Gainward GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GHOST review - Introduction

Gainward GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Ghost: A Review
Very Satisfactory Full HD Performance: An In-depth Review

The Gainward GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GHOST, equipped with 8GB of graphics memory and priced at 399 USD, is an addition to the mainstream graphics market. The RTX 4060 Ti, alongside the RTX 4060 Ghost and Pegasus series, are the latest offerings from Gainward, a prominent brand in the high-performance graphics card arena. The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is powered by the new Ada graphics chip AD106, specifically designed to deliver exceptional gaming performance at Full HD resolution. This graphics card excels in delivering high frame rates, even when ray tracing is enabled. Building upon the features of the RTX 4000 series, the AD106 chip incorporates the advanced Ada Lovelace architecture, which has undergone significant modifications compared to Ampere. One notable change is the reduced memory connection to 128 bits, which is compensated by a significantly larger level 2 cache within the core. Nvidia claims that the 32 MiByte L2 cache reduces access to the graphics memory by over 50 percent, surpassing the previous standard of 2 MiByte L2 cache with 128 bits. In practical terms, this translates to a doubled effective memory transfer rate. Coupled with improved energy efficiency, the wider storage connection provides a substantial performance boost. The Geforce RTX 4060 Ti's memory capacity is causing concerns. This model, set to become available on May 24th, features 8 GiBytes, which is the same as the Geforce RTX 3070 (Ti) that has been experiencing shortages for a while now. While Nvidia promotes the Geforce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB as a suitable graphics card for full HD gaming, there are still games where 8 GiBytes are insufficient for optimal gaming experience. Additionally, the RTX 4060 (Ti) has another restriction: it communicates with the rest of the system using only 8 PCI Express lanes instead of the full 16. This limitation has more severe consequences for memory performance compared to fully connected graphics cards. Considering the increasing demands of modern games and the additional graphics memory required for frame generation, the Geforce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB faces challenges, especially in resolutions above Full HD. However, in that mindset, NVIDIA will release a 16GB model soon as well, to grant you a little more headroom, however, at the cost of yet another $100, thus $499. 

	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB	GeForce RTX 4060
Architecture	Ada (TSMC 4N)	Ada (TSMC 4N)	Ada (TSMC 4N)
GPU	AD106-351	AD106-350	AD107-400
CUDA Cores	4352	4352	3072
Boost Clock	2.5 GHz	2.5 GHz	2.4 GHz
Memory	16 GB G6	8 GB G6	8 GB G6
Memory Clock	18 Gbps	18 Gbps	17 Gbps
Memory Bus	128-bit	128-bit	128-bit
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s	288 GB/s	272 GB/s
TDP	160W	160W	115W
Interface	PCIe Gen4 x8	PCIe Gen4 x8	PCIe Gen4 x8
MSRP	$499	$399	TBC
Release Date	July 2023	May 24, 2023	July 2023

The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti and RTX 4060 Ghost series are designed with dual 95mm fans and a standard cooling system. Adorned with a stylish black cover, the elegant design of the GeForce RTX 4060 Ghost is meant to blend seamlessly into any system. The side shroud's gentle illumination contributes a dynamic yet subtle accent, while the cooling system guarantees effective heat dispersion and maintains a low decibel level during intensive gaming or multimedia tasks. An additional backplate provides extra durability and enhanced aesthetic quality. The GHOST OC clocks in at 2685 MHz but really offers close to baseline (reference) performance.