what/llm/can/i/run
compare/rtx-3080-12gb vs rtx-3060-12gb

RTX 3080 12GBvsRTX 3060 12GB

RTX 3080 12GB still wins for value.RTX 3060 12GB has +0 GB VRAM, -61% more bandwidth.

Side by side

Contender · winner
RTX 3080 12GB
NVIDIA · Ampere · sm_86
Street$549
vram
12 GB
bandwidth
912 GB/s
tdp
350 W
released
2022-01-11
vs
Contender
RTX 3060 12GB
NVIDIA · Ampere · sm_86
Street$280
vram
12 GB
bandwidth
360 GB/s
tdp
170 W
released
2021-02-25

Spec diff

specrtx-3080-12gbrtx-3060-12gbdelta
vram12 GB12 GB+0 GB · 0%
bandwidth912 GB/s360 GB/s-552 · -61%
tdp350 W170 W+-180 W
street price$549$280$269 · -49%
arch maturity2022-01-112021-02-25newer = less stable

What changes with the upgrade

▸ Unlocked by RTX 3060 12GB0 models
No additional models unlocked.
▸ Speed deltas on shared modelstop 5
Gemma 2 2b19477 t/s -60%
Gemma 3 4B10240 t/s -61%
Meta Llama 3.1 8B10240 t/s -61%
Gemma 2 9B9236 t/s -61%
Gemma 3 12B9236 t/s -61%

Value verdict

▸ Should you buy/upgrade?

RTX 3060 12GB adds 0 GB VRAM for the same price. The real question is whether your workflow needs models that RTX 3080 12GBcan't run.

$ recommend → If you own a RTX 3080 12GB: wait. Prices drop, refresh cycles continue. If buying new: get the RTX 3060 12GB IF your budget allows AND you need the extra headroom.