UK retailer Scan.co.uk (opens in new tab) has listed (after which rapidly delisted) a brand new funds Nvidia GPU, but it surely sadly is not the RTX 4060 we’ve been ready for see. No, it’s a brand new model of the already-excellent RTX 3060 Ti – now outfitted with upgraded GDDR6X VRAM.

For reference, the unique RTX 3060 Ti had 8GB of typical GDDR6; the ‘X’ variant of the reminiscence is actually simply sooner and extra environment friendly with a bit extra energy draw general. It’s additionally reportedly cheaper on the manufacturing backend, which could clarify why Nvidia has put this card into manufacturing now.

We’ll be ready for Nvidia’s extra reasonably priced RTX 4000 playing cards till subsequent 12 months on the earliest, but it surely’s been identified for a short while that Staff Inexperienced has been engaged on not less than three RTX 3000-series GPUs to maintain issues ticking over. Given the ludicrous value of the RTX 4090, it’s not fully shocking.

Evaluation: A stop-gap effort from Nvidia to stay related within the funds area?

It really seems to be as if the GPU was initially leaked on Nvidia’s personal web site, with a hyperlink to order (however no checkout possibility) on Scan. Each websites now present no hint of the leak. Earlier than being eliminated, the worth was listed at £369 ($399, AU$699) – the unique UK RRP of the 3060 Ti.

In any case, we’ll doubtless see this card really hit the market fairly quickly. Whether or not or not it’s a viable decide with an RTX 4060 doubtlessly on the way in which is a distinct matter; for those who’re on the lookout for a strong 1080p gaming GPU, it’s not a foul alternative. The brand new GDDR6X reminiscence doubtless gained’t make an enormous distinction in most video games, although – a bump to 12GB of VRAM would’ve made a much bigger distinction.

It’s good to see Nvidia hasn’t deserted the funds gaming house fully, if nothing else. With Intel’s new Arc GPUs touchdown this week and AMD providing some severe competitors on the extra reasonably priced finish of the market, Nvidia actually must maintain tempo if it doesn’t plan to launch cheaper Lovelace graphics playing cards anytime quickly.

There’s a bit entice to keep away from falling into right here; with Black Friday and Cyber Monday rapidly approaching, it’s nearly sure that we’ll see some RTX 3060 Ti reductions. The 3060 Ti is a superb alternative of GPU for 1080p gaming, however keep in mind that these gross sales will doubtless solely function the older GDDR6 fashions. For those who’re searching for a graphics card deal within the coming weeks, make sure you test the specs.