What is Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060?
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 is a desktop graphics card positioned as an entry-level offering within Nvidia's Ada Lovelace generation. Its primary function is to deliver smooth gaming performance at 1080p resolution and to offer a credible, if more variable, experience at 1440p, particularly when using its headline feature, DLSS 3 Frame Generation.
It is designed to replace the previous-generation RTX 3060, offering a new architecture, improved efficiency, and access to the latest suite of Nvidia technologies including enhanced ray tracing and AI-powered upscaling. The card is designed and developed by Nvidia, an American technology company renowned as a leader in graphics processing units and artificial intelligence computing.
The actual graphics cards are manufactured and sold by Nvidia's board partners (such as ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, and Zotac) as well as in a Founders Edition model directly from Nvidia. Design, cooling solutions, clock speeds, and pricing can vary between different manufacturers, though all are based on the same core GPU silicon from Nvidia.
Who is Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 best for?
The RTX 4060 is best suited for a specific segment of PC gamers and builders who prioritise efficiency and modern features over raw rasterisation performance gains. It is not a powerhouse for maxed-out settings in the latest AAA titles at high resolutions, but rather a focused tool for a particular use case.
In our view, it will appeal most to those building or upgrading a modest system where power draw and feature set are key considerations.
- 1080p Gamers Seeking High Frame Rates: Users who game on a 1080p monitor and want to achieve high refresh rates (e.g., 144Hz) in competitive and well-optimised titles, especially with DLSS 3 enabled in supported games.
- Upgraders from Older GPUs: Those moving from cards like the GTX 1060, GTX 1660, or even an RTX 2060, who will appreciate the significant leap in performance, efficiency, and access to modern ray tracing and upscaling.
- Small Form Factor (SFF) Builders: Due to its generally modest power consumption and the availability of compact dual-fan models, it is a compelling option for building in cases with limited space and cooling capacity.
- Budget-Conscious Creators with Specific Needs: Casual content creators who can benefit from the NVENC encoder for streaming or light video editing, but for whom a more expensive workstation card is unnecessary.
Key features
DLSS 3 (Deep Learning Super Sampling 3)
DLSS 3 is Nvidia's latest AI-powered upscaling and frame generation technology. It uses dedicated hardware on the GPU (Optical Flow Accelerator) to analyse sequential game frames and generate entirely new frames, inserting them between the traditionally rendered ones.
This can dramatically increase perceived frame rates, often doubling them, in supported games, making higher resolution or detail settings more accessible.
Ada Lovelace Architecture
This is the underlying design of the RTX 40-series GPUs. It brings improved performance-per-watt compared to the previous Ampere generation. Key changes include larger L2 cache (24MB on the RTX 4060, up from 3MB on the RTX 3060) which helps reduce memory bandwidth demands, and third-generation RT Cores for faster ray tracing calculations.
AV1 Encoding
The RTX 4060 includes a dual AV1 encoder, a modern, royalty-free video compression standard. For streamers and content creators, this means higher quality video streams at the same bitrate, or equivalent quality at a lower bitrate, compared to older standards like H.264, when using software that supports AV1 encoding.
Nvidia Reflex
This is a suite of technologies aimed at reducing system latency (the delay between a mouse click and the action appearing on screen). It is particularly valuable for competitive gamers. When a game supports it, Reflex can synchronise the GPU and CPU more efficiently, minimising render queue delays and providing a more responsive feel.
8GB GDDR6 Memory on a 128-bit Bus
This specification defines the card's video memory (VRAM) capacity and how it connects to the GPU. The 8GB capacity is sufficient for 1080p gaming today but can become a limiting factor at 1440p with high-resolution textures in newer games.
The 128-bit memory bus is narrower than its predecessor's, but Nvidia compensates with the larger L2 cache to manage data efficiently.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 pricing
The RTX 4060 launched with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of £289 / $299. However, real-world pricing from board partners typically starts slightly higher, often in the region of £300-£330 in the UK. Unlike higher-end models, significant price inflation above MSRP is less common.
The value proposition of the RTX 4060 is contentious. In our view, its value is intrinsically tied to the utility of DLSS 3 Frame Generation.
When comparing raw, traditional rasterisation performance to its direct predecessor, the RTX 3060 12GB, and competitors like AMD's Radeon RX 7600, the performance gain is often marginal, sometimes in the 10-20% range. This makes the generational leap feel modest if DLSS 3 is not a factor.
However, in games that support DLSS 3, the frame rate gains can be transformative, effectively creating a two-tier performance profile. Therefore, its value is good for a user who plays many DLSS 3-supported titles and prioritises features and efficiency, but questionable for a user who plays older or unsupported games and wants the maximum traditional performance for their budget.
| Consideration | With DLSS 3 | Without DLSS 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance gain vs. RTX 3060 | Transformative, often doubling frame rates | Marginal, typically 10-20% |
| Value proposition | Good for supported titles | Questionable for older or unsupported games |
What we like
- DLSS 3 Frame Generation provides a massive and often impactful performance boost in supported titles, making high frame rates at 1440p achievable.
- Exceptional power efficiency with a typical board power of just 115W, making it easy to cool and suitable for older or smaller power supplies.
- Strong feature set for the price, including the excellent AV1 encoder and continued support for Nvidia's broader ecosystem like Broadcast and Studio drivers.
- Performs very well in 1080p gaming, delivering high and consistent frame rates in the vast majority of modern titles.
- The increased L2 cache effectively mitigates potential bottlenecks from the narrower memory bus in many gaming scenarios.
What could be better
- The 8GB of VRAM feels limiting for a new card in 2024, especially for 1440p gaming with high-resolution textures, where it can lead to performance stutters in some demanding games.
- Raw rasterisation performance improvement over the previous-generation RTX 3060 is underwhelming without DLSS 3, making the generational leap feel smaller than some users might expect.
- The PCIe interface operates at x8 lanes instead of x16, which can marginally impact performance on older systems with PCIe 3.0 motherboards.
- DLSS 3, its killer feature, requires game-by-game implementation and is not available in all titles, making performance more inconsistent across a user's library.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 verdict
The RTX 4060 is a good card, but its recommendation comes with clearer caveats than some of its predecessors. Its value hinges on DLSS 3 support.
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 is a graphics card defined by its context and its killer feature. In our view, it is not a traditional, straightforward performance upgrade over its predecessor. Instead, it is a more specialised product that bets heavily on the transformative potential of DLSS 3 Frame Generation.
For 1080p gaming, it is a highly competent, extremely efficient card that will deliver an excellent experience for years to come. Its low power draw and heat output also make it a standout choice for small form factor builds or upgrades in systems with limited power headroom.
However, its value and appeal diminish significantly if DLSS 3 is not a central part of your gaming diet. The 8GB VRAM buffer is a tangible concern for future-proofing at 1440p, and the raw performance gains are modest.
Therefore, we recommend the RTX 4060 primarily to two groups: first, 1080p gamers who want access to the latest Nvidia features and exceptional efficiency; and second, gamers who are confident that a large portion of their playtime will be in DLSS 3-supported titles, where the card punches well above its weight class.
Who should look elsewhere? Gamers who play mostly older titles, competitive esports games that already run at very high frame rates, or who want to max out settings at 1440p without relying on upscaling should consider alternatives. In this price bracket, it is essential to also evaluate AMD's offerings, like the Radeon RX 7600, which may offer better pure rasterisation performance, or to look at the used market for previous-generation cards with more VRAM.
