Best RTX 3060 Ti graphics cards 2023

How we chose the best RTX 3060 Ti GPU

Choosing the right components for our best of guides (whether it’s the best monitors for under $300 or the best gaming headsets) is never an easy task.

It requires hours of product research, performance benchmarking, and user feedback to get anywhere close to a definitive conclusion. If you aren’t tech-savvy and struggle to put time aside to go through the above requirements, you may end up purchasing a GPU that simply isn’t right for you or your build.

Fear not though, friends! Here at WePC, we like to take the stress of all that research away and transform it into an easy-to-follow, complete buyers guide. That’s right, our team of PC enthusiasts has done all the hard work, so you don’t have to.

How we test

Testing the products we recommend is a huge part of the overall selection process in our best of guides. It’s a way to make sure what we recommend is the absolute best option in its specific category.

To be sure a product is “the best,” it must show excellent performance in our tests and display better qualities over the competition it faces.

Most of the products we recommend here at WePC have gone through a strict testing process that involves everything from price and looks to performance and efficiency.

Each product is pushed to the limit to see how it performs under intense stress to make sure it warrants the top spot.

Doing this enables us to provide you with the most accurate review of how the product performs and, ultimately, whether it’s worth your hard-earned cash.

Things to consider

Deciding which GPU is best for your new build (or upgrade) can be tricky – especially if you’re not fully up to speed with the latest technological know-how.

Luckily, if you’ve narrowed your search down to the RTX 3060 Ti, there isn’t a great deal that separates each of the aftermarket AIBs.

To help you with your decision, however, we’ll be outlining all the most important factors we feel are worthy of consideration when choosing which card might be best for you.

Price

Price is undoubtedly many people’s number one consideration before buying any new hardware component. Fortunately, there isn’t a huge difference that separates the GPUs that reside within this guide.

Whilst price between different card models can be exponential, the same isn’t normally said for different AIBs of the same card.

Furthermore, the additional cost found in some of the more ‘premium’ AIBs is generally where the value is found – ensuring the card has more efficient cooling, better out the box clock speeds, and better overall build quality.

Ultimately, what I’m trying to say is, don’t be put off by a $30 price difference between two RTX 3060 TIs. Chances are, the more expensive option will have some additional benefits that actually warrant the additional price boost.

Cooling

Something that does affect each of the AIBs in this guide, however, is the cooling solution they utilize. Cooling is a hugely important aspect of any GPU – mainly because they’re one of the hardest working components in your PC.

If a GPU comes to the table with an insufficient cooling solution, your GPU could run the risk of a reduced life span and diminishing levels of performance on average.

For that reason, we prioritize cooling when it comes to a GPU recommendation. All the cards we have selected in this guide have been equipped with high-end cooling that ensures temps stay cool – even at the most demanding of times.

Here are some quick tips on GPU cooling:

• A triple fan setup is more efficient than a dual fan setup
• Larger cooling solutions can create much more noise
• A blower style cooling solution is much less efficient than generic dual/triple fan setups

Remember, the more heat your GPU creates, the higher the internal temperature of your PC will become – naturally having a knock-on effect on other components.

Size

As you’ve probably noticed, GPUs have been increasing in size over the last decade, with the latest offerings from both Nvidia and AMD being some of the biggest to come to fruition.

That being said, most AIBs are sized very similarly, with cooling being the number one factor that actually increases a card’s overall size.

That being said, you should always make sure the PC case you plan to use can actually accommodate the card you plan on buying. Many smaller mid-tower cases will struggle to accommodate the latest line of GPUs from both Nvidia and AMD.

Understanding the specs

One of the first specifications you’ll likely see on a GPU is the clock speed. Clock speed, or clock rate, is the speed at which your microprocessor operates. For all intents and purposes, this specification lets us know how fast your GPU will perform instructions and render graphics.

Whilst each GPU is capable of a base clock speed, that doesn’t stop aftermarket manufacturers from overclocking their model to try and extrapolate additional performance.

Many manufacturers push their GPUs to the limit of what the cooling solution can handle. Meaning, that lesser-known brands that utilize mediocre thermal solutions will naturally have a lower boost clock speed.

Despite VRAM sounding fairly complicated, it’s actually not. In a nutshell, VRAM is your GPU’s Video memory and it acts in the same way as your system memory does – providing your GPU with instant data that can be used by active programs and games (in any order and at any time).

VRAM is extremely important when it comes to rendering high-resolution 4K gameplay. It also plays a major role in the productivity performance a GPU can offer.

The RTX 3060 Ti comes equipped with 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM (identical to that of the 2080 Super), making it extremely efficient when it comes to gameplay and graphically demanding workflows.