These are what we know about NVIDIA’s upcoming GPUs, which are coming soon.
The RTX 4090 and 4080 GPUs, which Nvidia claims are its biggest generation leap ever, have already been released. Most people are looking forward to the RTX 4070 and RTX 4060, which sell for $1,199 and $1,199, respectively.
Rumors, leaks, and speculation are swirling around the two RTX 4070 and RTX 4060 GPUs, due out in Q2 and Q3 of 2023. What’s their performance like compared to their predecessors? Are the RTX 4070 and RTX 4060 going to cost you? Are they worth it? Let’s look at what we know about the RTX 4070 and RTX 4060 from NVIDIA.
1. Release date, price, and availability of the RTX 4070 and 4060.
The RTX 4070 will be on shelves around April 2023, according to a leak seen by VideoCardz. By mid-May 2023, we should see both the RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 cards released. They won’t be available at the same time, though. Still, the RTX 4060 Ti might launch first.
Only two days before its launch, the RTX 4070 Ti was announced. Thus, NVIDIA probably sticks to a similar launch-to-announcement schedule. In a couple of months, both cards should be out. Our expectation is that the RTX 4070 will be just under $500, similar to the launch prices for RTX 3070 and RTX 3060. So around $350 to $400 for the RTX 4060.
2. Specifications for the RTX 4070 and 4060.
It’s Nvidia’s next-generation Ada architecture that powers the Nvidia RTX 4070 and RTX 4060, so expect some serious specs. GPU cores for the RTX 4070 are expected to be AD104-250/251. A 21Gbps 192-bit bus could support a card with 5,888 CUDA cores with 12GB of GDDR6X VRAM. There’s a rumor that the card can boost up to 2,475MHz. You can expect about 30 TFLOPs. With a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, there’s also a more powerful L2 cache of 36MB.
A GPU core called AD106-350-A1 will power the RTX 4060. Basically, 3,840 CUDA cores and 8GB of GDDR6 memory running at 18Gbps over a 128-bit interface. With nearly 288GB/s and a 24MB L2 memory cache, you’re good to go.
I’d say 2,505MHz and 2,640MHz should be the base and boost speeds. It’s probably going to be 20 TFLOPs. RTX 4060 Ti will also launch before RTX 4060, as mentioned above. Using that logic, you’d end up with a GPU with 4352 CUDA cores. 8GB GDDR6 VRAM running at 18Gbps on a 128-bit bus should have a base and boost clock of 2100 and 2600 MHz, respectively.
A RTX 4060 Ti and RTX 4060 are just 2 TFLOPs apart in computer power. On paper, these GPUs look very similar, but the RTX 4060 will use the AD106 core to its full potential, which means better performance in practice.
3. Power requirements for RTX 4070 and RTX 4060.
A new PCIe Gen5 12V HPWR connector will be used by both the RTX 4070 and RTX 4060 as part of NVIDIA’s standardization efforts. Their brand-new cards aren’t particularly power hogs either, consuming roughly 20% less power than their predecessors at 200W and 160W. According to some leaks, the RTX 4060 might also demand 200W.
As long as you have enough power headroom, old PSUs will work fine with your shiny newly purchased RTX GPU. It’s preferred to use a PSU that’s 750W or higher. Because of Ada’s architecture, these cards are faster and more efficient than their more powerful siblings.
4. Performance comparison between RTX 4070 and RTX 4060.
It seems like the RTX 4070 is going to be a direct competitor to the RTX 3080 Ti. This card did better than its predecessor, the RTX 3070, scoring 10,000 in Time Spy Extreme, a jump of 30% over its predecessor.
It’s expected to have a performance boost of around 20% compared to the RTX 3060, so it could compete with the RTX 3070 and RTX 3060 Ti. In spite of that, it’s still no big deal since the card actually runs on less power and costs the same as the higher-end 40-series cards.
5. Software support for RTX 4070 and RTX 4060.
In addition to getting all the software benefits of the next generation, the RTX 4070 and RTX 4060 will get all the upgraded features too. Both cards will have DLSS 3, NVIDIA Reflex, Encoder, Broadcast, and Studio.
NVIDIA’s creative tools that these GPUs will support will be hugely beneficial to creative professionals, even though DLSS and Reflex are mostly gaming-minded. Both GPUs have this in common, so they’re perfect for gamers, photographers, filmmakers, digital artists, and anyone who needs to crush visual workloads.
DLSS 3 and AI frame generation, coupled with lower latency and better responsiveness, should give the GPUs a performance boost beyond the raw hardware specs. Don’t forget about NVIDIA’s wonderful drivers.
Is it time to upgrade your GPU?
The RTX 4070 and RTX 4060 are probably pretty reasonable options if you’ve been putting off updating your GPU because of the eye-watering prices. It’s worth upgrading if you’re upgrading other components too, especially if they offer superior performance.
Having said that, the RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 will still be a big upgrade if you have the money. This is the GPU for you if you want maximum performance.
