The refreshed SKUs can be found on the Asus website, carrying the same number of CUDA cores and boost clocks as the original TUF OC and non-OC variants. The difference lies in the performance of the new graphics double data rate 6X (GDDR6X) memory, which increases memory speeds from 14Gbps to 19Gbps and memory bandwidth from 448GB/s to 608GB/s. Power connection requirements for the new cards also appear to have increased, changing from the original 1x8-pin connector to a 2x8-pin connector configuration.
GDDR6 was introduced with the release of Nvidia’s RTX 2080 Ti, 2080, 2070, 2060, and 1660 Ti. The updated memory, GDDR6X, made its first appearance with the release of the RTX 3080 and 3090 models in September 2020. GDDR6X offers an increase in per-pin bandwidth as well as upwards of a 15% reduction in overall power draw. However, the decrease in power draw is often overshadowed by the VRAM’s need for power to support the increased speeds. The added performance of GDDR6X represents a 36% increase in overall memory bandwidth for the new 3060 Ti SKUs. While no gaming or productivity benchmarks have leaked yet, an earlier report from Videocardz points to an increase of more than 1000 to 2000 points in the 3DMark Time Spy and Fire Strike benchmarks when compared to the original GDDR6 models. Two more RTX 3000 cards, the RTX 3060 8GB (GA106 128bit 8GD6) and GDDR6X-equipped RTX 3070 Ti (GA102 256bit 8GD6X) were also mentioned in the refresh rumors. Even though there has been no formal announcement, the accuracy of the 3060 Ti leak leads some to believe that the 3060 and 3070 Ti refresh release may not be far behind. But as the RTX 4080 “unlaunch” showed us, leaks and announcements mean nothing until a product is actually available and in hand.
