At this time, we’re taking our first take a look at the 16GB model of the much-loved GeForce RTX 4060 Ti. It appears that evidently that is certainly the case, as you all cannot cease speaking about your emotions in direction of the 4060 Ti, and we won’t cease benchmarking it, so we should all find it irresistible.
Regardless of our fondness for the RTX 4060 Ti, even we admit that simply 8GB of VRAM shouldn’t be fairly sufficient for a $400 graphics card in mid-2023 [sarcasm is over]; ideally we would desire a minimal of 12GB, with 16GB being the perfect quantity of reminiscence for a mid-range GPU. Thankfully, Nvidia has thought-about this and agrees. They’ve now launched a 16GB mannequin of this GPU, charging a steep $100 premium for an additional 8GB of VRAM that the cardboard ought to have all the time had.
However why did the RTX 4060 Ti initially solely include 8GB of VRAM, and the way has Nvidia managed to double that for a complete of 16GB? The issue, because it usually is, lies within the comparatively small 128-bit large reminiscence bus. GDDR6 reminiscence chips require a 32-bit reminiscence controller, and with a 128-bit bus, meaning solely 4 of those chips can be utilized.
For 8GB, Nvidia had to make use of 4 double-density 2GB chips. Nevertheless, to attain a 16GB capability, they cannot merely use 4GB GDDR6 chips as they do not exist. As an alternative, they’ve to make use of Micron’s clamshell configuration, which requires an entire PCB redesign.
The clamshell configuration permits for using two reminiscence modules on a single 32-bit reminiscence controller. Nevertheless, this configuration does not permit all of the reminiscence chips to be positioned on the entrance aspect of the PCB; half the chips have to be positioned on the bottom, immediately adjoining to the chips on the entrance aspect, therefore the time period “clamshell.”
When requested why the 16GB model of the 4060 Ti prices $100 greater than the usual 8GB mannequin, Nvidia advised us that the clamshell technique of increasing reminiscence is kind of sophisticated and due to this fact pricey. So, that, coupled with the price of 4 extra 2GB chips, is how they arrived on the $100 improve. It appears just a little far-fetched to us, however Nvidia is charging $500 for the RTX 4060 Ti 16GB, and that is doubtless going to be a significant downside for this product.
Apart from the additional VRAM, there is no different distinction between the 8GB and 16GB variations of the RTX 4060 Ti. That is each good and dangerous. It is good within the sense that they share the identical product title, so they need to be the identical. Nevertheless, it is dangerous within the sense that for many of at the moment’s video games, efficiency would be the similar.
Ideally, an $400 product just like the 8GB RTX 4060 Ti ought to include a bigger VRAM buffer than what we obtained 5 years in the past on the $380 GTX 1070, for a number of causes. Ample VRAM ensures the newest and best video games run as they need to. A lot of this yr’s newly launched video games, akin to The Final of Us Half 1, ran properly on 16GB graphics playing cards just like the Radeon RX 6800, whereas they struggled on 8GB playing cards.
The sport has obtained a couple of dozen patches now and is in a a lot better situation. Nevertheless, the discharge of unoptimized video games is nothing new. It has been occurring for many years now and can proceed to occur.
It is also clear that video games are shifting past 8GB of VRAM, as recreation builders have publicly acknowledged they’re bored with optimizing for 8GB playing cards on the high-end. Future video games will view 8GB graphics playing cards as low-quality 1080p options.
Consequently, shopping for an costly graphics card at the moment with simply 8GB is nearly actually going to result in disappointment. We additionally don’t desire future video games to be held again or restricted by 8GB graphics playing cards. Sure, we wish them to work and scale properly on 8GB playing cards, however we additionally need to see excessive and extremely settings providing a next-level visible expertise with textures that reap the benefits of 16GB and bigger reminiscence buffers.
Subsequently, a 16GB model of the RTX 4060 Ti is an effective factor, however pricing stays an enormous problem. Because it stands, Nvidia’s most inexpensive current-generation GPU providing greater than 8GB of VRAM prices $500. That is an absurd scenario to seek out ourselves in, in mid-2023.
Apparently, Nvidia appears to acknowledge the shortcomings of the RTX 4060 Ti. They know the 8GB model is a weak providing at $400 – and so they know you understand, as a result of you have not purchased it. Additionally they know the 16GB model is an entire joke and certain remorse even making it, evidenced by the truth that there was no assessment program for the 16GB mannequin, official or in any other case.
There isn’t any Founders Version model both, and other than the official announcement a number of months again, Nvidia has made no point out of the 16GB model. It is not simply Nvidia who acknowledges the product’s limitations; their companions are all painfully conscious, with some but to launch a 16GB model, and none of them have been keen to ship us a pattern.
We have been among the many few who ordered one once they went on sale a number of days in the past. We picked it up on launch day and obtained to testing. Given these circumstances, we have solely had a number of days to check this factor out, so consider this as extra of a preview, although, to be truthful, we predict we have realized all we would have liked to with the testing executed up to now.
One thing we need to deal with on this assessment is the priority {that a} 128-bit large reminiscence bus is not sufficient to make the most of 16GB of VRAM. We have seen this remark so much over the previous few months. We’re unsure the place it originates or what the precise idea is, however the perception appears to be that there merely is not sufficient reminiscence bandwidth to successfully use a 16GB reminiscence buffer.
So, let’s begin by taking a look at that. All testing on this article has been performed on our Ryzen 7 7800X3D check system with 32GB of DDR5-6000 reminiscence, utilizing the newest show drivers.
Benchmarks
This is a take a look at The Final of Us Half 1. Utilizing the ultra-quality settings at 1080p, we discovered the 16GB mannequin to be 16% sooner on common, whereas the 1% lows have been boosted by as a lot as 25%. This resulted in a considerable efficiency bounce, reaching efficiency much like the 6700 XT.
The story is comparable at 1440p. Right here, the 16GB mannequin was 24% sooner on common with a 32% increase to 1% lows, permitting it to intently match the 6700 XT.
We examined A Plague Story: Requiem utilizing the ultra-quality settings however with out ray tracing enabled, which does not exceed an 8GB VRAM buffer. The end result was similar efficiency between the 8 and 16GB fashions at 1080p. At 1440p, the efficiency was almost the identical with solely a minor body distinction.
Cyberpunk 2077 was examined utilizing the high-quality preset. Right here, the 16GB mannequin offered a modest efficiency enhancement. Though 1% lows improved by 9%, the common body charge remained largely constant.
The distinction was even smaller at 1440p, the place the 16GB mannequin was solely 1-2 fps sooner.
Forza Horizon 5 demonstrated similar efficiency for each fashions at 1080p and 1440p. Clearly, this title did not profit from the additional VRAM. At the moment, most video games do not demand greater than 8GB of VRAM.
In our Resident Evil 4 checks utilizing the second-highest preset, which considerably reduces VRAM utilization, each the 8 and 16GB variations of the RTX 4060 Ti delivered comparable efficiency at each examined resolutions.
Spider-Man Remastered confirmed a slight efficiency improve with the additional VRAM, enhancing the common body charge by 5%. Nevertheless, this distinction is not vital. We noticed comparable margins at 1440p. Whereas the 16GB mannequin is quicker, it is not by a substantial margin.
Energy Consumption
The 16GB RTX 4060 Ti stays power-efficient, as doubling the capability solely will increase the TDP by 5 watts. In sure conditions, with the additional VRAM, the GPU can work a bit more durable, as we seen in Spider-Man, inflicting the overall system utilization to rise by 7%.
In Hitman 3, the additional VRAM did not result in any enchancment, leading to a exact 5-watt improve in energy utilization.
Efficiency Abstract
We are able to shortly look at our 15-game common information. The 16GB mannequin is barely 4% sooner on common. That is anticipated since a lot of the video games we examined confirmed no efficiency alteration.
We noticed only a 3% enchancment at 1440p. Once more, a lot of the video games examined did not exhibit a major efficiency change. Most of the extra demanding video games have been examined with decreased high quality settings, guaranteeing passable efficiency on extra mainstream fashions.
Wrap Up
There you have got it, the 16GB buffer actually works and it does make the RTX 4060 Ti a a lot better product. We’re assured that within the years to return, this model will maintain up moderately properly, providing RTX 3070-like efficiency with out the VRAM limitations. Sure, it nonetheless has a 128-bit reminiscence bus, however as we noticed within the memory-hungry examples, that does not stop the GPU from using the 16GB buffer to evade performance-related points.
Nevertheless, the actual problem with the RTX 4060 Ti is pricing, which applies to each variants. The 8GB mannequin ought to ideally price $300 and, ideally, $350 for the 16GB model, or possibly $400 at most – however that is at present the value of the 8GB model.
In different phrases, paying $500 for what must be the bottom configuration RTX 4060 Ti is insane.
It is also unreasonable that avid gamers wanting greater than 8GB of VRAM from a present technology GeForce GPU should spend $500. Sadly, AMD does not appear to be coming to the rescue both. The present rumor means that the Radeon 7700 XT will supply 12GB and the 7800 XT 16GB, and that each will arrive in September. However pricing will not be nice there both, and we do not anticipate the 7700 XT to be a sub-$500 product, so the present VRAM problem will proceed.
As for the 16GB RTX 4060 Ti, clearly you should not purchase it on the present value – for $400 possibly, however we do not anticipate it to hit that value any time quickly. Within the meantime, this 16GB model of the RTX 4060 Ti will present us with quite a few nice content material alternatives over the subsequent few years. It is going to be very fascinating to observe how the 8GB and 16GB variations monitor with future video games.
For now, although, it is a terribly priced graphics card you can ignore.
Procuring Shortcuts:
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB on Amazon
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti on Amazon
- AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT on Amazon
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 on Amazon
- AMD Radeon RX 7600 on Amazon
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT on Amazon
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 on Amazon
- AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D on Amazon