We know that the RTX series from Nvidia are some of the most powerful GPUs, capable of running modern titles at high resolutions and frame rates. In our last article, we analyzed RTX 2060. Today, we will analyze the RTX 3060, a powerful GPU that delivers amazing performance at an appealing price point.
Don’t take my word for it. According to the Steam GPU survey in December 2022, 3060 is in sixth place (fifth place for laptops). One of the most popular questions among gamers is whether the RTX 3060 can handle 4K resolution.
After analyzing dozens of gaming tests, we came to the following conclusion:
The RTX 3060 can run many games at 4K resolution, with decent performance on medium settings. However, it may struggle to run some games at 4K resolution with high settings, high refresh rates, and specific demanding tasks such as ray tracing.
Next, we will explore the capabilities of the RTX 3060 when it comes to gaming and other high-intensive tasks at 4K resolution. Finally, we will examine the performance you can expect from this GPU in different games and what kind of settings you should use to achieve the best possible results.
With that being said, if you are a gamer looking to play the latest games at 4K resolution, this article will provide you with all the info you need to understand the quality of the RTX 3060 when it comes to the 4K gaming experience.
Let’s dive in.
Is RTX 3060 good for 4K gaming?
Here is the short and direct answer:
It is a powerful GPU that can handle 4K gaming to some extent, but it may struggle with some of the more demanding titles at that resolution. Therefore, running games at mid-high rather than ultra settings is best to achieve smooth FPS at 4K.
All around, the RTX 3060 is a great choice for 1440p gaming and can handle 4K gaming at lower settings. In addition, it is equipped with the latest RTX technology, including ray tracing and DLSS, which can enhance the visual quality of games.
But if you’re looking to play the latest and most demanding games at 4K resolution with the highest settings, you may consider a more powerful graphics card such as the RTX 3080 or the RTX 3090.
Now let’s see what the actual data say about it.
RTX 3060 4K gaming benchmarks
When I started researching this topic, Game-Debate was one of my first sources. Here are the results:
RTX 3060 4K Average FPS, Ultra Settings
| Game | Average FPS |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 29.8 |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 32.4 |
If we take a look at the performance of the RTX 3060 in these two games, we can see that the card is able to deliver a slightly higher frame rate in Red Dead Redemption 2, at 32.4 FPS, compared to 29.8 FPS in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. This summarizes a difference of 2.6 FPS or an 8.1% increase in performance.
On the other hand, Eurogamer provided interesting data on Shadow of the Tomb Raider in similar settings. The average FPS was 44.33, which is 50% more than the Game-Debates benchmark.
They also did a solid job of analyzing RTX 3060 4K gaming performance on Control, which averaged 27 FPS on high settings. Note that ray tracing and DLSS were disabled. Next, Borderlands 3, on the highest settings, was averaging 30 FPS at 4K.
Here are some more FPS at 4K:
| Game (Settings) | Average FPS |
| Death Standing (Highest) | 48 |
| Far Cry 5 (Ultra) | 49 |
| Hitman 2 (Ultra) | 45 |
| AC: Odyssey (Ultra) | 34 |
| Metro Exodus (Ultra) | 33 |
| Dirt Rally 2.0 (Ultra) | 36 |
| AC: Unity (Ultra) | 48 |
When comparing the data, we can see that 3060 can deliver a wide range of frame rates (33-50 FPS), with the highest frame rate of 49 FPS in Far Cry 5.
However, some games like AC: Odyssey and Metro Exodus may require more settings adjustments to achieve better performance.
Next, we came across the TomsHardware test. The average FPS for 3060 among 13 games played at 4K ultra settings is 42.4. As expected, 4K gaming at such high settings was a bit much for this GPU, at least if you were hoping to see FPS above 60. Note that some titles can get there if you drop the settings, but at their ultra settings, only two games produced a smooth gaming experience: Strange Brigade and Forza Horizon 4.
Other games came close to 60 and should be acceptable with a G-Sync monitor; however, several titles fought to remain over 30 fps, and both games with ray tracing enabled (without DLSS) plummeted down below 30.
Don’t worry. We have more 🙂
In the following analysis, a guy tested RTX 3060 4K on 14 games.
SPECS
◽️ Intel® Core™ i5-12400F Processor
◾️ MSI Ventus Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
◾️ RAM – 16GB DDR4 3600Mhz (2×8 dual channel)
◽️ OS – Windows 10 Pro
◽️ SSD – 1TB M.2 Kingston
◽️ HDD – 2TB External
◾️ Motherboard – ASRock B660M-HDV LGA1700
◾️ PSU – 550W 80+ Gold
RTX 3060 FPS, 4K
| Game (Settings) | FPS |
| God of War (Ultra) | 40 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 (High) | 40 |
| Elden Ring (Max) | 41 |
| Days Gone (Very High) | 36 |
| AC: Valhalla (Ultra High) | 30 |
| GTA V (Very High) | 70 |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 (Ultra) | 36 |
| Rainbow Six Siege (low FXAA) | 104 |
| Far Cry 6 (Ultra) | 36 |
| Fortnite (Low DLSS) | 112 |
| Forza Horizon 5 (Ultra) | 55 |
| Valorant (High) | 156 |
The lowest FPS is 30, from AC: Valhalla on Ultra High settings and the highest is 156, from Valorant.
Finally, I will end with the last analysis done by Testing Games.
Specs:
Windows 10 Pro
Intel i9 10900K 3.7GHz –
MSI MPG Z490 GAMING PLUS –
CPU Cooler Dark Rock Pro 4
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
GeForce RTX 3090 24GB
32Gb RAM DDR4 3800Mhz
SSD – 2xSAMSUNG 970 EVO M.2 2280 1TB
Power Supply CORSAIR RM850i 850W
Here are the results:
| Game (Settings) | Average FPS |
| Cyberpunk 2077 (High-Ultra) | 24 |
| Hitman 3(Max) | 62 |
| AC: Valhalla (Ultra High) | 39 |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 (Ultra) | 46 |
| Forza Horizon 4 (Ultra) | 96 |
| Battlefield V (Ultra) | 71 |
| Horizon Zero Dawn (Ultra) | 46 |
| PUBG(Ultra) | 66 |
| Mafia Definitive Edition (High) | 45 |
Looking at the numbers, we get the average FPS of 55, which is totally expected for 3060 at high-ultra settings.
Here are some 3060 user experiences
While doing my research, I found a few interesting users that shared their 4K gaming experiences on RTX 3060.
Here is the first one:
“I have a 3060 ASUS Phoenix, I play 4k at 80-110 FPS on ultra, and I barely get temperatures above 65.
*Results may differ*.”
Second one:
“I play 4K on ultra settings with my RTX 3060 combined with an i5 9400f, so it is capable. At 60+ frames per second.”
Third one:
“ Doom and Doom Eternal runs fine in 4K with all settings maxed up. The frame rate is often in the 60-90fps range but can occasionally fall below 60fps. I was advised that the Doom developers highly optimized their games and that other games might cause issues.
Personally, I am pleased with the RTX 3060. “
Fourth one:
“ I have an RTX3060 with a Ryzen 9 5950X and can achieve 68-100 FPS at Ultra quality.”
Another one:
“I’m using a RTX 3060 with a 165hz monitor, and it’s working fine. If you don’t want to spend too much money, this is a beast of a GPU.”
Final word
In conclusion, the RTX 3060 is a powerful GPU that can handle 4K resolution for modern titles, but the performance will differ depending on the specific game and the graphics settings you use. While it can run many games at 4K resolution with decent performance, some games and specific demanding in-game effects, such as ray tracing, may require lower settings.
I would also point out that GPU performance is not the only factor determining 4K gaming performance. Other hardware, such as CPU, memory, and cooling, also play a crucial role. Therefore, we would highly recommend having a balanced system that can handle the demanding nature of 4K resolution.
In general, the RTX 3060 is an excellent GPU for all of you who are looking for a balance between cost and performance and want to play in 4K.
It’s worth noting that as newer games are released and technology advances, hardware requirements may change, so it’s a fine idea to keep an eye on the performance of the RTX 3060 with the latest games and tasks and adjust settings or upgrade your hardware as required.