NVIDIA
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB GDDR6 GPU Gaming Graphics Video Card
Bottom line: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB GDDR6 GPU Gaming Graphics Video Card is a specs-and-price decision rather than a crowd-consensus one in the graphics cards category. Check the specification table below against one or two close alternatives — on price and spec fit, not on star ratings.
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Before you buy
- Confirm socket / form-factor / power-rating compatibility against your build before ordering
- Used and vintage listings vary by seller and condition — check the listing photos, description and return terms before buying
Manufacturer description
The GeForce RTX 3060 12GB GDDR6 GPU Gaming Graphics Video Card by Geforce is a high-performance unit designed for gaming enthusiasts. With a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 chipset, 12GB of GDDR6 memory, and DirectX 12 Ultimate API support, it offers smooth and immersive gaming experiences. The card features HDMI connectors and is compatible with PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots, making it a versatile choice for a wide range of gaming setups. With a sleek design and powerful performance, this graphics card is a top choice for gamers looking to upgrade their systems.
SpecPicks Verdict
SpecPicks scored NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB GDDR6 GPU Gaming Graphics Video Card using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to our editorial and benchmark analysis across the graphics cards category. NVIDIA's graphics cards lineup sits within the broader category mid-tier; price and specs are the deciding factors over brand loyalty here. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.
Common buyer scenarios for graphics cards of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.
Full Specifications
| vram_gb | 12 |
|---|---|
| memory_type | GDDR6 |
Performance Data
View gaming FPS, AI inference throughput, and synthetic scores for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB — the core hardware component in this product. Benchmarks sourced from TechPowerUp, PassMark, and the r/LocalLLaMA community.
Which local LLMs fit in 12 GB?
12 GB holds models up to about 14B at Q4 with a usable context window; above that band the weights spill to system RAM and system-RAM bandwidth sets the speed, not the GPU.
- ✅ 7–9B models (Llama 3.1 8B, Qwen 3 8B) — fits at Q4
- ✅ 12–14B models (Qwen 3 14B, Phi-4) — fits at Q4
- ❌ 20–27B models (Gemma 3 27B, Mistral Small) — needs 20 GB+
- ❌ 30–35B models (Qwen 3 32B, QwQ 32B) — needs 24 GB+
- ❌ 70B models (Llama 3.3 70B, Qwen 2.5 72B) — needs 48 GB+
Across 40 community runs from 21 sources, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB generates a median 59.5 tok/s on 7–9B models at Q4 (per Hardware Corner).
Ready to buy?
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