Now that Nvidia has finally launched the RTX 4070, we can begin to prepare our bank accounts for the next GPU in the lineup: the RTX 4060 Ti. In the past, Nvidia would always launch the standard version of a GPU first, then follow it up with a Ti version later. For Ada Lovelace, it's doing the opposite. The logic seems to be the TI cards are more expensive than non-Ti versions, so it can make more money doing it this way by getting impatient gamers to upgrade. Regardless, as we await the 4060 Ti's arrival, we have some early specs regarding its clock speeds and VRAM allocation, though the latter might change.
The latest specs for the first midrange RTX 40-series GPU come from a reliable source. The Twitter account T4CFantasy is the admin for Techpowerup's popular GPU analysis tool GPU-Z. They get access to new cards added to the software's database for support in upcoming versions. Through a pair of tweets, they've reported on the first RTX 4060 Ti to be spotted in the wild, the Colorful iGame RTX 4060 Ti Ultra W OC. This GPU will reportedly pack a meager 8GB of VRAM, along with a maximum boost clock of 2,580MHz. That's 45MHz higher than the default, as it's an OC version of the GPU, so just 2% higher than stock.
Tweet (opens in a new tab)
The 8GB of VRAM might be a sticking point for many users, though, as well as the 128-bit memory bus. As we reported, in the past few months, 8GB GPUs have struggled to keep up with the latest ray tracing titles. Chief among them is Nvidia's new Overdrive mode for Cyberpunk 2077, which brings incredibly demanding path tracing to the game and runs at just 16fps on an RTX 4090 at 4K without any upscaling or AI assistance. The RTX 4070, which has 12GB of VRAM, was declared DOA by many at launch due to its VRAM allotment, so we doubt an 8GB GPU for a rumored $449 will go over well with gamers.
Still, there is room for the add-in board (AIB) partners to increase RAM. Although the reference version will feature 8GB, partners can introduce models with more memory after the launch, according to Techpowerup. Since it includes 8GB of VRAM, it'll be relegated to 1080p duty for its lifetime, which isn't necessarily bad. The Steam Hardware Survey shows x60 cards taking the top three spots currently with the RTX 3060, RTX 2060, and GTX 1060, and the latter two have just 6GB of memory. Of course, we all know Nvidia did create a 12GB RTX 3060, too, which will surely happen with the RTX 4060 Ti.
As for the GPU, it's rumored to be a dual-slot, 160W card with an AD106 die inside sporting 4,352 CUDA cores. Its biggest drawback will be its 128-bit memory bus, a downgrade from the 256-bit and 192-bit buses in the 3060/Ti series. This lack of memory bandwidth is the nail in the coffin for ray tracing, relegating these GPUs to older titles that use rasterization. However, since they offer DLSS 3 and frame generation, they might have a chance on newer titles, but we'll need to wait for benchmarks. The GPU is expected to arrive sometime in May.