Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Review

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti review: the significant midpoint of graphics cards

I’m certain you are all fatigued from perusing about the exorbitant costs of RTX 40 series graphics cards; I, for one, am weary of expounding on it. Express gratitude toward Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti for its benevolence, at that point – assuming you can find one at RRP, it’s the first of its lineage that refrains from imposing a price premium over the previous-generation equivalent. Despite being only moderately faster than the RTX 3060 Ti in most games, its efficiency enhancements and DLSS 3 support ensure that the RTX 4060 Ti retains some captivating potential.

As it should, indeed. The RTX 3060 Ti and RTX 3060 persevered through the most trying times of the 2021 GPU shortages to become the two most popular hits of the 30 series, so keeping their successors affordable was the correct decision. With that objective in mind, the 8GB RTX 4060 Ti starts at £389 / $399, surpassing the £289 / $299 price of the RTX 4060 (scheduled for release in July) but remaining lower than its planned 16GB version (also coming in July, priced at $499).

Invest a little more, and you can acquire a sophisticated partner card like this one, the MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Gaming X Trio. I have utilized this card for all the game benchmarks presented below, and although it is not as economical as the RTX 4060 Ti Founders Edition (nor as compact – I faced considerable difficulty fitting it into my mid-tower case, much like with the RTX 4070 Ti Gaming X Trio), it does include a remarkably quiet triple-fan cooler. Furthermore, it does not compromise one of the less apparent strengths of the RTX 4060 Ti: exceptional efficiency.

The GPU’s power consumption peaks at a mere 160W, which is 40W less than the RTX 3060 Ti, despite being more proficient in generating frames per second. During gameplay, the power usage is likely to be even lower. Therefore, while the RTX 4060 Ti may not be more affordable to purchase than its predecessor, it will be more economical in the long run. It should also facilitate the upgrade from an old system equipped with a small, sub-600W PSU. Even this customized MSI model requires only a single eight-pin power connector. As an individual who has spent an excessive amount of time on his knees, diligently inserting up to four plugs into the bulky, sometimes melting adapters that higher-end Nvidia cards currently employ, this change was quite welcome.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti review: 1440p benchmarks

Admittedly, the general performance disparity between the RTX 4060 Ti and the RTX 3060 Ti is not substantial. It represents a respectable improvement, undoubtedly, but at the native 1440p resolution, the new GPU never truly surpasses its predecessor. Apart from Horizon Zero Dawn and Watch Dogs Legion, the RTX 4060 Ti rarely threatens to outshine the pricier RTX 4070.

(Since the last time we possessed the 30 series GPUs, I have slightly altered our benchmarking games, so please excuse any absences…)

Nonetheless, there are positive indicators. The RTX 4060 Ti performs significantly better than the RTX 3060 Ti in maintaining a framerate above the 60fps threshold, which is particularly advantageous when utilizing a high-refresh-rate gaming monitor. If you are the type to bring a calculator along on your graphics card shopping excursions, you have likely already realized that the performance-per-watt ratio will be substantially superior to that of the more power-hungry RTX 3060 Ti.

Both GPUs can leverage Nvidia DLSS to enhance performance in supported games, but the RTX 4060 Ti also possesses the advantage of DLSS 3 and its frame generation capability. This enables it to boost framerates far beyond what upscaling alone can achieve. For instance, in F1 22, the average framerate of 62fps increases to 121fps with both quality-level upscaling and AI frame generation. Enabling upscaling alone would elevate it to 92fps, while non-upscaled frame generation would reach 94fps. However, the combination of the two can produce even higher framerates beyond the capabilities of the RTX 3060 Ti.

DLSS 3 also allows the RTX 4060 Ti to take advantage of some of the most demanding ray tracing features available. In Cyberpunk 2077, running at 1440p with Ultra quality and Psycho RT effects, the average framerate increases from 24fps to 65fps with Quality DLSS and frame generation. Although the AI-generated frames do not provide the same smoothness as true rendered frames, these settings still perform well, as the upscaling component elevates the rendered frame output from 24fps to an average of 46fps.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti review: 1080p benchmarks

This flexibility in upscaling assists in making the RTX 4060 Ti a fully capable 1440p card. However, if you prioritize speed over pixel density, you can utilize it as a powerful engine for 1080p. If your CPU is comparable to our test PC’s Intel Core i5-11600K, you may find that gaming performance occasionally approaches that of the high-end RTX 4070 and RTX 4070 Ti, which is an optimistic perspective on bottlenecking.

Nevertheless, in terms of native performance, it does not significantly outperform the RTX 3060 Ti, with the exception of an impressive result in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and possibly in Total War: Three Kingdoms as well. Metro Exodus only sees a minor gain of 11fps, and achieving differentiation between the two in Final Fantasy XV would require investing in a more powerful CPU.

Once again, it is up to DLSS 3 to truly establish the RTX 4060 Ti as a next-generation graphics card. In all fairness, it accomplishes this feat. For example, in Cyberpunk 2077, at Ultra quality with Psycho ray tracing, the framerate increases from 41fps to 65fps solely with the addition of frame generation. This is an impressive achievement, and the same settings can reach up to 113fps with quality upscaling as well. However, this is less advisable than at 1440p, as the reduction in sharpness becomes more noticeable.

F1 22 runs smoothly even without AI-powered enhancements, averaging 92fps with Ultra settings and basic TAA. However, this figure rises to 139fps with non-upscaled frame generation. This truly is a remarkable feature, and I am delighted that it is available on the more affordable RTX 40 GPUs alongside the premium models.

The only concern is that DLSS 3 support is still in its early stages. I have identified 30 games currently available with a functioning implementation (31 once The Lord of the Rings: Gollum releases later this week). Therefore, as beneficial as it is, the value derived from frame generation is directly proportional to the extent to which your library overlaps with this rather limited collection.

You can consider the RTX 4060 Ti as an investment in the future when its trump card can be fully utilized. However, as it currently stands, if you already possess a decent RTX 30 series card, including the RTX 3060 Ti, upgrading to the RTX 4060 Ti is not recommended. In most games, which lack even the previous DLSS 2 support, the performance difference will not meet the expectations of a generational replacement.

On the other hand, if you are transitioning from an older GPU, such as the RTX 2060 or even a Radeon RX 5700, the RTX 4060 Ti is undeniably the superior choice for achieving superfast 1080p and 60fps at 1440p. It is not significantly more expensive than the RTX 3060 Ti, while still offering overall higher performance, lower power consumption, and a better-equipped set of tools for maximizing FPS gains. Despite any minor grievances, an upgrade remains an upgrade, especially when it manages to evade the typical price increases.