Would an RTX 3060 Ti and 750W PSU be enough for ray-traced games?
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MapleOrbit42
I'm upgrading a PC that currently has a Ryzen 5 3600, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a GTX 1660 SUPER 6GB, a 224GB ADATA SU650 SSD, and a 600W 80+ Gold power supply. I'm considering replacing the graphics card with a Dell NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8GB and the PSU with a Corsair RM750x 750W 80+ Gold unit. A compatibility checker says the parts should work together, but I'm not sure whether my case will fit the graphics card. Would this setup be sufficient for playing a demanding ray-traced game such as DOOM: The Dark Ages, even at very low settings?
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The RTX 3060 Ti should be a sensible upgrade from the GTX 1660 SUPER and is around the level of, or slightly above, the listed minimum requirements for demanding games like DOOM: The Dark Ages. Performance will depend on resolution, ray-tracing settings, and upscaling, so checking gameplay benchmarks at your target settings is a good idea. The main concern is that 8GB of VRAM may limit texture quality and ray tracing in newer games, but it won’t damage the graphics card; it may simply cause stuttering or require lower settings.
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Before buying the Dell card, check the exact card length, thickness, and power-connector requirements against your case. Since you don’t know the case model, physical clearance is the biggest compatibility question. Also, a 224GB SSD is extremely small for modern games, and 16GB of RAM may be borderline for newer titles, so upgrading storage should probably be part of the plan.
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The graphics card upgrade makes sense, but the 750W PSU probably isn’t necessary for a Ryzen 5 3600 and RTX 3060 Ti. A good 600W unit should generally be enough if it’s healthy and has the required connectors. If the current supply is old or you’re unsure about its quality, replacing it with the Corsair is reasonable, but you might get more immediate benefit from adding storage or increasing RAM.
MapleOrbit42: I was mainly considering replacing the PSU because it’s fairly old and I’d rather avoid problems later, even if the current wattage is technically sufficient.
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Look for benchmark videos using an RTX 3060 Ti and match the resolution, ray-tracing level, and upscaling mode you plan to use. That will give you a more realistic expectation than the GPU name alone. A faster card such as a 3070 Ti or 3080 Ti could offer more headroom, but those cards also need more power, may have higher temperatures, and can still be limited by 8GB of VRAM.
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MapleOrbit42: So running a game with only 8GB of VRAM won’t physically harm the GPU? I’d just need to reduce settings if it runs out?