NVIDIA · GPUs
GeForce RTX 3060
GeForce RTX 3060 is strongest when you care about used budget builds and 1080p gaming. At about $249, judge it by whether those strengths fix a real daily problem rather than by the longest spec sheet.
Buying verdict
Choose GeForce RTX 3060 if used budget builds matters more than chasing the absolute top-tier option. Skip it if older rt and no frame gen.
Score
6.6 / 10
Reference price
$249
Released
Feb 25, 2021
Reference price, not a live offer. Editorial data date Jul 27, 2026. Specs and availability can vary by configuration, region, and retailer. Status: available.
No official product reference is published for this entry yet. Treat listed specifications as editorial reference data and confirm purchase-critical details with the manufacturer.
Should you buy it?
A practical ownership call
- Buy it if you want used budget builds and 1080p gaming.
- Skip it if driver maturity varies by title and launch window.
- Check current US street pricing before paying launch-level money.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Strong everyday fit for used budget builds
- Driver feature set is strong enough for modern upscaling
- Reference US pricing around $249 makes the trade-offs easier to evaluate
Cons
- Driver maturity varies by title and launch window
- Higher-end rivals can still justify the jump if you need peak performance
- Street pricing swings hard around new-generation launches
Key specs
- Architecture
- Ampere GA106 Needs confirmation
- Process Node
- Samsung 8N Needs confirmation
- Memory
- 12GB Needs confirmation
- Memory Type
- GDDR6 Needs confirmation
- Memory Bus
- 192-bit Needs confirmation
- Memory Bandwidth
- 360 GB/s Needs confirmation
- Shader / CUDA Cores
- 3584 CUDA cores Needs confirmation
- Boost Clock
- 1.78 GHz Needs confirmation
Buying scores
Gaming 1440p
6.7
Gaming 4K
5
Ray Tracing
6
Power Efficiency
7.2
Price to Performance
8.3
Compare
Compare with similar products
Choose any gpus alternative. Curated pairs open an editorial decision; every other pair opens a specs-only comparison.
Alternatives
AMD
Radeon RX 7600
Choose Radeon RX 7600 if budget 1080p matters more than chasing the absolute top-tier option. Skip it if 8gb vram is limiting.
Intel
Intel Arc A770
Choose Intel Arc A770 if value 16GB builds matters more than chasing the absolute top-tier option. Skip it if older architecture and efficiency.
Featured in rankings
Best GPUs for 1080p Gaming
Best GPUs for 1080p Gaming ranked for North America shoppers by 1440p performance, 4K headroom, VRAM, ray tracing, power draw, cooler size, and street.
Best Used and Discount GPU Values
Best Used and Discount GPU Values ranked for North America shoppers by 1440p performance, 4K headroom, VRAM, ray tracing, power draw, cooler size, and.
Availability, sources, and full notes
US availability
GeForce RTX 3060 is tracked as a US-market option through official brand channels and mainstream electronics retailers.
Common retailers
NVIDIA, Amazon, Best Buy, B&H, Newegg
Sources and verification
No official product reference is published for this entry yet.
Editorial specification note
Official manufacturer materials, launch documentation, and Snowyme editorial verification as of 2026-07-27.
Editorial price note
NVIDIA US launch and street-price patterns are tracked as editorial USD references, not live retailer checkout prices.
Specifications
18 tracked specs across 7 groups · No official product reference is published for this entry yet.
Platform
- Architecture
- Ampere GA106 Needs confirmation
- Process Node
- Samsung 8N Needs confirmation
| Architecture | Ampere GA106 Needs confirmation |
|---|---|
| Process Node | Samsung 8N Needs confirmation |
Memory
- Memory
- 12GB Needs confirmation
- Memory Type
- GDDR6 Needs confirmation
- Memory Bus
- 192-bit Needs confirmation
- Memory Bandwidth
- 360 GB/s Needs confirmation
| Memory | 12GB Needs confirmation |
|---|---|
| Memory Type | GDDR6 Needs confirmation |
| Memory Bus | 192-bit Needs confirmation |
| Memory Bandwidth | 360 GB/s Needs confirmation |
Compute
- Shader / CUDA Cores
- 3584 CUDA cores Needs confirmation
- Boost Clock
- 1.78 GHz Needs confirmation
| Shader / CUDA Cores | 3584 CUDA cores Needs confirmation |
|---|---|
| Boost Clock | 1.78 GHz Needs confirmation |
Power
- Typical Board Power
- 170W Needs confirmation
- Recommended PSU
- 550W Needs confirmation
- Power Connectors
- 1x 8-pin Needs confirmation
| Typical Board Power | 170W Needs confirmation |
|---|---|
| Recommended PSU | 550W Needs confirmation |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin Needs confirmation |
Gaming
- Ray Tracing
- 2nd-gen RT cores Needs confirmation
- Upscaling
- DLSS 2 Needs confirmation
- Frame Generation
- Not supported Needs confirmation
- Target Resolution
- 1080p ultra / entry 1440p Needs confirmation
| Ray Tracing | 2nd-gen RT cores Needs confirmation |
|---|---|
| Upscaling | DLSS 2 Needs confirmation |
| Frame Generation | Not supported Needs confirmation |
| Target Resolution | 1080p ultra / entry 1440p Needs confirmation |
Connectivity
- Display Outputs
- 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x HDMI 2.1 Needs confirmation
- Interface
- PCIe 4.0 x16 Needs confirmation
| Display Outputs | 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x HDMI 2.1 Needs confirmation |
|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 Needs confirmation |
Physical
- Card Length Class
- Mainstream dual-slot class Needs confirmation
| Card Length Class | Mainstream dual-slot class Needs confirmation |
|---|