Nvidia has announced that it will be launching the GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card earlier than expected, moving the release date from July to June 29, 2023. This move puts Nvidia ahead of any independent test reports that are set to be released later in the month. However, it is important to exercise caution when considering the manufacturer’s information.
Most of the benchmarks provided by Nvidia were conducted using the DLSS upscaling technique and with ray tracing graphic effects in supported games. This allows Nvidia to achieve a significant increase in performance compared to its direct predecessor, the GeForce GTX 1060, which lacks ray tracing cores and must rely on normal shader cores for calculations, leading to a drop in frame rate.
Nvidia’s comparison of the upcoming GeForce RTX 4060 with the last three graphics cards from the 1960s may be distorted, particularly when comparing it to the GeForce GTX 1060 without ray tracing hardware. The comparison is further skewed because only the 4000 series supports DLSS 3 with frame generation, making it difficult to compare with the GeForce RTX 3060. While Nvidia claims that the GeForce RTX 4060 without frame generation is on average 20 percent faster than the GeForce RTX 3060, it does not specify which version of the GeForce RTX 3060 is being compared.
In terms of power consumption, the GeForce RTX 4060 consumes 110 watts by default, while the 3060 models consume 170 watts. Nvidia estimates that playing 10 to 20 hours a week with the GeForce RTX 4060 could result in savings of up to 1.2 kilowatt hours per week. Over four years, this could translate to savings of 60 to 120 euros, assuming a high electricity price of just under 49 cents per kWh or 50 to 100 euros with a price of 40 cents per kWh.
Despite these advantages, the GeForce RTX 4060 may face strong competition from its previous generation counterparts. 12 GB versions of the GeForce RTX 3060 are currently available for as low as 280 euros. Additionally, AMD’s Radeon RX 6700 XT is available for a slightly higher price and is expected to be faster than the GeForce RTX 4060 according to specifications. Manufacturer cards of the GeForce RTX 4060 are available for around 360 euros, while individual offers may cost less.
In conclusion, the GeForce RTX 4060 offers improved performance and power consumption compared to its predecessors. However, it may face tough competition from both previous generation graphics cards and offerings from AMD. It is important to consider all factors and compare prices before making a purchasing decision.
