A GeForce RTX 3060 unlike any other has just hit the market: it’s compact, limited to 75 W, and lacks any external power connectors.
The GeForce RTX 3060 is no longer a complete unknown. Launched in 2021, NVIDIA’s graphics card typically draws far more power than the 75 W that a PCI Express port can directly supply. The new variant discovered in China therefore tackles the problem from the opposite angle: it retains the Ampere GPU and its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, but drastically reduces its power draw. The result is a particularly compact card, in a single-slot, low-profile design, that requires no additional power cables. Measuring approximately 174 mm in length, it can fit into particularly cramped setups, such as certain professional PCs or compact machines whose cases and power supplies cannot accommodate a conventional graphics card.
A GeForce RTX 3060 card with truly very, very compact dimensions. © VideoCardz
On paper, the idea is quite appealing. The PCIe connector is sufficient to power the entire card, which greatly simplifies installation. No 6- or 8-pin cables to route, no additional power supply required: theoretically, all you have to do is insert the card into its slot. This is a particularly interesting feature for small machines that have a PCIe slot but lack a sufficiently powerful power supply. To achieve this, however, the GPU had to be significantly throttled. The original RTX 3060 has a TDP of 170 W and operates at much higher clock speeds. This 75 W version therefore relies on a major overhaul of its power limits. In particular, the GPU is forced to operate at clock speeds far below those originally intended (maximum 1.32 GHz), which transforms a relatively high-performance RTX 3060 into a much more modest component.
The downside of its compact design: only two ports (DP 1.4 and HDMI 2.1) are available. © VideoCardz
The 3DMark Time Spy benchmark is particularly revealing. The compact RTX 3060 scores around 4,821 points, whereas a standard RTX 3060 can exceed 9,000 points under the same conditions. Part of the GPU’s potential therefore remains untapped, sacrificed to stay within the power limit imposed by the PCIe port. It’s worth noting that this level of performance places this miniature RTX 3060 roughly on par with a GeForce GTX 1060, which is, however, significantly bulkier. The cooling system used ( a blower-style fan) may also be an issue: it doesn’t seem sufficient to cool a GPU that exceeds 90°C at the hotspot. So, don’t mistake this very unique RTX 3060 for something it isn’t, but with that in mind, it can still offer a product with an appealing level of compactness. It remains to be seen whether the initial price announcements (nearly $500?!) hold true. We shouldn’t let ourselves be taken for fools, either.
