Here are 5 GPUs you should buy instead of the RTX 4060 Ti

Let’s not beat around the bush: Nvidia’s latest RTX 4060 Ti isn’t one of the best graphics cards out there right now. It’s not even close.

However, it is the second cheapest graphics card of this generation, and for Nvidia, it is by far the most affordable. Because of this, you might be tempted to buy it to bundle with a budget-oriented computer. Well, this is my cue to tell you that you probably shouldn’t get the RTX 4060 Ti, but there are a few other GPUs out there that are more worth your money.

a warm welcome

RTX 4060 Ti on a pink background.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Nvidia’s RTX 3060 and RTX 3060 Ti were some of the most popular GPUs of their generation. The RTX 3060 is currently the third most popular graphics card among gamers according to the Steam Hardware Survey, and unlike the two cards currently sitting above it (GTX 1650 and GTX 1060), it continues its slow climb towards the top.

You’d think the RTX 4060 Ti would be about to become a similar hit; the perfect approach to premium gaming at a more modest price. Still, this is simply not the case. The card has received a very lukewarm response thus far, and it’s hard to imagine it getting much better over time, unless the following GPUs prove to be an even bigger flop than the RTX 4060 Ti.

Of course, calling it a flop might be a bit extreme, but reports from various sources say that it just isn’t selling well. When it comes to GPU reviews, the reactions have been far and wide, with some outlets claiming it’s a disaster and others praising it for its performance. What is the truth?

far from perfect

Logo on the RTX 4060 Ti graphics card.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

The RTX 4060 Ti is ill-equipped to take on some of the most demanding games of 2023, let alone games that will be released in the next few years. It’s not a bad GPU per se, but some weird design choices combined with the $400 price tag make it a pretty bad pick.

For starters, the RTX 4060 Ti actually has fewer CUDA cores than its predecessor (4,352 vs. 4,864). That alone isn’t a problem, as Nvidia has given it a significantly larger cache to compensate. The problem is in the VRAM, more precisely in the memory bus.

It contains the same 8 GB of VRAM which, as we now know, is not enough to run modern games. However, while the RTX 3060 Ti has a roomier 256-bit bus, the RTX 4060 Ti is limited to 128-bit, resulting in drastically lower memory bandwidth. This can cause a serious bottleneck in some games.

If the RTX 4060 Ti was $100 cheaper, something like this could be justified. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang defends the questionable decisions the chipmaker made when designing this model, but no matter how you turn it, the RTX 4060 Ti is limited by its own specs, and yet it’s still a gaming card. mid range if you just look at the price. . . For $400, most of us expect better.

RTX 4060 Ti performance on Returnal.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

We compare the RTX 4060 Ti against its predecessor in some modern games, such as Return, and found that the difference in frames per second is usually negligible. The GPU does have an advantage over the RTX 3060 Ti, but it’s not big enough to justify this price.

Keep in mind that performance varies based on tests, so read our review to find out more. The RTX 4060 Ti did a good job of keeping up with our usual set of tests, but in newer games and at higher resolutions it starts to struggle. This fight will only get worse as the years go by and games will need more and more performance from your graphics card.

Of course, the RTX 4060 Ti has one advantage over its predecessors: it unlocks Nvidia’s DLSS 3. But is that enough to sell it as a value graphics card? I do not believe so, and it is an opinion repeated by many.

While it’s the cheapest model in the famously expensive generation of GPUs, it still doesn’t really deliver when it comes to value. Sure, it’ll cost you less, but it’s still hard to say with confidence that it’s worth the $400 price tag.

So what can you do if you’re trying to build a new computer or upgrade existing equipment? Buy a GPU, but maybe skip the RTX 4060 Ti.

there are many options

Asus GeForce RTX 4070 Megalodon graphics card seen from the front on a table.Asus

Just because the RTX 4060 Ti is currently the cheapest doesn’t mean it’s value for money. Nvidia will soon release an RTX 4060 Ti with 16GB of VRAM, priced at just $100 more. Without seeing it, it’s hard to say how much better it will be, but it will solve the main problem with the 8GB version, and that could be worth $100 for some people. Also arriving in the coming months is the $300 RTX 4060.

Assuming you don’t want to try your luck with the 16GB RTX 4060 Ti, there are still plenty of options that will give you similar performance to the 8GB version without the limited VRAM issues. Both AMD and Nvidia have cards that now make more sense.

RTX 4070

RTX 4060 Ti next to RTX 4070.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Let’s start with the RTX 4070. You can get it for around , which is its starting price, and it offers a vast improvement over the RTX 4060 Ti. It’s faster, has more VRAM, and handles higher resolutions better. It is simply a better option for the future.

wrong side? It will set you back around $600, which is $200 more than the Founders Edition RTX 4060 Ti. It’s the easiest upgrade, though, that still unlocks DLSS 3, improved ray tracing, and all those other Nvidia goodies, while also providing more value than the 4060 Ti. And it’s not much more expensive if you buy GPUs from Nvidia’s board partners, as they sell for as much as $460.

RX 6700XT

1080p benchmarks for the RX 6700 XT and RTX 4060 Ti.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

If you just want games that run smoothly and don’t mind the bells and whistles, you can go back to the previous generation and buy an AMD card. Those GPUs are pretty good value right now, having received a significant price cut since launch. In fact, the latest generation options tend to offer much better performance per dollar, although this varies by make and model.

We compared the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT against the RTX 4060 Ti, and lo and behold, the latest generation of AMD’s offering is actually faster in some games, and even when it’s not, it keeps pace with Nvidia. Since you can get it for an eye, there’s no reason to buy an RTX 4060 Ti over this model unless you’re into ray tracing – Nvidia has a huge advantage there, as it usually is.

RTX 3070

The Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti sits on the table.

If you want to stick with Nvidia, some last-gen options are still solid. The RTX 3070 is more expensive than the 4060 Ti, but if you can add a bit more to your GPU budget, it’s a decent option. It has significantly more cores and a wider bus (256 bits). It still only has 8GB of VRAM, but like the RTX 3060 Ti, it’ll probably do better with newer, bandwidth-hungry titles.

Plus, it’s still more expensive than the 4060 Ti. You can find it on Amazon. Call it a midrange pick; If you don’t want to spend $600 on the RTX 4070 but are willing to spend more than $400 on the RTX 4060 Ti, this is a good option to consider if you’d rather buy Nvidia.

RX 6800XT

AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT graphics card placed in front of a black background.

Those who aren’t afraid to buy an AMD GPU have plenty of hidden treasures to mine around this price point. For around , you can pick up an RX 6800 XT and move into another category of graphics performance. While the RTX 4060 Ti is marketed as a 1080p graphics card, AMD’s RX 6800 XT can perfectly handle 1440p and even 4K. That doesn’t mean you can’t use an RTX 4060 Ti for 1440p, but as I mentioned, it doesn’t scale as well.

This GPU has double the VRAM of the RTX 4060 Ti, which means 16 GB on a 256-bit memory bus. Performance is also almost doubled. You’re giving up $120 and access to Nvidia’s Frame Generation, but you’re also getting a GPU that’s more likely to handle future games well.

rx7600

AMD RX 7600 on pink background.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

I know what you might be thinking: suggesting the RX 7600 as a replacement for the RTX 4060 Ti is an odd choice. However, I stand by it. If you’re looking for a GPU that offers decent value and can handle 1080p gaming without ray tracing, you might want to buy the RX 7600 instead of shelling out $400 for the RTX 4060 Ti.

Full disclosure: AMD’s RX 7600 is slower than Nvidia’s card, there’s no competition. You don’t get the same kind of performance with this GPU. However, since Nvidia’s pricing has been quite questionable this generation, the real budget pick will always be the RX 7600 over the RTX 4060 Ti. This is the way to go if you are more concerned with budget than earning extra frames per second in AAA games.

editor’s recommendations

Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn

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