game performance, the 3060 12 GB is much faster than the cheaper alternative across the board with every modern title. However, the massive gap between the two worried us. We saw a similar scenario between the RTX 3050 8 GB and the 3050 6 GB, where the latter was consistently scoring 20-25% fewer frames in every title.
Below is a comparison of performance marks scored by the cards when playing some of the latest video games. These benchmarks have been sourced from the YouTube channel Testing Games.
The performance gains with the 3060 12 GB make it a much better option for playing the latest and most demanding titles comfortably at 1080p resolutions without major compromises to the visual quality. If you aren't cash-strapped, this GPU is a much better option.
Nvidia RTX 3060 12 GB vs RTX 3060 8 GB: Final verdict
Although the 3060 12 GB is the most popular gaming GPU today, we don't believe it's worth buying anymore. At the same price, the RTX 4060 8 GB delivers better performance. Don't let the video memory capacities deceive you.
Moreover, for $10 more, you can get about 20% more performance with the AMD RX 7600, making it a much better option if you are on a tight budget. That said, these last-generation cards are slowly losing their potential when compared to newer, more efficient, and powerful options.
