Nvidia RTX 4060: Specs, Price, Release Date and More In-Depth Analysis

As the successor to Nvidia‘s incredibly popular RTX 3060 graphics card, anticipation is high for the upcoming RTX 4060 GPU targeted at the mid-range market. With the RTX 40 series launch rumored for September/October 2022, enthusiasts are eager for details on the formidable 4060.

In this guide, we’ll break down everything that‘s been leaked and rumored so far about the RTX 4060’s release date, pricing, specifications, and performance expectations compared to previous generation 60-class GPUs.

RTX 4060 Overview – What is the 4060 Positioned to Offer?

The RTX 4060 figures to deliver substantial generational improvements in raw graphics and ray tracing horsepower over its predecessor at a mainstream price point. Early leaks point to 50% or better performance gains on both traditional and ray traced workloads.

While not as extreme as the enthusiast-class offerings higher up the product stack, the 4060 aims to deliver close to flagship-level power efficientcy to gamers, creators, and productivity users given its expected sub-$500 pricing.

Let’s analyze what we know so far about the specs, pricing, and launch targets for this much-anticipated GPU.

Expected RTX 4060 Release Date

Though rumors originally pointed to a late 2022 launch, increasing indications suggest the 4060 will hit retail channels in early 2023 based on shifting strategic and market factors for Nvidia.

The key influences likely impacting Nvidia‘s launch decision-making include:

• Oversupply of Current Gen GPUs – The crypto market crash left Nvidia and partners with an abundance of3000 series card inventory to sell through
• Delay of RTX 4080 12GB – Nvidia canceled this model likely due to expected cannibalization of 4060 sales
• Reported RTX 40 Series Production Cuts – Up to 50% lower wafer starts reported for early 2023

While no launch window has been publicly confirmed yet, the most credible rumors indicate an RTX 4060 unveil could now land in March 2023 rather than late 2022.

Of course, predictions remain fluid and subject to change given the tumultuous state of the GPU market presently. But early 2023 looks increasingly probable.

Expected RTX 4060 Price – How Much Will the 4060 Cost?

Without official word from Nvidia, RTX 4060 pricing remains speculative for now. However, the last few generations of 60-class GPU launch MSRPs provide a baseline:

Adjusting for roughly 20% yearly inflation gives us a ballpark $380 to $430 estimate for 4060 pricing. Of course, actual retail costs depend heavily on market conditions this generation faces including:

• Lingering crypto boom/bust ramifications
• Supply chain constraints
• Competitive positioning versus AMD

Given excessive scalper markups seen on previous gen launches, it’s reasonable to expect real-world pricing to exceed estimated base MSRP levels at launch. But historical context provides our best available clue on 4060 cost expectations as we await official confirmation.

Leaked RTX 4060 Specifications – Chip, Cores and Memory Configuration

Credits: @harukaze5719 via Twitter

While full details remain unconfirmed by Nvidia, the RTX 4060 specs have been widely leaked by reliable sources like @harukaze5719 with solid track records.

Here’s an overview of rumored core hardware specs:

Comparing these details against Nvidia‘s previous 60-class offerings shows some notable generational improvements poised to drive performance gains:

If the leaked specs hold true, the 4060 clearly represents a healthy performance bump over Ampere. Let‘s analyze the expected real-world gaming and creation workload upticks.

Rumored RTX 4060 Performance Estimates

Credits: @harukaze5719 via Twitter

With GPU specifications only telling part of the story, how might the 4060 actually perform compared to previous generations? Early leaks pointed to huge gains:

• Up to 2x performance over RTX 3060 in traditional rendering
• 50 to 80% gains over RTX 3060 in ray tracing workloads
• Nearly 3080-level raw power with DLSS 3 enabled

Multiple leaked benchmarks have supported these projections. And AMD‘s next-generation RDNA3 architecture expected to compete directly with Lovelace also hints at a major graphics horsepower leap this generation.

Exactly how these performance estimates hold up depends on final clock speeds, thermal and power headroom, and software-level optimization. But on paper, a nearly doubling of traditional rasterization and DXR throughput would make the RTX 4060 a formidable 1080p and 1440p gaming solution for modern AAA titles with all the visual settings cranked up.

Creative workloads like video editing, 3D modeling/animation, game dev, and code compiling should also see major acceleration to boost prosumer productivity. This level of speed starts bringing flagship-class power to cost-conscious mainstream PC builders.

Concerns Around RTX 4060 Power Limits and Thermals

If leaked RTX 4060 specs prove accurate, the 230W TDP represents a 35% generation-over-generation increase over the RTX 3060—already one of the highest power draws among 60-class releases.

Higher TDPs enable substantial performance upside but also generate more heat and require beefier cooling solutions. Most 4060 models from Nvidia partners will surely exceed 250+ watts in real-world usage, especially with any manual overclocking.

This escalating power curve follows the trend of modern high-end GPUs but may catch some off guard given the 4060’s mainstream market targeting. Even with just a single 8-pin connector suggested so far, adequate case airflow will be more critical than ever for this generation of graphics cards.

Savvy PC builders may want to budget in additional cooling upgrades when planning a 4060 build. Controlled thermals maximize both performance sustainability and hardware longevity even in mid-range rigs nowadays.

RTX 4060 – A Value Standout for Gaming and Creation?

If rumors and leaks ring true, the RTX 4060 stands primed to deliver approximately 50% or higher performance gains over the still extremely capable last-gen RTX 3060.

Factoring in specs like:

• 4608 CUDA cores
• 12GB of speedy GDDR6X memory
• 230W power target and advanced Ada Lovelace architecture

And targeting a mainstream sub-$500 price point, the 4060 could become the new gold standard for high-refresh 1080p gaming while taming 1440p as well.

Of course, leaks should be taken lightly until independent testing and Nvidia confirmation. But on paper, this level of performance at estimated pricing seems disruptive to the competitive mid-range GPU segment—an area largely ceded to AMD in recent years.

The 4060 won‘t dethrone enthusiast models nearly doubling its cost. But for gaming and creating at high settings rather than ultra, this card may hit a special balance of bleeding-edge power in an accessible package following a few generations of untenable graphics card pricing and availability squeezing mainstream buyers most of all.

For analysis and benchmarks on additional Lovelace models check our RTX 4080 comparison and RTX 4090 deep dive next.