Final words and conclusion

Final words

Despite its high pricing, this card has commendable capabilities in the Full HD space. The 32L2 cache ensures that performance metrics are fully adequate for this specific monitor resolution. Nevertheless, NVIDIA appears to be increasingly reliant on technologies like DLSS3 and Frame generation. It's prudent to maintain some vigilance here as the pendulum seems to be swinging rather heavily towards AI solutions for enhancing performance. Regarding the shader rasterizer engine aspect, this card merely meets expectations. NVIDIA sets the card's price at $399, a price point previously seen with the 3060 Ti. However, this is a reflection of the cryptocurrency mining era where prices soared due to artificial inflation, and for some reason, they remain high. Despite this, the card's overall performance for Full HD resolution is satisfactory and with the aid of DLSS assist, it even excels. A simple manual tweak allows users to gain an additional 5% performance from the card. This more competitively priced graphics card is becoming accessible to a broader base of end-users. While NVIDIA strongly advertises the DLSS technology as a revolutionary tool, we hope they won't neglect the significance of raw rasterizer shader performance in their future offerings. Performance may vary in situations less dependent on the CPU, potentially being slower in DX11 yet quicker in DX12. When compared to the Radeon Series 600/7000, the RTX 4000 exhibits superior ray tracing performance, indicating noteworthy progress in this domain. Furthermore, the DLSS3 + Frame generation technology enables the GPU to achieve exceptional outcomes in compatible games.

Performance

The GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card delivers commendable gaming performance and rendering quality, even allowing for gaming at QHD resolution, though it is ideally designed for FHD. As many gamers operate at QHD, or UHD monitor resolutions, the 4060 Ti presents a balanced proposition for many enthusiasts. Most of that performance holds its own through strong aspects such as DLSS (3) and ray tracing functionalities, which perform, providing a level of immersion that currently surpasses AMD's performance capabilities. We can't comment yet on the new 7600, of course.  Next, we'll proceed with a comparison to compare with other cards.

The old rasterizer engine breaks right through the previous limit of extreme performance. The RTX 40 series has a new generation of Ray tracing and Tensor cores that are more powerful. So, do not let the specific RT and Tensor core counts fool you; it's all about how much performance one unit offers. Since they are close to the shader engine, they have become more efficient, which shows. Tensor cores are harder to measure, but from what we have seen, everything seems to be in good shape, as DLSS3 shows exciting values. Overall, the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti makes sense at resolutions as high as 2K 2560x1440, and sometimes up to 4K (3840x2160). NVIDIA proclaims this as a 80+ FPS FHD card, with which we concur. 

Cooling & noise levels

When operating at full load, the graphics card has a power consumption of just under 160 watts with an average at 145W as measured by us. This power usage is directly linked to the amount of heat generated by the GPU, which is enclosed within a sealed structure. In terms of noise levels, the card produces a pleasantly low sound of approximately 35 dBA. However, during demanding tasks, the card's temperature may reach around 65°C. It's important to note that this temperature can vary depending on the efficiency of the airflow within the computer case. Our FLIR imaging analysis indicates no cause for concern regarding heat dissipation. It's worth mentioning that customized cards from different manufacturers may exhibit higher power consumption due to factors such as increased total graphics power and additional components like RGB lighting and liquid cooling pumps.

Coil whine

Any graphics card can exhibit coil squeal. It's just a matter of how much exactly. For the FE it's at a level you can barely hear when you hit high framerates. In a closed chassis, that noise would fade away in the background. For this particular card, we've hardly been able to notice it. 

Pricing

NVIDIA has introduced this new graphics card priced at $399, which does not bring affordability back to the market. This price point is reminiscent of the 3060 Ti, indicating a shift from the inflated prices seen during the cryptocurrency mining era. Although the prices have remained higher than expected for unknown reasons, the card offers very satisfactory performance for Full HD resolution. Additionally, with the help of a DLSS assist, it can even deliver exceptional results. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Founders Edition will include 8GB of memory, with an option for a 16GB model. As for the GeForce RTX 4060, Nvidia has not released any comments yet. However, it's confirmed that the entry-level Ada Lovelace graphics card for gaming enthusiasts will debut at $299 USD, exclusive of VAT.

• GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB: Will be available from May 24 for $399 USD
• GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB: Will be released in July for $499 USD
• GeForce RTX 4060 8GB: Will also be released in July for $299 USD

Tweaking

You can enhance your GPU's performance by fine-tuning the clock frequency and memory speed. A clock frequency increase of approximately +200 MHz is possible with a bit of added voltage. Consequently, you can anticipate your GPU boost clock frequency around the 3000 MHz range, contingent on the dynamic frequencies of different game titles, furthermore, by modifying the memory speed to 20 Gbps. Accumulated, you can expect a 5% performance improvement in demanding GPU scenarios compared to the reference (baseline) performance.

Conclusion

As an objective assessment, the RTX 4060 Ti 8GB exhibits very respectable performance, especially within a Full HD and even 2560x1440 mindset. Its shader engine performance is satisfactory, and the addition of DLSS3 and frame generation aid substantially improves its functionality. NVIDIA continues to lead in raw Raytracing performance. This graphics card's 32MB L3 cache is particularly effective at this resolution, though cache misses can result in the system resorting to a narrower 128-bit wide bus with only 8GB of graphics memory. However, at QHD and UHD you're bound to run into memory limitations, also keep in mind that DLSS frame generation will consume VRAM when used. While this could potentially cause issues, the card seems to handle such scenarios well. The RTX 4060 Ti 8GB graphics card boasts enough performance, solid build quality, and appealing aesthetics. However, its pricing is a notable drawback. With a price tag of $399, it is considered far too expensive for a mainstream product. Considering the decline of the mining trend, many would expect a lower price point, ideally below $300, $250 even. But the regular 4060 will take that spot, we raise serious concerns as to what is happening with the graphics card market. Nevertheless, the RTX 4060 Ti series remains an attractive option for PC gamers. It delivers ample performance, particularly for QHD gaming when utilizing DLSS3 and Frame generation features. Additionally, it offers a mild overclocking capability. The founders edition showcases an appealing design, efficient cooling, and pleasant acoustics. Overall, it demonstrates commendable energy efficiency. Despite its strengths, the card's starting price of MSRP $399 is a deterrent for many potential buyers. The RTX 4060 Ti, positioned as a notable progression for users with significantly dated graphics cards, holds potential as an initial RTX choice for numerous gaming enthusiasts. While it is still a (barely) recommended choice for mainstream PC gamers coming from the GTX series, the disappointing price tag should be taken into consideration as a serious objection. 

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- Hilbert, LOAD"*",8,1.

Update: given the current sentiment in our community, we decided to no longer apply award badges from reference graphics card reviews.