Which Versions Are Worth It?

The Nvidia RTX 4060 is a controversial product for many due to both its moniker and product placement in 2023, even as it offers excellent value for the money at a sub-$300 price tag. Here are reasons to take a second look.

Some decry the relatively smaller performance jump it received compared to other generations of GPU upgrades (versus the 4000 series). Others criticize the downsized memory which sees it offer only a single, 8GB version to gamers versus its predecessor which offered 50% more VRAM with 12GB on offer when it launched in February 2021.

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It also compares somewhat unfavorably at times to its competitor from AMD. The RX 7600 8GB offers excellent value for money, clocking in at $270 versus the MSRP of $300 the RTX 4060 currently commands. It also comes with a free copy of Starfield‘s standard edition; Nvidia has no current comparable promotion with its RTX 4060 GPUs.

Is The RTX 4060 Worth It?

At the same time, Nvidia’s RTX 4060 happens to offer better performance than its AMD competition for the added $30. It has better Ray Tracing performance in addition to much better and consistent gameplay when targeting 1080P or 1440P resolutions thanks to DLSS3 being much more mature technology.

In addition to this, it also does offer a mild performance boost in rasterization compared to its predecessor, the RTX 3060, but also offers much more efficiency under the hood, making it currently, unless the RTX 3060 gets a large price cut, the best GPU buyers can pick at around the $300 mark at the time of writing.

RELATED: The Best CPUs To Pair With The RTX 4060 TI For Gaming

The RTX 4060 does however come in many shapes and sizes. Plus, not all SKUs are built equally in terms of aesthetics, cooling, and clock speeds, making it a bit hard to navigate for users looking for the best possible version for their needs.

ASUS Dual GeForce RTX™ 4060 OC Edition 8GB

The Best Overall RTX 4060 GPU

Compact, No-Frills Power

The ASUS Dual RTX 4060 GPU offers a higher boost clock than many of its peers while offering a compact, 2.5-slot GPU that can easily fit in most cases. Powered by a single 8-pin connector with a thermal design power (TDP) of 115W, it offers more efficiency than its predecessor but has no RGB lighting whatsoever in a bid to match Nvidia’s MSRP for the Founder’s Edition.

Brand

ASUS

Cooling Method

Dual Fan Air-Cooled

GPU Speed

1830 MHz

Interface

PCI Express 4.0

Memory

8GB GDDR6 128-Bit

Power

115W

Boost Speed

Boost: 2505 Mhz , OC: 2535 MHz

CUDA Cores

3072

Pros

• Comes with a better overclock than the stock RTX 4060 out of the box
• Offers a compact, powerful RTX 4060 option
• Uses a single 8-pin connector for power

Cons

• Lacks RGB lighting
• Is not the fastest-clocked RTX 4060 SKU

The ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 4060 OC Edition 8GB is our pick for the best RTX 4060 GPU on offer currently. It retails at MSRP for the base price point set by Nvidia (presumably for the RTX 4060 Founders Edition) but offers a higher boost clock and better thermals than most of its competition while doing so with a very small footprint in terms of size. It is ideal for smaller cases, occupying just 8.9 inches in terms of length.

It does get beaten in terms of raw clocks versus faster SKUs including ASUS’s own RTX 4060 Strix OC variant, but the price tradeoff is less than fair, making this a better bargain. However, ASUS’s dual RTX 4060 does not come with any RGB lighting whatsoever. This might make some gamers and system builders less enthusiastic about the GPU which builds on its strengths as a compact, powerful but no-frills performer, making it an easy buy, especially at MSRP for an RTX 4060.

MSI GeForce RTX™ 4060 VENTUS 2X BLACK 8G OC

The Best Overall Alternate RTX 4060 GPU

Compact, Powerful Performer

The MSI GeForce RTX 4060 VENTUS 2X BLACK 8G OC is an excellent GPU offering as far as RTX 4060 offerings go. It offers an excellent, balanced take on Nvidia’s entry-level Ada Lovelace-based RTX 4000 series, offering low power consumption, a compact design, and a single 8-pin power connector to handle its power needs, making it a silent performer that delivers on its promise.

Brand

MSI

Cooling Method

Dual Fan Air-Cooled

GPU Speed

1830Mhz

Interface

PCI-Express 4.0

Memory

8GB GDDR6

Power

115 W

Boost Speed

MSI Center Clocks: 2505 MHz, Boost Clocks: 2490 MHz

CUDA Cores

3072 Cores

Pros

• Offers decent boost clocks compared to some higher-end RTX 4060 options
• Runs quieter than some other RTX 4060 SKUs
• Is a lower-profile GPU than some of the larger, overbuilt RTX 4060 SKUs on offer

Cons

• Has no RGB lighting on offer

If the ASUS Dual RTX 4060 is not a first choice, MSI’s Ventus 2X variant also delivers on its promise of an excellent entry-level RTX 4060 SKU without costing an arm and a leg, unlike some of the more expensive versions on offer by other AIBs. It packs decent boost clocks and adequate cooling while providing quiet operating in a lightweight GPU design that feels surprisingly sturdier than most of its competition.

RELATED: Best Budget Graphics Cards in 2023

The MSI GeForce RTX 4060 VENTUS 2X BLACK 8G OC delivers where it matters: stellar, no-nonsense performance. It is a strong contender for the best overall RTX 4060 SKU, with ASUS’s additional overclock speeds making it a slightly better pick than MSI’s entry-level Ventus-branded offering. For anyone who wants to get a different SKU, MSI has buyers more than covered with its balanced and well-built offering.

ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX™ 4060 8GB OC Edition

The Best Performance RTX 4060 GPU

The ROG Advantage

The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4060 8GB OC Edition is the highest-end, performance-tier RTX 4060 one can currently buy. It also trades just shy of what an RTX 4060TI 8GB goes for, making it a questionable but very aesthetically superior purchase to many of its more dual-fan alternatives.

Brand

ASUS

Cooling Method

Tri-Fan Air Cooling

GPU Speed

1830 MHz

Interface

PCI-Express 4.0

Memory

8GB GDDR6

Power

115W

Boost Speed

OC Mode: 2700 MHz, Default Mode: 2670Mhz

CUDA Cores

3072 Cores

Pros

• Is the highest-clocked RTX 4060 SKU available out of the box currently
• Has a beautiful design that is arguably one of the best on offer for an RTX 4060 currently
• Uses its tri-fan cooling to offer significantly better thermals than its competition
• Had decent RGB lighting on offer

Cons

• Significantly pricier than the competition; flirts with RTX 4060TI 8GB SKUs at just under $400
• As a 3.1 slot GPU, it seems to be both, overkill for an RTX 4060 and also a very large GPU to fit on smaller ITX builds

The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4060 8GB OC Edition sees the larger tri-fan Strix cooler return to deliver excellent thermals. It has one of the highest boost clocks for an RTX 4060 and decent RGB lighting on offer to command a price tag that some might find outrageous for an RTX 4060 as it wades into RTX 4060TI territory with only $10 in wiggle room to spare.

That being said, the ROG Strix RTX 4060 does offer a premium solution that can also be seen as the most performance-centric one for buyers who aren’t too concerned about price and want a ROG Strix GPU above and beyond some of the better-value RTX 4060TI alternatives at its price range. ASUS’s premium take on the RTX 4060 seems overdone, but not in a bad way, especially for buyers who want a good-looking GPU with RGB lighting on offer.

It offers a dual BIOS, lower temperatures than all of its competition, higher boost speeds than any other RTX 4060 on offer, and a cooler that allows it to run extremely quietly without having any significant performance issues that one can pinpoint. It offers a 5-10% gain over most RTX 4060 alternatives but at a significant price gain that makes it almost unfair to compare the Strix with regular RTX 4060s, but rather RTX 4060TIs. The Strix is designed for consumers who like having a beefy GPU design and are willing to pay the premium for it, even if most PC builders will take a long, hard second look at its value proposition.

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4060 AERO OC 8G

The Best White RTX 4060 GPU

Best Value Tri-Fan RTX 4060

The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4060 AERO OC 8G is the best-looking white-themed RTX 4060 SKU currently available on the market, offering decent boost clocks versus the stock option, a large, tri-fan air cooler that keeps temperatures low, and a stylish metal backplate design with ‘screen cooling’ that allows it to dissipate heat better coupled with a dual-BIOS, dual-HDMI offering that gets the job done with plenty of style on offer.

Brand

Gigabyte

Cooling Method

Tri-Fan Air Cooled

GPU Speed

1830 MHz

Interface

PCI Express 4.0

Memory

8GB GDDR6

Power

115W

Boost Speed

2550 MHz

CUDA Cores

3072

Pros

• Aesthetically one of the most good-looking RTX 4060 SKUs and arguably the best white one on offer
• Decent boost clocks on offer compared to some of its alternatives
• The metal backplate design feels much more premium than the competition
• Runs extremely cool and quiet compared to some of the more compact RTX 4060 options on offer
• Offers Dual Bios, allowing users to switch between OC and silent modes with ease
• Offers Dual HDMI ports, making it easier to use the GPU with certain monitor/TV configurations without needing adapters

Cons

• Slightly more expensive than most entry-level RTX 4060 SKUs
• Significantly larger than some of its competition, limiting its use in smaller ITX builds

The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4060 AERO OC 8G is an excellent RTX 4060 offering in its own right. It does however also contend for the best-looking RTX 4060 SKU on the market, winning that particular category for white RTX 4060 options thanks to its decent RGB lighting, excellent fan design, and a premium metal backplate making it look like a considerably more expensive GPU than just a mid-range RTX 4060.

It offers great thermals, decent boost clocks, and a dual BIOS to ensure a user’s needs for performance or silent operation are met simultaneously while offering dual HDMI ports to make connectivity easier with certain configurations of display tech. With a large tri-fan cooler on offer in addition to other tweaks to keep temperatures low, the AERO OC does clock in at $30 more than most of its entry-level alternatives, but it does seem to pull its weight while doing so.

ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4060 8GB Solo

The Best Compact RTX 4060 GPU

Small but equitable power

The ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4060 8GB Solo is an entry-level RTX 4060 variant that focuses on being the perfect fit for smaller ITX or SFF (small form factor) builds while offering excellent ray tracing performance and solid 1080P gaming performance without compromising on power.

Pros

• Offers a compact, dual-slot design making it ideal for low-profile or smaller PC builds where space can be an issue
• Delivers similar performance as most of its larger-sized alternatives

Cons

• No RGB lighting on offer
• Boost clocks are relatively tamer than most of its competition

The ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4060 8GB Solo is an excellent entry-level GPU for system builders preferring a smaller form factor for their latest PC build. It’s also a good option for someone who is simply looking for a secondary system for gaming that is more portable than any of its alternatives.

With a somewhat modest boost clock on offer, it still gets the job done for most users. The ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4060 8GB Solo uses a smaller but capable single fan design that skips RGB lighting for a more compact, no-frills design, prioritizing form factor and functionality over aesthetic, making a compelling case for an upgrade without having to measure the case size or be concerned about buying a GPU that fits. The dual-slot GPU should fit most builds with ease, coming at the tail end of the RTX 4060 offerings in terms of length, making it a compromise in looks but not in performance, where it delivers a decent boost clock and adequate cooling.

Gigabyte AORUS ELITE GeForce RTX™ 4060 8G

The Best Premium RTX 4060 GPU

An Elite Bargain

The Gigabyte AORUS ELITE GeForce RTX 4060 8G is a premium take on Nvidia’s latest Ada Lovelace-based GPU, offering an excellent tri-fan cooler, a high boost clock, and an excellent aesthetic design on offer along with dual DisplayPort 1.4a and HDMI 2.1 offerings to round off a very polished GPU design which one could say is a bit overkill for an RTX 4060.

Brand

Gigabyte

Cooling Method

Tri-Fan Air Cooled

GPU Speed

1830 Mhz

Interface

PCI Express 4.0

Memory

8GB GDDR6

Power

115W

Boost Speed

2640 MHz

CUDA Cores

3072

Pros

• Offers dual BIOS with OC and Silent options
• Has a higher boost clock than most alternative RTX 4060 variants
• Has arguably the most premium build quality for an RTX 4060 variant on our list

Cons

• Priced at a $50 premium over the base RTX 4060 SKUs it competes with

The Gigabyte AORUS ELITE GeForce RTX 4060 8G is an excellent, albeit expensive take on an RTX 4060 GPU as it looks to bring the premium AORUS ELITE badge to Nvidia’s midrange GPU offering. It does so at a price tag that is less questionable than ASUS’s ROG Strix while offering decent boost clocks, excellent build quality, dual BIOS, and dual HDMI ports in tow.

With dust, moisture, and corruption-resistant PCB, an extended 4-year warranty, and an overhauled design including better MOSFETs and capacitors, the Gigabyte AORUS ELITE GeForce RTX 4060 8G has users covered in many ways to justify its $50 premium over the competition. It sits firmly between entry-level RTX 4060 and RTX 4060TI SKUs in terms of pricing, making it a somewhat difficult investment to make in 2023.

FAQ:

Q: Is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 better than the AMD RX 7600?

A: In terms of raw performance, Nvidia’s offering wins more often than it loses to AMD’s RX 7600 SKU. AMD does however have a $30 price edge in addition to an excellent Starfield offer, making the RX 7600 an excellent alternative to consider at the sub-$300 price point.

Q: What is the fastest RTX 4060 Variant Currently Available?

A: ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4060 8GB OC Edition is the fastest RTX 4060 SKU out of the box thanks to its high boost clocks, excellent build quality, and ability to push higher than most of its competition when tweaked.