GeForce RTX 3060 Review: NVIDIA's Most Affordable Ampere Yet
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060: Overclocking, Power And The Verdict
We spent some time overclocking the new EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 XC Black Gaming to see what kind of additional performance we could wring-out of the card. Before we get to our results, though, we'd like to provide some additional background as it relates to overclocking Ampere-based GeForce cards...
Overclocking The EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 XC
Ampere-based GeForce RTX 30-series cards like the EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 XC Black Gaming feature GPU Boost just like previous-gen GeForces. GPU Boost scales frequencies and voltages up and down based on the GPU's workload and environmental conditions at the time, within predetermined power and thermal limits. Should a temperature or power limit be reached, GPU Boost will drop down to the previous boost frequency/voltage stepping, in an attempt to bring power and temperatures down gradually, without causing any drastic performance swings, and remain within that card's particular thermal and power envelopes.
EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 XC Default Settings
As we've mentioned in some of our previous coverage, NVIDIA has segmented the core and memory power rails with its latest GPUs. It has also significantly tweaked and tuned interfaces on RTX 30-series to optimize signal integrity and power delivery to the GPU and GDDR6 memory, which should help with overclocking when there is power headroom available. With that said, like previous-gen Turing-based cards, the GeForce RTX 30-series is still power-limited to prevent damage and ensure longevity, and that power limit is typically what'll determine a card's overclocking capabilities if the card hasn't been modified in any way.
EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 XC Overclocked
NVIDIA offers an automatic overclocking scanner tool should users want to generate a specifically tailored frequency and voltage curve for their card. But, you can also overclock manually, which is what we did here. In lieu of using the NVIDIA Scanner, we kept things simple and used the frequency and voltage offsets, and the power and temperature target sliders, available in MSI's Afterburner utility, to manually push the EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 XC Black Gaming beyond its stock specifications.
First, we cranked up the temperature and power targets, then we increased the GPU and memory clock offsets until the test system was no longer stable, showed on-screen artifacts, or performance peaked due to hitting the power limit. With the EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 XC Black Gaming, the power target can be increased by 11% and the temperature target from 83°C to 90°C.
While we had our card overclocked, we saw some nice performance gains in the Time Spy benchmark, but more modest gains in Metro Exodus. While overclocked, we saw peak GPU frequencies just shy of 2GHz, whereas the card peaked at 1.85GHz in its stock configuration. Even without tweaking fan speeds, GPU temps were a non-issue - peaking at only 71°C. The card was, however, bumping into its power limit.
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In our test setup, with the GeForce RTX 3060 (and other GPUs) installed inside a mainstream NZXT mid-tower chassis, the rig remained quiet throughout testing. The fans on the EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 XC Black Gaming are effectively inaudible under idle conditions or when temperatures are low. The fans do spin up when the card is under load, but they are barely audible over the other components in the test system. This card -- and we suspect most other GeForce RTX 3060s -- run cool and quiet.
EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 XC Summary And Verdict
GeForce RTX 3060 cards will be going on sale at 9:00AM PST / 12:00PM EST today, at MSRPs starting at $329. Though, in the current climate, with ongoing supply chain constraints, and plenty of pent up demand for GPUs, you can expect street pricing to be higher -- if cards remain in stock for any length of time. We're not sure how NVIDIA's current strategy to limit mining performance will play out in the real world either, but hopefully the company's recent moves at least shift the balance in favor of PC gamers with this launch.
Whether or not the GeForce RTX 3060 is right for you, however, is going to depend on what's pushing the pixels in your current system. If you're building a new system for 1080p - 1440p gaming and the target price range falls within your budget, the GeForce RTX 3060 is an excellent choice -- the card offers strong performance in its class, with leading-edge features, and that 12GB frame buffer buys you some breathing room for the future. For users looking to upgrade, the decision is somewhat less clear, however. If you haven't upgraded for a few generations and have a GeForce GTX 1060 or anything below a 1660-class GPU, the GeForce RTX 3060 will offer a big performance and feature boost. If you've already got an RTX 20-series card, the RTX 3060 is less appealing, since it trades blows with the GeForce RTX 2060 Super. Saving up some additional money for a 3060 Ti (again, when street prices come back to reality), will net significantly better performance.
Considering NVIDIA's target audience for the GeForce RTX 3060, it hits the mark. Pricing is obviously all over the map right now so any conclusions drawn today may not ring true in the long term, but at the GeForce RTX 3060's intended price range, it is a solid choice.
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