If you missed this launch, it is perfectly understandable; the big stars from nVidia (xx80/xx90 cards) get the royal media treatment. But their mid-tier cards (xx60/xx50 cards) that launch with less fanfare are the ones that get the most sales.
Now, let us take a look at this new $400 card from nVidia.
RTX 3060 Ti has Familiar Pros and Cons
What are we expecting, based on past launches?
- Is the card the best for its price? Yes.
- Is the card power-efficient? Yes.
- Does the card run cool? Yes.
- Does the card run quiet? Yes.
If nVidia played basketball, you could say that it is scoring non-stop home-runs and hat-trick wickets. nVidia’s launches have become so smooth in terms of technical specifications that it is outright boring. Well, boring to read, since each launch is nearly identical to the previous. But that is fine: When it is boringly good, we like boring! Keep it boring, nVidia! The launch may be boring, but the cards are fantastic!
Except…
…there is the issue. You know… The Issue. As with every other launch of every product in the last few months, the cards have gone out-of-stock within minutes of being available. With the RTX 3060 Ti being a $400 card, this time it hurts a lot more.
I certainly do not own a large number of oil wells. I do not even own a single oil well. As such, while the $1500 cards might be powerful enough to render time and space in 12 dimensions, they do not interest me much. The $400 cards are still pricey, but they are within reach of non-Bezos-ians like myself. With this launch being identical to previous ones in terms of out-of-stockiness, it seems that the peasants and the lords are on equal grounds: we all must wait.
Going Forward
The out-of-stock and excellent $400 RTX 3060 Ti is now our recommendation for the Excellent tier of our chart.
Let us all hope its initial period of being unavailable shall be short!