Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 8GB With 128-Bit Memory Bus Appears

Manli
(Image credit: Manli)

Manli has introduced the industry's first Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card with only 8GB of memory. The new board has the same compute performance as fully-fledged GeForce RTX 3060 12GB product, but it cuts down the memory capacity and bus width, which in turn reduces memory bandwidth. All of those changes should have a tangible effect on performance.

Manli's GeForce RTX 3060 8GB GDDR6 graphics card (via VideoCardz) presumably uses the same GA106 graphics processing unit as the 12GB card. It comes with 3584 CUDA cores with a 1777 MHz boost clock, the same clocks as the reference RTX 3060 12GB.

Unlike the typical GeForce RTX 3060 12GB board that features a 192-bit memory bus with 360 GB/s peak memory bandwidth, the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB only features a 128-bit memory interface. That likewise cuts the peak memory by 33%, down to just 240 GB/s. In cases where memory bandwidth matters, the new board will end up being significantly slower than the existing GeForce RTX 3060 with 12GB of GDDR6 memory.

(Image credit: Manli)

Other than the narrower memory bus, the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB has the same specs as the 12GB card. It comes with a 170W TBP (Total Board Power) rating, a dual-slot cooling system, and four display outputs (three DisplayPort 1.4, one HDMI 2.0).

Neither Manli nor Nvidia have given an MSRP on the new RTX 3060 8GB model, though since it should land between the GeForce RTX 3050 8GB ($249) and GeForce RTX 3060 12GB ($329), it will likely be priced accordingly. We expect other graphics card vendors will follow Manli shortly with their own variants of the RTX 3060 8GB.

The impetus behind the card appears to be a desire to offer something between the rather anemic GeForce RTX 3050 and the existing RTX 3060 12GB. The 3050 gets pummeled by AMD's RX 6600 as well as Intel's Arc A750, both in price as well as performance. However, while trimming the memory capacity may reduce the price relative to the 12GB card, it will also drop performance.

Our best guess is that Nvidia probably has loads of GA106 graphics processors, some of which may not have three fully functional 64-bit GDDR6 controllers but which still have nearly all of the potential 30 Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs) available. This looks like a way to try and bump up the price relative to the 3050 while providing a modest boost to performance.

Nvidia's goal will be to use any and all opportunities to sell off as many Ampere GPUs as it can in the next several months in a bid to clear the road for its next-generation GPUs based on the Ada Lovelace architecture. We can't help but think it would find more success if it cut prices, rather than trying to fill the gap between the existing 3050 8GB and 3060 12GB cards.

Anton Shilov
Contributing Writer

Anton Shilov is a contributing writer at Tom’s Hardware. Over the past couple of decades, he has covered everything from CPUs and GPUs to supercomputers and from modern process technologies and latest fab tools to high-tech industry trends.

  • DRagor
    Neither Manli nor Nvidia have given an MSRP on the new RTX 3060 8GB model, though since it should land between the GeForce RTX 3050 8GB ($249) and GeForce RTX 3060 12GB ($329), it will likely be priced accordingly.
    My bet? It won't be priced accordingly.
    Reply
  • Devoteicon
    Jeez, another variant? Confuse people more, nvida.
    Reply
  • Roland Of Gilead
    Devoteicon said:
    Jeez, another variant? Confuse people more, nvida.
    Yup, now with GDDR6x versions, 8/12gb flavours, along with Non TI/TI/Titan.....uggghhhh!

    There's just no need for this crap!

    This kinda segmentation is really annoying. Same with Intel and their CPU's. Too many. AMD not as bad, but still can be -
    Reply
  • helper800
    Definitely a muddying of the waters so uninformed buyers buy something they didn't know they didn't want until its too late. This is the exact reason Nvidia got the scorn and ire it deserved over the two models of "4080," whatever that even means at this point. Now here we are with a "3060" that is going to be performing as more of a 3050 at much closer to 3060 prices...
    Reply
  • peachpuff
    How long before this is unlaunched?
    Reply
  • Sluggotg
    Maybe Nvidia will release a New Stripped down version of the RIVA 128...
    Reply
  • thisisaname
    When I first saw this I assumed it was something to do with the other new 3060 with GDDR6X memory and using 21Gbps would largely (would need to be 22.5Gbps to be equal) keep the same bandwidth.
    Sadly I was wrong.
    Reply
  • King_V
    And, fantastic. Is this going to just add to the confusion of the 6GB version that's based off the mobile 3060, but built into a desktop card?

    Though, admittedly, I don't know if that version was ever something Nvidia officially put out there.
    Reply
  • -Fran-
    Is this what the 3050 should've been from the start? xD

    Regards.
    Reply
  • helper800
    -Fran- said:
    Is this what the 3050 should've been from the start? xD

    Regards.
    This is a 3050 ti disguised as a 3060 to make people think they found an actual 3060 for a "deal."
    Reply