On December 2, Nvidia launched their newest GeForce RTX 30-Series graphics card, the RTX 3060 Ti, and it sold out almost instantly on multiple retailers’ websites.

According to PCMag, Newegg.com began selling the RTX 3060 Ti units at 6 a.m. PST and sold out by 6:05 a.m. — a mere 5 minutes later. BestBuy.com listed the RTX 3060 Ti for purchase around 7:30 a.m. and had a minimal, regionally available supply. Meanwhile, Amazon.com hasn’t even listed the RTX 3060 Ti for sale as of December 7.

But why are these mid-range video cards selling out so quickly? 

The RTX 3060 Ti outperforms its predecessor, the RTX 2080 Super, and costs a little over half of the price. The RTX 2080 Super will set you back $699, while Nvidia’s newest graphics card, RTX 3060 Ti, only costs $399.

Core Components Comparison — RTX 3060 Ti vs. RTX 2080 Super

Nvidia has done it again — another budget graphics card outperforming its more expensive predecessor. Let’s have a look at the specifications:


RTX 3060 Ti vs. RTX 2080 Super

As you can see, the RTX 3060 Ti outperforms its seven hundred dollar predecessor in core count, boost speed, and compact chip size. The 8-nanometer manufacturing process automatically fits the smaller RTX 3060 Ti with speed and efficiency benefits over a larger (12-nanometer) chip.

There is no doubt the 3060 Ti will continue to match or outperform its larger, more expensive antecedent as more retailers perform benchmark tests.

How much better is the RTX 3060 Ti?

According to benchmarks performed by TechSpot, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti showed an average frame rate of 114 frames per second (FPS) with 1440p resolution (at high-quality settings), with a minimum of 92 FPS.

While the specs alone should impress, this benchmark places the $399 RTX 3060 Ti almost precisely between the $799 RTX 2080 Super (107/87 FPS) and the $1,199 RTX 2080 Ti (125/101 FPS). Talk about more bang for your buck!

Should AMD Be Worried?

As we’ve confirmed, the $399 price tag will have other graphics card manufacturers worried. AMD’s latest Radeon RX 6800’s $549 price tag, may be too expensive to compete with Nvidia’s card, which offers similar (if not better) performance at $150 less.

That would make the RTX 3060 Ti one of the best budget mainstream graphics cards with ray tracing and 1440p resolution with max setting enabled.

However, with AMD’s impressive Big Navi, the rivalry is tighter than ever between the company and Nvidia’s Ampere architecture — a race that will have lasting benefits to the gaming world. Which do you prefer? Nvidia or AMD?

Components necessary for building a gaming PC are getting more and more cost-effective. With AMD going head to head with Nvidia, can we expect some stiff competition from AMD graphics cards soon?

The Practicality of Prebuilt PCs

Although graphics cards seem to be dropping in price, the unpredictability of component pricing makes going with a prebuilt PC more practical than building one of your own. A custom-built gaming PC will cost you at least $100 more than just buying a prebuilt model, not to mention the troubleshooting and time it will cost you to build and maintain. 

Unless you’re an avid gamer who knows each component’s value and how to get them at the right price, your best option is buying or renting a prebuilt gaming PC.


COMMON GAMING DESKTOPS AND BRANDS WE RENT

 

The value of a prebuilt gaming PC rental is far-reaching. The novelty doesn’t stop at the price; when you rent (or buy) a gaming PC, you get:

  • A system you can use right away. Delivered and ready for gaming tournaments.
  • Hardware tech support and warranty allows you to ask for help and have access to (at least) a 1-year warranty for your entire system and all of its components. Most rental agreements allow for an extra unit, just in case anything goes wrong.
  • Peripherals included. — Many gamers forget to factor the costs of a keyboard and mouse into their build, not to mention installing Windows 10.
  • A convenient PC — No worrying about part compatibilities: when building your own PC, you have to consider whether the CPU is compatible with the motherboard, whether your power supply supplies the right amount of electricity, and make sure your fan is powerful enough to cool the system down. Even the slightest miscalculation could blow your unit to a crisp.
  • A bypass to troubleshooting codes. When you receive error codes on a custom-built PC, you must first identify the problem to start the repair. Without broad experience in repairing computers, this could get complicated and frustrating. And if you rented your pre-built PC, you’ll have access to tech support from your rental provider.

For those who are into gaming but don’t want to deal with all of the hassles of building and maintaining a custom-built PC, getting a prebuilt gaming PC today would be a smart investment. With the variety of gaming PCs available to rent or buy, it should be easy to find the right gaming computer for your preferred budget.

Prebuilt gaming PC rentals are often cost-effective solutions for gaming tournaments, STEM camps, medical imaging practices, video production and editing, graphic design, and anywhere else you only need the power of a gaming PC temporarily. If we’re talking about saving money, there is no better option than a gaming desktop PC rental.