NVIDIA, which has always been the benchmark for graphics cards in the past, is famous for its cutting edge. Many cost-effective graphics cards come from the reduction of high-end chips and the reduction in specifications. However, reducing it too much can also cause problems for players. The recent RTX 4060/Ti graphics cards are significantly less popular than the previous generation RTX 3060/Ti. For gamers, it is unacceptable that two generations of different architectures are almost equal in performance, and even the display memory and bandwidth are not good enough. In this regard, some graphics cards from AMD and Intel can actually be considered as options to replace the RTX 4060.
As a mid-range 60-series card, the RTX 4060 should theoretically provide products that are slightly different from the highest-end 80 and 90 series, but more attractive in terms of price. For example, the previous generation RTX 3060 and RTX 3060 Ti have good product positioning. If not for the excessive premium during the mining boom, they are actually good and not too expensive graphics cards.
RTX 4060 is unsatisfactory and worthy of the 60 series name
Taking the CUDA core, which is commonly used to evaluate the computing power of graphics cards, the RTX 4060 only gives 3072 this time, which is smaller than the 3584 of the RTX 3060. In addition, the display memory and bandwidth are also smaller than the RTX 3060, which has been reduced from 192 bit to 128 bit, and the display memory has also been cut from 12GB to 8GB. But the power consumption is much lower than the previous generation. There’s at least some progress, even if the reason for the low power consumption may include weakened specs.
However, the RTX 4060 is at least supported by NVIDIA’s exclusive technologies. For example, DLSS 3 can help improve game frame rates. However, if you encounter games or applications that do not support this technology, the weak specifications of the RTX 4060 will become particularly powerless.
Generally speaking, 60 series graphics cards have a considerable amount of player support. In the past, 1660, 2060, 3060 and other graphics cards have good reputation and support. The sales volume is also better than the high-end 70/80 series. Therefore, the RTX 4060 attracted much attention before its launch. However, various tests after its launch showed that this card has been hacked and bruised. Even with the support of NVIDIA DLSS 3 technology, it is only forced to be in the mid-range position.
With so many competitors, the RTX 4060 isn’t really worth the money. Foreign media Digital Trends selected 5 graphics cards as alternatives to the RTX 4060. These cards usually have their shortcomings, but when compared to the RTX 4060, they have a little more power. It may not be such a new graphics card, but it still has good performance and price.
AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
Although AMD has launched the 7000 series, there are still many stocks of the previous generation 6700XT in circulation. It’s easy to find on the second-hand market or on auction sites, selling for around 8,000 to 10,000.
AMD graphics cards basically do not have any NVIDIA exclusive technology, so the DLSS 3 part is naturally missing. The ray tracing performance is also far inferior to NVIDIA graphics cards. But if you put these technologies aside and simply compare it with the RTX 4060 and RTX 4060 Ti, you can find that there are many advantages at 1440p resolution. It can even surpass the 4060 Ti in some games that AMD has participated in the optimization. The performance is amazing.
Of course, one of the reasons why the RTX 6700XT is selected is that it has a display memory of up to 12GB, which means that the card can perform better on some more demanding games.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
For some gamers or those who know a little bit about computer maintenance, the most fatal problem of AMD is that the driver always has strange problems. If you insist on buying an NVIDIA graphics card, the RTX 3060 Ti will be one of the most cost-effective choices. The performance of this card is basically higher than the RTX 4060, but it consumes more power. Although it supports DLSS, it does not support the latest DLSS 3. However, although the display memory is still only 8GB, the bandwidth is opened to 256 bit, which means that there is less performance degradation when special effects are turned on.
Since they are both in the NVIDIA camp, they are basically on par in terms of ray tracing technology, with up to 4,864 CUDA cores. With such specifications, although they lack some new technologies, they will not be a problem for a few more years.
AMD Radeon RX 7600
We reported that the card was “extremely low cost performance” when it was launched last month. It was really unexpected that a graphics card could challenge its status in less than a month.
Perhaps because the original reviews were so bad, the price found on the website now is more than 9,000 yuan. Interestingly, the RX 7600 has also been criticized for its 128-bit 8GB display memory, which makes the card suitable for playing modern games at 1080p resolution at best.
However, what makes the RX 7600 worse than the RTX 4600 is the ray-tracing performance. Playing games with the ray-tracing special effect is a big loss. However, since it is much cheaper now, and the performance is basically the same as the RTX 4060 without ray-tracing, it can still be listed as one of the options depending on the situation.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti
Since the RTX 4060 is so bad, it is understandable to ask its senior brothers to come to the rescue. It’s a pity that although the RTX 4060 Ti is more expensive, it has the same display memory, which is a 128-bit display memory bandwidth. Even if it is possible to open up to 16GB of display memory in the future, the important bandwidth is completely stuck. Even if more display memory is added, the increase in performance will only be a drop in the bucket.
But a senior is a senior after all, and the RTX 4060 Ti is more than a little better than the RTX 4060. And with the same exclusive technology, the ray tracing performance is also the best among the current options. The only problem is budget. The RTX 4060 Ti is 5,000 yuan more expensive. Of course, the difference in performance is made up of money. If you think the 4060 Ti is too expensive, then save money.
Intel Arc A770
Although Intel has recently entered the big pit of independent graphics cards again, the performance of the Intel Arc series is obvious to all. The maturity of the driver has caught up quickly. It performs well in some new games and has the capital to compete with the RTX 3060. If there is a pity, it is probably that the 8GB version is basically not available in Taiwan, and only the 16GB version of the A770 graphics card is available.
Interestingly, the Intel Arc series graphics cards have worked hard on light tracing performance, and are even better than the RTX 4060 at 1440p resolution. But the results are reversed at 1080p resolution. From this we can see that Intel is no worse than the other two companies in terms of hardware, but it started later than others and is destined to have a lot of room to catch up. If the driver can be more mature, it may be able to beat NVIDIA.
Summarize
Overall, the best recommendation in terms of performance is the RTX 4060 Ti. After all, it is a more expensive option, and it is definitely better than the RTX 4060, which has neither better nor worse performance.
If your budget is really stretched, you can consider the RX 7600 or Intel Arc A750. The RX 7600 has good performance, and although the Intel Arc A750 is not as powerful as the A770, it at least supports ray tracing, which is helpful for certain games.
It is really difficult to accept other non-NVIDIA graphics cards, and it is difficult to make a choice on the budget, so it is better to buy the RTX 3060 Ti. There may not be much inventory of the previous generation of graphics cards, so you should pay attention to whether there are any problems with the items when purchasing. After all, some miner obsolete cards are still in circulation on the market. You need to be more careful when purchasing so that your money can be spent wisely.
Source: KOCPC Chinese