Nvidia launched its new RTX 3000-series video cards this fall, not that you’ve probably ever seen one in stores. Resellers managed to buy up almost every RTX 3080 and RTX 3070. Now, Nvidia is releasing a new, less expensive 3000-series card. The RTX 3060 Ti goes on sale tomorrow for a mere $399—it might even be affordable after the obscene reseller markup!
As with the other 3000-series cards, the 3060 Ti will begin life as a Founders Edition Nvidia card. It looks almost identical to the current 3070, but the casing is a slightly lighter shade of gray. It has the same dual fan configuration and 12-pin power connector. Nvidia recommends at least 600W power supplies for the 3060 Ti. Like all of Nvidia’s other RTX 3000 cards, the 3060 Ti supports real-time ray tracing and DLSS support.
That increased power draw is worth it. The RTX 3060 Ti is about 40 percent faster than its predecessor, the 2060 Super. In fact, it should even be a little faster than the RTX 2080 and 2080 Super. Nvidia didn’t give specific numbers, but it looks like a single-digit percentage advantage for the new card. For the record, the 2080 family of cards cost $700 to $800 at launch. So, the 3060 Ti is an improvement for about half the cost.
Nvidia’s earlier RTX 3000 launches have been plagued by stock issues. Everyone knew the Founders Edition cards would be in short supply, but a small number of people used bots to automate checkouts, scoring dozens of cards. The units popped up for sale on eBay and Amazon at vastly inflated prices. Even after all these weeks, you can’t buy a 3000-series card for anything approaching retail price.
We have no reason to expect the 3060 Ti launch will be any different. So, you’ll want to be on the Nvidia store page tomorrow (December 2) to have any hope of snagging one. Nvidia previously promised it would take measures to limit bots, but the bots have no doubt continued to evolve. Don’t be surprised if all the stock evaporates before you can even add a card to your cart. While Nvidia has acknowledged the availability issue, it has admitted that the shortage could persist well into 2021. There will be third-party versions of the 3060 Ti in the coming weeks, but they probably won’t be any easier to get.
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