Historically, we waved goodbye to the previous generation when new graphics cards roll around. The Nvidia RTX 3000 series is a bit of an anomaly in that regard, as supply is still in full force. While you might think it’s about time to draw the curtain, it looks like RTX 3060 isn’t going anywhere any time soon and could instead get a little cheaper.
Board Channels confirms (via ITHome, translation by Videocardz) that RTX 3060 supply is already secured for the first quarter of next year. There’s a chance it could disappear thereafter, but that’ll squarely depend on AIB interest and remaining stock. It’s an interesting insight, considering we expect the RTX 5000 line-up to appear in late 2024 or the beginning of 2025.
In the meantime, Nvidia is working with partners to lower the prices of its current offerings. The brand wants the RTX 3060 12GB models below 2,000 RMB ($282), while it currently sits around $290. Team Green introduced a cheaper 8GB model in 2022, but there’s no word on what this might eventually cost if price cuts take hold.
Partners have already heeded the sage advice of the tech company, with Onda being the first to cut costs. The company introduced a new dual-slot model in China (pictured above), pricing the GPU below recommendation at 1,899 RMB.
It seems Nvidia still has more RTX 3000 chips than it knows what to do with. The entire reason two generations continue to be marketed simultaneously stems from the 2020-21 chip demand. Nvidia over-committed to its partnership with TSMC right around the time the cryptocurrency bubble burst and second-hand graphics cards flooded the market. With no backsies, Nvidia is obligated to sell both concurrently.
Naturally, it’s difficult to pin blame on the current costs of GPUs on any one factor. Wars, international tech embargoes, and general inflation all have a part to play. Still, squeezing two generations side-by-side and making both attractive options probably doesn’t help matters. Hopefully, cheaper RTX 3060s will have a domino effect on the rest of Nvidia’s line-up.
