Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti review: the typical performance upgrade spectrum

Our final three rasterised games are all corkers: Metro Exodus, Dirt Rally 2.0 and Assassin's Creed Unity.

In order to deliver precise results, our performance data is more than just a readout of an average frame-rate at the end of a test. Instead, we use the FCAT tool built into Rivatuner Statistics Server (RTSS), which overlays a coloured border to the left side of the screen. Each new frame is represented by another coloured box in the sequence - and its height signifies the time it took to generate. We capture a direct feed of the game footage and border from the graphics card we're testing, analysing the resultant video file with our own tools to essentially write down the frame-time for each frame. This metadata is then uploaded to the Eurogamer website and then rendered by the server into the live performance widgets you see below, allowing us to pick and choose the comparisons you'll find most interesting or helpful - and give you the power to make your own choices too.

Metro Exodus

Metro Exodus is another game with a great standalone benchmark, although it was a bit bugged on launch, delaying its adoption by the tech press. Regardless, we see the 3060 Ti and 2080 Super performing nigh-identically, while the 3070 holds a 32 per cent advantage over the new Nvidia card. We need to drop down to 1440p to hold a steady 60fps throughout the bench, again suggesting that the 3060 Ti is more suited to this intermediate resolution - although again DLSS is an untapped option to boost frame-rates at the expense of some visual clarity.

Dirt Rally 2.0

Dirt Rally 2.0 is a tricky, flicky kind of game, and the benchmark is much the same. The 2080 Super holds a small advantage over the 3060 Ti here, to the tune of 1fps at 4K - so not much in it at all. I'd want to drop the graphical settings a bit to guarantee a smooth experience - these corners can be killer and some might say that the 8x MSAA specified in the settings is extreme overkill - but this is still a decent result for a card of this class. Against the RTX 3070, the 3060 Ti only manages around 80 per cent of the 4K frame-rate - not great when you're paying around 84 per cent of the 3070's price. There are still big gains against Pascal cards that were sold at a similar price-point, though the increase up against GTX 1080 Ti isn't quite as pronounced as in other titles.

Assassin's Creed Unity

Assassin's Creed Unity is perhaps best remembered for its silly bugs, especially on console, but the PC version of the game - and the game running on Xbox Series X - is a genuine technical achievement. After watching this benchmark sequence for years I dipped into it again, and I've got to say it looks pretty good in motion - at least for a 2014 release. The 3060 Ti is a good GPU to play ACU on too, with the card pulling out a seven per cent lead over the 2080 Super to comfortably eclipse 65fps. We also see one of the largest margins between the 3060 Ti and the RX 5700 XT, with the new Nvidia card defeating the 5700 XT by 47 per cent. You'll also note some big, big gains over GTX 1080 Ti, which scale aggressively as resolution increases.

That brings our analysis of traditional rasterised games to a close, but now it's time to check out RT performance. Ampere's second-generation RT cores have proven capable in our previous 30-series tests, so we expect to see an even greater margin between the 3060 Ti and last-gen cards like the 2080 Super.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Analysis

• Introduction, Hardware and Power Analysis
• Doom Eternal, Control, Borderlands 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider - Game Benchmarks Part 1
• Death Stranding, Far Cry 5, Hitman 2, Assassin's Creed Odyssey - Game Benchmarks Part 2
• Metro Exodus, Dirt Rally 2, Assassin's Creed Unity - Game Benchmarks Part 3 [This Page]
• Control, Metro Exodus, Battlefield 5 - RTX Game Benchmarks
• Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti - the Digital Foundry verdict