Nvidia RTX 4060: everything we know about Nvidia’s next-gen ‘budget’ graphics card
With Nvidia’s Lovelace graphics cards out in the wild now – the RTX 4090, 4080, and 4070 Ti – we’re finally seeing what these powerful cards are capable of and so far the results have been more than impressive. But it does seem that the Nvidia RTX 4060 has been totally forgotten in the mix, at least by Nvidia itself if not the grapevine.
And while it’s not nearly enough to satiate our thirst for new information, we have gotten a taste of what to expect when the follow-up to one of the best graphics cards released in the past few years is announced.
With that said, Nvidia has revealed literally nothing about the RTX 4060 at this point, so all we really have are either rumors or conjecture based on our own expert analysis and previously known facts. And unfortunately, there was no news on the chip during Nvidia’s GTC 2022 event on September 20, 2022.
So what do we know about Nvidia’s next-gen “budget” graphics card, how do we think it will stack up against AMD’s RDNA 3, and when do we think we’ll eventually see it? Here’s everything we’ve heard and what we expect to see in the next several months.
Nvidia RTX 4060: Cut to the chase
- What is it? One of Nvidia’s next graphics card
- When will it be available? No news of it a release date as of now
- What will it cost? Given inflation, likely slightly higher than the RTX 3060
Nvidia RTX 4060: Release date
According to the rumor mill, most of the 4000-series is set to launch in 2023, though since it missed the January 2023 date we have no idea when it’ll launch this year. It’s pretty much a toss-up right considering that Nvidia already launched the RTX 4090, 4080, and 4070 Ti.
In fact, most likely the Nvidia RTX 4060 will be the last model to launch in 2023, just behind the 4080 and 4070 Ti models (and a possible 4070 model). According to well-known hardware leaker Greymon55, the reason for the general delay for most of the Lovelace cards is due to the excess stock of current-gen RTX 3000-series graphics cards that retailers need to burn through first, something that looks more likely with all the sales and generally lower MSRP on these cards.
Nvidia RTX 4060: Price
Unlike its release window, there haven’t been any real rumors or reports as to the MSRP of the GeForce RTX 4060.
Thanks to recent image leaks, it’s possible that Nivida could be dropping a Founders Edition at a significantly cheaper price than its other offerings (think around the $350 price range) If it supports 1080p HD gaming then you have a card that most gamers could buy and use with their current setup. That’s especially since many have 2000-, 1600- or even 1000-series cards they’ve been itching to upgrade for years now.
In the meantime, check out the best cheap graphics cards to hold you over until we get an announcement on the Nvidia RTX 4060.
Nvidia RTX 4060: Specs
No rumors or leaks surrounding the GeForce RTX 4060 have suggested exactly what the specs could be, but it is expected to be more power-hungry than the RTX 3070.
Thanks to some whispers from the grapevine, the RTX 4060 reportedly uses way more power than the GeForce RTX 3070, which already has a TGP of 220W. And when you look at the 50W increase between the 2060 and 3060, we get a clearer picture as to what kind of wattage potential we could see with the 4060.
This also implies that the specs are set to be much higher, if this GPU is commanding so much power in the first place.
Nvidia RTX 4060: Design
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Recently, we may have gotten our first look at the RTX 4060, specifically a Founders Edition. The images, reported on by KitGuru (opens in new tab), came from a Twitter user leaker (opens in new tab) and showcase some of the design of the card.
The build looks more plasticky, including the white trim lining across the card and the black trim at the top where the connector is. We can also see that the fan build is very similar (opens in new tab) to the RTX 4090, 4080, 3090, and 3080 graphics cards, based on its opposite fan design.
This would be great news, as a plastic-based Founders Edition build would be much cheaper for buyers. It also makes the design leaks much more credible as it’s far less likely that someone would forge a basic-looking plastic card instead of a gorgeous metal-forged one.