Farewell, RTX 3060: The End of an Era for a Gaming Favorite

Despite the formal retirement of the RTX 30 series graphics cards, new RTX 3060 units are still being sold on the market. However, according to industry insiders, their stockpiles are nearly depleted. Board Channels indicates that inventories are dwindling, and December is anticipated to be the last month to purchase a new RTX 3060.

Though chip production ceased some time ago, the remaining stocks were held directly by graphics card manufacturers. Companies like Asus, MSI, Colorful, and Galax had already sold out by September and October. Zotac held the largest reserves, but nearly all were depleted by November. Currently, only remnants are available in the market.

Interestingly, despite its age, the RTX 3060 still ranks highly on Steam hardware statistics. As of now, it holds the second position, surpassed only by the RTX 4060 Laptop. Users admire the card not only for its decent performance in its class but also for its 12 GB of memory compared to the 8 GB of RTX 4060 and even RTX 5060, though this additional memory doesn’t always translate to superior performance over newer generations.

As the stock depletes, enthusiasts and gamers alike express mixed feelings. A prominent reviewer mentioned, “The RTX 3060 remains a beloved choice due to its exceptional value for performance, even as newer models emerge.” This sentiment is echoed across gamer forums, where many still debate whether to grab the last of the RTX 3060 or wait for emerging tech like the RTX 50 series, expected to roll out more widely in 2026.