Nvidia's RTX 3060, which used to be one of the best graphics cards, is finally set to be discontinued after three years of longevity, according to a post on the Chinese tech forum Bobantang, also called Board Channels. The RTX 3060 was first released in February 2021 and has since become the #1 most popular graphics card on the Steam Hardware Survey.
Citing "accurate information," a Bobantang forum admin alleges that Nvidia has announced the end of the RTX 3060's manufacturing and notified its add-in card partners to place their final orders for the GPU. Nvidia's standard operation policy will see the final RTX 3060 orders sent out in batches to partners over the next few months.
If the rumor is true, there will be a few months of wait before the RTX 3060 leaves shelves for good, as graphics card vendors will have a few months before receiving their final cards. We advise readers not to take the Board Channels forum post at face value. However, the website has had accurate information before—it is the same site that predicted the discontinuation of the RTX 3060 Ti in May 2023.
The discontinuation of the RTX 3060 will mark the end of an impressive GPU run. As of the July 2024 Steam Hardware Survey results, the RTX 3060 is the most popular GPU across all surveyed devices with Steam installed, holding a 5.71% market share in its desktop variant. It is a nearly 2% lead over the second-place GPU and also ignores the 9th-place finish of its laptop variant.
The RTX 3060 became one of our favorite GPUs once its price cooled down. In the heat of crypto-mining, GPU shortages initially sent prices through the roof, but the 3060 soon became an incredible value choice. Its original 12GB and later 8GB SKUs both became a hit with consumers, with the card seeing refreshes during its lifespan that boosted its VRAM speeds.
Today, we would advise prospective GPU buyers to skip the RTX 3060's farewell tour and choose the RTX 4060 instead. Our pick for the best budget Nvidia GPU, the 4060, can be bought for the same price as the 3060, with better performance and newer features. Still, even if the RTX 3060 has been outclassed in its lifetime, it represents an impressive run for a GPU, and its inevitable exodus from shelves will be a sad day for many.
