Introduction
We review the Asus Dual GeForce RTX 4060 Ti SSD OC Edition, a graphics card, a unique offering that incorporates an M.2 SSD slot. Designed with small form factor systems in mind, this card enables system builders to access a full-bandwidth M.2 slot for additional storage without the need for a second PCIe slot. Yeah, the graphics card ingeniously incorporates an SSD slot into a notch on its back, making the SSD easily accessible while employing the back panel as a heat sink, thus optimizing the space and resources within the GPU structure and enhancing storage performance for the user. The motivation for incorporating an SSD into the GPU lies in the efficient utilization of otherwise unused PCIe lanes. Certain GPUs, like those in the NVIDIA RTX 4060 series, only occupy PCIe x8 lanes, leaving half of a full x16 slot's lanes unutilized. The integration of M.2 SSDs, which utilize a PCIe x4 interface, taps into these available lanes, enabling the potential inclusion of up to two SSD slots on the board.
'Asus's card differentiates itself through the mandatory usage of PCIe bifurcation, which assigns 4 of the available 8 PCIe lanes to the M.2 slot. The result is a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface for the GPU and a separate PCIe 4.0/5.0 x4 interface for the M.2 slot. That also means this card isn't for everybody, you'd be best served with a recent compatible ASUS motherboard (more on that later though).
The card's architecture features the NVIDIA AD106 GPU with 4352 CUDA cores and a maximum clock speed of 2595 MHz. The M.2 2280 slot, located on the back of the card, is designed for easy access and is paired with a cooling system that uses a thermal pad to maintain SSD performance during intensive operations.
Utilizing NVIDIA's Ada Lovelace GPU architecture, these video cards cater to the needs of both mainstream gamers and creators, providing a steady 100 frames per second at 1080p resolution, with support for Ray Tracing and DLSS 3. 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 performance boost.
The M.2 2280 slot's position on the back of the card ensures user accessibility and is paired with a thermal pad to ensure the SSD remains cool during intensive tasks. Asus has engineered the card’s PCB to enable the GPU's cooling system to also encompass the SSD, mitigating potential heat issues and, in initial tests, reducing SSD temperatures by 10°C. Addressing power requirements, the RTX 4060 Ti is outfitted with a single 8-pin connector, drawing up to 150W plus 75W from the PCIe slot. Asus's specialized design is tailored to provide efficient power supply and thermal performance, ensuring seamless SSD operation. The production version of the card streamlines the earlier prototype by offering a single M.2 slot at the back, rather than the prototype’s two slots we saw earlier this year. Standard features of the card include an 8-pin PCIe power connector, a video output array of three DisplayPort 1.4a ports and one HDMI 2.1b port, and dual axial fans for cooling. The price for the Dual GeForce RTX 4060 Ti SSD OC Edition 8GB was not been disclosed by Asus, however should be the same as the regular DUAL version. Unfortunately, street prices indicate a price 50 to 100 EUR above that value.
