Nvidia is Reportedly Discontinuing One of Its Most-Popular RTX GPUs

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Nvidia is Reportedly Discontinuing One of Its Most-Popular RTX GPUs

Highlights

  • RTX 3060 GPUs are reportedly going to be discontinued.
  • Final orders for the RTX 3060 could include both 8 GB and 12 GB variants.
  • It is unclear if other RTX 30 series GPUs will be discontinued.

As a long-time tech enthusiast and avid gamer, this news about the potential discontinuation of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 has left me both nostalgic and apprehensive. The RTX 3060 has been a reliable workhorse for many gamers like myself, offering an impressive balance between price and performance. Its 12 GB GDDR6 memory was a game-changer, making it a favorite among budget-conscious gamers.

It appears that the widely used Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics processing unit (GPU) might be phased out, based on reports sent to Nvidia’s board partners. These reports hint that Nvidia could be transitioning away entirely from its entry-level offerings in the RTX 30 series, as we move closer to the possible announcement of the next-generation RTX 50 series.

Introduced in February 2021, the RTX 3060 GPU emerged as Nvidia’s entry-level choice for PC gaming enthusiasts seeking a RTX 30 series GPU for their desktop build. Surprisingly, this lower-tier GPU boasted 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, which was 4 GB more than its supposedly more powerful counterparts, the RTX 3070 and 3070 Ti. The support for DLSS and other Nvidia technologies also made the RTX 3060 an attractive choice for budget-conscious gamers. Notably, the RTX 3060 has become one of the most popular GPUs ever in the Steam hardware survey, with a higher usage percentage compared to its predecessors, the GTX 1060 and RTX 2060, at approximately 5.9%.

According to posts on Board Channels and Videocardz.com, partners such as Colorful and Palit have been informed by Nvidia that they will be accepting their final orders for the RTX 3060 graphics cards. This suggests that the production of the RTX 3060 will end, meaning new RTX 3060 GPUs won’t be available for purchase at retail stores after these orders are filled. However, it’s important to note that these last orders might not be fulfilled immediately, and could take months per partner, so there may still be RTX 3060 stock available until as late as 2025 – potentially even after the anticipated release of Nvidia’s RTX 50 series GPUs.

Nvidia Informs Board Partners of Final RTX 3060 Orders Before It’s Discontinued

  • Colorful, Palit, and other board partners were informed to make their final supply orders for the RTX 3060.
  • Supply batches for the RTX 3060 will be fulfilled over the course of a few months, but market impact effects may take several months.

It’s unclear whether Nvidia plans to stop producing both versions of the RTX 3060 (8 GB and 12 GB) as they haven’t given a definite answer. However, it seems that their final production orders will include both models. As for other RTX 30 series GPUs like the RTX 3080, Nvidia has not yet disclosed whether they will be discontinued in the coming months or not.

Based on whispers and assumptions, it’s being suggested that Nvidia might unveil its upcoming RTX 50 series GPUs at CES 2025, though the company has yet to make an official announcement. If these rumors hold true, we could see a variety of Nvidia products spanning from the entry-level RTX 5050 to the high-end RTX 5090. The RTX 50 series GPUs are said to come equipped with GDDR7 video memory, boasting up to 32 GB on the RTX 5090. Additionally, it’s expected that new gaming laptops featuring the RTX 50 series GPUs will hit the market sometime around early 2025.

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2024-08-06 01:53