Should You Buy nVidia RTX 4060 for Stable Diffusion? AI Gaming?
TLDRNvidia's new RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti GPUs are scrutinized for their suitability in AI and gaming. The video discusses Nvidia's strategic decisions to optimize these mid-range GPUs for gaming, particularly through DLSS 3, while potentially limiting their AI capabilities due to reduced VRAM and bandwidth. Despite boasting increased L2 cache and AI performance, the 4060 series may not be the best for generative AI tasks like Stable Diffusion. Instead, the RTX 3060 with 12GB of VRAM is recommended for those seeking a balance between AI and gaming performance, offering better value for money.
Takeaways
- 🚀 Nvidia recently released information about the RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti, aiming to address their suitability for AI and gaming.
- 🤔 There are concerns about whether these new GPUs are actually better for gaming compared to the previous generation, specifically the 3060 and 3060 Ti.
- 💡 Nvidia's strategy seems to be focusing on optimizing GPUs for specific uses they deem important, such as AI and gaming, with restrictions on compute capabilities for GeForce cards.
- 🔑 The RTX A5000, similar to the RTX 3080, allows for more extensive use in servers and streaming, unlike the GeForce cards which have limitations.
- 🌟 Nvidia is pushing the new GPUs as being good for 'AI gaming' through a feature called DLSS, which uses AI to generate frames and improve performance.
- 📈 DLSS 3, the latest version, is exclusive to the 4000 series GPUs and claims to render up to 8 frames using AI, potentially boosting gaming performance.
- 🔍 The RTX 4060 has more L2 cache but less VRAM and a slower memory bus compared to the RTX 3060, which could impact AI performance and tasks like running Stable Diffusion.
- 📉 Interestingly, the 4060 and 4060 Ti have fewer CUDA cores than their predecessors, which might affect their overall performance.
- 💰 For those looking for an entry-level GPU for AI, the RTX 3060 with 12GB of VRAM is suggested as a better value, offering more VRAM and potentially better performance for AI tasks.
- 🛍️ Current market prices on platforms like eBay show that the RTX 3060 12GB cards are available in a reasonable price range, making them a cost-effective choice.
- 🎮 For users also interested in gaming, the RTX 3060 or 3060 Ti might still offer a good balance between gaming and AI capabilities, despite the new 4060 series.
Q & A
What new information did Nvidia release about the RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti?
-Nvidia released more details about the RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti, focusing on whether these GPUs are suitable for generative AI and gaming, and how they compare to the previous generation of GPUs, specifically the 3060 and 3060 Ti.
What is Nvidia's strategy with the new mid to entry-level GPUs built on the four nanometer process?
-Nvidia's strategy is to create a new generation of mid to entry-level GPUs built on the four nanometer process, which they have been working on for a long time. This is aimed at optimizing AI performance across their GPUs, which is where most of their profit is coming from.
What is the significance of the DLSS feature in AI gaming?
-DLSS, or Deep Learning Super Sampling, is a feature that uses AI to predictively generate new frames based on the geometry and effects of past frames. It can significantly increase a system's performance by mitigating the workload that would have been handled in traditional Ray tracing or path tracing.
How does the RTX 4060 compare to the RTX 3060 in terms of performance?
-The RTX 4060 has slightly more performance than the RTX 3060, with 15 teraflops compared to 13 in shaders, 35 teraflops in RT cores compared to 25, and almost double the tensor cores with 242 teraflops compared to 102.
What trade-off has Nvidia made with the RTX 4060 regarding VRAM and memory bus?
-Nvidia has increased the L2 cache on the RTX 4060 but reduced the amount of VRAM and slowed down the bandwidth between the GPU and VRAM. The memory bus is only 128 bit compared to 256 bit in the RTX 3060.
Why might the RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti not be as good for AI as one might expect?
-Despite having more L2 cache and potentially being more power efficient due to the four nanometer process, the reduced VRAM and slower memory bus bandwidth make the RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti less suitable for AI tasks that require fast data transfer to VRAM.
What alternative GPUs are suggested for running Stable Diffusion locally?
-The RTX 3060 with 12 gigabytes of VRAM and the RTX 2060 are suggested as alternatives for running Stable Diffusion locally, as they offer a good balance between performance and cost.
What is the current market price for the RTX 3060 12 GB on platforms like eBay?
-As of July 3rd, the RTX 3060 12 GB cards are going for anywhere between the low 200s to the mid-250 range on eBay, reflecting the current market value.
What are the considerations when purchasing used GPUs that may have been used for mining?
-When purchasing used GPUs, it's important to consider the brand and the potential for wear from mining activities. EVGA or Asus cards are recommended, while Gigabyte cards might be best avoided.
What is the conclusion about the RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti in terms of their suitability for AI and gaming?
-The conclusion is that the RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti may not be as suitable for AI tasks due to their hardware limitations, but they are optimized for gaming with features like DLSS. The RTX 3060 with 12 GB of VRAM is suggested as a better option for AI tasks and offers a good gaming experience as well.
Outlines
🚀 Nvidia's New GPUs: Gaming vs. AI Capabilities
The video script discusses the recent release of Nvidia's RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti GPUs, questioning their suitability for large language models (LLMs) and generative AI compared to the previous generation GPUs, the 3060 and 3060 Ti. Nvidia's strategic decisions are analyzed, focusing on their intent to optimize GPUs for specific uses they deem profitable, such as AI, while possibly limiting their utility for gaming and other purposes. The script also hints at Nvidia's past attempts to restrict the use of GeForce cards for compute tasks, suggesting a similar strategy may be at play with the new GPUs. The introduction of DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) 3, an AI-driven frame generation technology exclusive to the 4000 series, is highlighted as a key feature aimed at enhancing gaming performance by reducing the workload of traditional rendering methods.
🔍 Comparing GPU Specifications and Performance for AI
This paragraph delves into the technical specifications of the RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti, comparing them with the RTX 3060 and 3060 Ti. It points out that while the new GPUs have increased L2 cache and tensor core performance, which theoretically benefits AI tasks, they also have reduced VRAM and a narrower memory bus, which could negatively impact performance in AI and gaming. The script suggests that the new GPUs may not offer significant performance gains for AI applications and even have fewer CUDA cores than their predecessors. It also provides alternative recommendations for GPUs suitable for running AI applications like Stable Diffusion, such as the 12GB RTX 3060 and RTX 2060, which are considered good value for money based on current market prices.
🛒 Market Analysis and GPU Recommendations
The final paragraph provides a market analysis based on sold listings on eBay as of July 3rd, reflecting the current prices for the RTX 3060 with 12GB of VRAM, which are found to be a good value for those looking to get into generative AI. The script emphasizes the importance of VRAM and GPU-to-VRAM communication speed for AI tasks and suggests that the RTX 3060 offers a better balance of performance and cost. It also touches on the potential of using AI upscaling tools to enhance image quality generated by these GPUs. The paragraph concludes by inviting viewers to share their thoughts on the new GPUs and Nvidia's strategy, and to look forward to an upcoming video on the RTX 4090 Ti.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡nVidia RTX 4060
💡Stable Diffusion
💡AI Gaming
💡DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling)
💡L2 Cache
💡VRAM (Video Random Access Memory)
💡Cuda Cores
💡RTX 3060
💡eBay
💡ESRGAN
Highlights
Nvidia has released more information about the RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti, raising questions about their suitability for LLMs and generative AI.
Comparisons between the new RTX 4060 series and the previous 3060 series suggest strategic decisions by Nvidia for specific use cases.
Nvidia's new mid-range GPUs are built on the 4-nanometer process, a significant technological advancement.
The RTX 4060 series includes DLSS 3, an AI feature that predicts and generates new frames for improved gaming performance.
DLSS 3 is exclusive to the 4000 series GPUs and claims to render up to 7-8 frames using AI, enhancing system performance.
The RTX 4060 has increased L2 cache but reduced VRAM and slower memory bus, impacting AI capabilities.
The trade-off in the RTX 4060 series includes more tensor cores for AI performance but less VRAM for handling large data loads.
Nvidia may be optimizing new GPUs for gaming while limiting their use for AI to focus on high-profit areas.
The RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti have fewer CUDA cores than their predecessors, affecting their overall performance.
For those looking to run Stable Diffusion locally, the 12GB RTX 3060 is recommended for its balance of price and performance.
The RTX 2060, though a generation older, offers a cost-effective option for AI image generation tasks.
The RTX 3060 with 12GB of RAM is considered the best value for money for AI and gaming purposes.
Current market prices for used RTX 3060 GPUs on eBay indicate good value, with buyer protection available.
EVGA and Asus are recommended GPU brands, with Gigabyte being less favored due to potential mining use.
For generative AI tasks, the RTX 3060 offers a cost-effective solution compared to cloud-based GPU rentals.
Upscaling AI-generated images with tools like ESRGAN is still feasible on the RTX 2060 and 3060.
The RTX 4060 series may be less suitable for LLM and AI tasks due to hardware limitations despite gaming optimizations.
Nvidia's strategy seems to prioritize gaming and AI profits over the versatility of their GPUs for all users.