I'm in a bit of a pickle trying to decide on my next GPU, and I could use some help! I've been a loyal NVIDIA user for nearly twenty years, mostly sticking with MSI GTX xx60 and xx60ti models. My current card is the MSI Gaming X 1060 6GB, which I've had for about six years. While it's served me well, I've recently started to notice some performance issues with 3D modeling in Fusion 360 on dual 4K screens, so I think it's time for an upgrade.
I'm primarily a 3D CAD modeler and occasionally do video rendering, but I don't game much. I'm also interested in incorporating some AI workloads into my work. I've been looking at several used and new options:
- MSI Gaming X RTX 3060ti 8GB for about $210-230
- MSI Ventus X2 RTX 4060ti 8GB for about $270
- MSI Ventus 2X OC RTX 5060 8GB (new) for about $280
- MSI Ventus 2x RTX 5060ti 8GB (used) for about $330, which is a bit over my budget.
I know that core counts and memory bus width matter when comparing models, but I'm struggling to make sense of the specifications for these new RTX cards versus what I've been using. My current card has a 192-bit memory bus, GDDR5 memory, and 1280 cores, while the RTX 3060ti has a 256-bit bus with 4864 CUDA cores. How do I quantify these specs effectively to find the best upgrade? Any specific model recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated!
1 Answer
The best way to gauge GPU performance is through real-world benchmarks. However, keep in mind that benchmarks often focus on gaming, which may not apply directly to your workload. Microarchitecture differences can play a huge role in performance and aren't always detailed in specs, so that's something to consider.
True! But most benchmarks mainly cater to gaming. It's hard to find tests across multiple generations, especially when your current card might not even be considered in newer tests. That’s why getting some guidance is key. Sometimes newer isn’t necessarily better, like with the 1660 model.