A Redditor has shared details and images, charting their work in creating an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Mini ITX Founders Edition (FE). Nvidia never released such a card, so this project was based upon previous 'mini FE edits', and Clashmains_2-account's dreams. In the subreddit, the plucky individual says that they bought a compact RTX 3060 and a 3D printer to make their wishes come true.
Sometimes it is easy to be disappointed when a company doesn't make a product that fits in with your wishes or expectations. It is harder to do something about it, and thus we applaud Clashmains_2-account for investing their time, money and energy in what looks like a great attempt to realize this card that never was.
The main ingredient of the home-made GeForce RTX 3060 FE was a Gainward GeForce RTX 3060 Pegasus. This made a great starting point as Clashmains_2-account wanted their finished FE card to be an ITX design. As sold, the Pegasus is just 170mm in length. To get started the Redditor says that they copied the physical dimensions of the Pegasus PCB and heatsink, and designed around that constant.
Another change that Clashmains_2-account was inspired to implement was swapping out the Gainward fan for more compact model, fitting within the FE design ethic - to have a fan that doesn't encroach on the clean edged shroud. A 92mm Noctua fan was chosen for the task, and though it looks smaller than the model it replaced, Noctua has a great reputation for quiet and high performance spinners.
Many will probably agree that this Nvidia Founder Edition inspired GeForce RTX 3060 Mini ITX model looks very cool, though the Redditor humbly highlights some "rough spots" in their 3D printer output. It was, after all, their "first 3D print project." If you hit the source link, you will see several helpful Redditors discussing print filament materials that would better fit this kind of product, and discussions about improving fit and finish. The print was created in PLA, a plastic which hasn't the greatest resilience to high temperatures, it become malleable at around 60 - 80 degrees Celsius. The project creator is clear when they say that this is not a functional piece, rather more of a test. They also state that future builds will be printed in ABS or PETG.
The GeForce RTX 3060 is getting a bit long in the tooth now, so has dropped out of our Best Graphics Cards for Gaming in 2023. Perhaps some enthusiastic PC DIYers will be inspired to Mini ITX FE redesign something like the newer GeForce RTX 4060. For this, or your other inspired 3D printing projects, take a look through our recently updated Best 3D Printers 2023 feature for recommendations across a variety of price points.
