Why RTX 3060 Has More VRAM?
The RTX 3060 has more VRAM than the RTX 3060 Ti due to the fact that it utilizes a different type of memory known as GDDR6 rather than GDDR6X, which is less expensive.
This allowed Nvidia to provide more VRAM on the RTX 3060 while keeping the price at a more affordable level.
There were rumors that the RTX 3060 was originally intended for just 6GB of memory, but that was scrapped likely to fend off AMD’s RX 6000-series.
The updated Nvidia roadmap confirms that the RTX 3060 has 12GB of GDDR6 memory, up from the previously expected 6GB.
Another reason for the increased VRAM is that the RTX 3060 is the first GPU to have resizable BAR on it, which means that the GPU and CPU can now share RAM.
- How Does The Increased VRAM On The RTX 3060 Affect Its Performance Compared To The RTX 3060 Ti?
- Are There Any Downsides To Using GDDR6 Memory Instead Of GDDR6X, Aside From The Difference In Cost?
- How Does The Resizable BAR Technology Affect The Performance Of The RTX 3060?
- Will Other Graphics Cards In The RTX 30 Series Also Receive A Boost In VRAM In The Future?
- Helpful Resources
How Does The Increased VRAM On The RTX 3060 Affect Its Performance Compared To The RTX 3060 Ti?
The RTX 3060 and RTX 3060 Ti are different GPUs with different specifications.
The RTX 3060 has a smaller GA106 graphics chip, while the RTX 3060 Ti has a beefier GA104 chip.
The RTX 3060 has fewer CUDA cores than the RTX 3060 Ti, which affects its overall gaming performance.
However, the RTX 3060 has more VRAM than the RTX 3060 Ti, with 12GB of GDDR6 VRAM compared to the 8GB of GDDR6 in the RTX 3060 Ti.
The RTX 3060 was developed to be future-proof by sacrificing bandwidth.
Therefore, the increased VRAM on the RTX 3060 may not necessarily translate to better performance compared to the RTX 3060 Ti, which has more CUDA cores and higher clock speeds.
Are There Any Downsides To Using GDDR6 Memory Instead Of GDDR6X, Aside From The Difference In Cost?
Aside from the difference in cost, there are some downsides to using GDDR6 memory instead of GDDR6X.
GDDR6X is a significant performance upgrade to GDDR6, with a higher data rate, device bandwidth, and system bandwidth.
GDDR6X is also more efficient than GDDR6, using 15% less power to transmit each bit.
While GDDR6 is still a good choice for graphics memory, GDDR6X provides better performance and efficiency, making it the best choice as long as all other specifications are the same.
However, GDDR6X is more expensive than GDDR6, although it is still cheaper than HBM2-class memory.
How Does The Resizable BAR Technology Affect The Performance Of The RTX 3060?
Resizable BAR technology can improve the performance of the RTX 3060 by allowing the CPU to access the GPU’s entire framebuffer, instead of accessing it in 256MB chunks.
This means that more assets can be sent at a time, which can boost performance and improve gaming framerates.
According to Intel’s GM of premium and gaming notebook segments, Resizable BAR support could lead to performance gains of 5-10% in some games.
NVIDIA has also released their implementation of Resizable BAR for GeForce Ampere cards, including the RTX 3060.
Will Other Graphics Cards In The RTX 30 Series Also Receive A Boost In VRAM In The Future?
There are hints that other graphics cards in the RTX 30 series might receive a boost in VRAM in the future.
For example, the RTX 3070 Ti model is expected to expand its 8 GB memory to 16GB, and the RTX 3080 is expected to go from 10GB to 12 GB of GDDR6X VRAM.
However, NVIDIA has not confirmed this leak or commented on whether the GeForce RTX 3080 10GB models will still be available.
It is worth noting that the RTX 30 series GPUs are still powerful and worth considering, especially since they cost less and are now easier to find.
