Is upgrading from a GTX 1070 to an RTX 3060 12GB a good choice?
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MellowPine42
I'm planning to upgrade my graphics card eventually and would appreciate some advice. My current system has a Ryzen 5 5500 with an undervolt, a B450 Machinist motherboard, 24GB of mixed 8GB and 16GB DDR4-3200 memory, and a 128GB M.2 drive. The power supply is a Thermaltake Toughpower GX2 600W. I'm considering replacing my GTX 1070 with a 12GB RTX 3060 because it's about the highest-end card I'm targeting and the extra VRAM seems like it could help avoid problems later. Is the RTX 3060 a sensible upgrade, or are there better options around the same price?
Answers
It’s also worth comparing RTX 3070 prices in your area. If one is only slightly more expensive than a 3060, it could provide a bigger performance jump, although the 3060’s 12GB of VRAM may still be preferable for your priorities.
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Don’t assume the 3060 is automatically the best value. Used RTX 2080 or 2080 Super cards may be available around $200, while a 3060 Ti can sometimes be found near $230. Selling the GTX 1070 could recover roughly $90, which would make one of those options more attractive.
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The RTX 3060 12GB would be a reasonable upgrade, especially if you want more VRAM and lower power usage. However, check prices carefully because a 3060 Ti can sometimes cost about the same while offering noticeably better performance, despite having only 8GB of VRAM.
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The 12GB of VRAM gives the RTX 3060 some useful longevity for games that are becoming more memory-hungry. It should also work comfortably with a quality 600W power supply, assuming the unit is in good condition.
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MellowPine42: I’ve seen some RTX 3070 cards listed around $360–$420, but I’m mainly interested in finding a reasonably priced 12GB RTX 3060.