ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Graphics Card Review Overkill in Every Aspect

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 review embargoes lifted yesterday with the general consensus from reviewers being that the GeForce RTX 4060 is a value purchase for those looking to get a taste of DLSS and AI accelerated features but is unfortunately undercut by the secondhand market and previous-generation graphics cards such as the RTX 3060 Ti and RX 6700 XT. Today, the embargo for non-MSRP or OC models for the RTX 4060 lifts so if you’re looking for an RTX 4060 you might take interest in the ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC GPU that we have here. Let’s see if the ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC’s above MSRP pricing offers something significant to the user.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 is the successor to the RTX 3060 graphics card with a lower launch price of only $299 compared to the latter’s $329 MSRP. Compared to the RTX 3060, Nvidia claims a 20% performance improvement on rasterized titles with up to a 1.7x increase with Nvidia Frame Generation. The extra performance uplift also comes with a much lower TGP of only 115W — 55W and 50W lower than the RTX 3060 and RX 7600, respectively.

Nvidia RTX 40 Series Specifications

RTX 40 SERIES SPECS RTX 4090 RTX 4080 RTX 4070 Ti RTX 4070 RTX 4060 Ti RTX 4060
Cores 16,384 9,728 7,680 5,888 4,352 3,072
Tensor Cores 512 304 240 184 136 96
RT Cores 128 76 60 46 34 24
Boost Clock (GHz) 2.52 2.51 2.61 2.47 2.53 2.46
Base Clock (GHz) 2.23 2.21 2.31 1.92 2.31 1,83
Memory Config 24GB GDDR6X 16GB GDDR6X 12GB GDDR6X 12GB GDDR6X 8GB/16GB GDDR6 8GB GDDR6
Memory Interface 384-bit 256-bit 192-bit 192-bit 128-bit 128-bit
Graphics Power 450W 320W 285W 200W 160W 115W
Min Required PSU 850W 750W 700W 650W 550W 550W
Price Php 112,300 Php 84,200 Php 63,200 Php 40,590 Php 27,530 Php 20,630

Compared to the rest of the RTX 40 series family, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 shares the same 128-bit memory configuration with its bigger brother, the RTX 4060 Ti. It’s also the lowest-clocked speed card among the family with only a 1,830 MHz base and 2,460 MHz boost. Moreover, it’s currently the cheapest graphics card that supports the latest Ada-Lovelace architecture features such as DLSS 3 and Frame Generation. Compared to the RTX 4060 Ti, the RTX 4060 has about 30% fewer cores and power draw but it’s also cheaper by 25%.

ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Closer Look

Coming from the RTX 30 series, ASUS ROG uses a new packaging design for its ROG Strix RTX 40 series graphics cards. The front design features the two-tone slash or separation which started off on ROG Gaming laptops followed by a large cutout of the new ROG Strix GPU shroud design. The back shows off the highlights of the new cooler design.

ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Review 13
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Review 13

Considering that we’ve reviewed the ASUS Dual and TUF GPUs in the form of the RTX 4070 and RTX 4080s, I find the contents of the ROG Strix 4060 OC lacking especially considering that the ROG Strix line is the brand’s highest tier. But then again, the 4060 is a value-tier GPU class so ASUS might’ve omitted some items found on higher-tier RTX 40 series cards.

The packaging contents of the ROG Strix RTX 4060:

  • ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC GPU
  • ROG Velcro Strap
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Thank you card
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Review 18
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Review 18

The new design on the RTX 40 series ROG Strix graphics card feels too complicated and un-ROG-like as I personally prefer the ROG Strix design of the RTX 30 series graphics card. The overall boxy design design is a nice choice but the cooling shroud colors of silver blue and red make it feel too cluttered and appear larger.

Going into the specs of the cooler, you have improved axial-tech fans with dual ball fan bearings for better durability. The fans feature a 0dB fan technology where the fans only start to spin once the temperatures are over 50°C. Moreover, the two side fans spin counterclockwise while the center spins clockwise to minimize turbulence and maximize air dispersion through the large heatsink.

ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Review 51
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Review 51

The protective backplate not only acts for passive cooling but also helps in durability minimizing GPU sagging which is extremely helpful given the large size of the GPU measuring 311.4 x 133.5 x 61.9mm.

ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Review 23
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Review 23

ASUS slapped in a large cooler on the RTX 4060 which some may consider overkill given that the GPU only has a 115W TGP. However, ASUS actually toned it down a little with a less dense heatsink and a slightly smaller form factor of only 3.1 slots compared to the 3.5 slot cooler on the ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC. The side of the GPU features a slightly exposed design for airflow to pass through.

ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Review 45
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Review 45

ASUS went for the extra mile to decorate every side of the GPU with a cage-like design on the end of the graphics card. The ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC also has two 4-pin PWM fan headers so that the case fans that blow air directly to the GPU can be controlled by the card itself.

The 8pin PCIE connector can be found on the right side of the GPU and Asus has equipped it with a Power Sensing sensor that constantly monitors input power coming from the PSU. There’s also an LED light that lights up to indicate voltage regulation issues and cable connection problems.

ASUS ROG Strix graphics cards including the ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC have a dual-BIOS switch located beside the 8-pin PCI-E connector. The connector is set to Performance Mode by default which is also the mode we benchmarked the card in this review.

The ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC definitely lands as one of the largest graphics cards, most especially when you compare it to other RTX 4060 series GPUs. So you must keep in mind case compatibility if you’re looking to purchase the ROG Strix RTX 4060.

ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Review 55
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Review 55

ASUS includes the standard video output configuration: one HDMI 2.1a port and three DisplayPort 1.4a ports. There are on the IO bracket to provide airflow.

Benchmark Setup and Test Methodology

Gadget Pilipinas’ testing philosophy is to provide detail-oriented results as accurately as possible so that our readers can replicate our tests given that these conditions are met. Different benchmarking apps and sequences are used depending on the tested component or device.

CPU Intel Core i9 13900K
COOLER ASUS ROG RYUJIN II 360mm V2 – Noctua NT-H2 Thermal Paste
MOTHERBOARD ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming
MEMORY Kingston Fury Beast RGB 32GB(2x16GB) 6000 MHz DDR5
GPUs Nvidia RTX 4090 FE | Inno3D RTX 4090 | RTX 4080 FE | ASUS TUF RTX 4080 | RTX 4070 FE | RTX 4060 Ti FE | Inno3D RTX 4060 536.2 driver | AMD RX 7600
STORAGE Kingston KC3000 1TB PCI-E Gen 4 SSD
POWER SUPPLY FSP HYDRO GT PRO 1000W Gold ATX 3.0
OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 11 Pro Build 22H2

We use CapFrameX 1.7.1 as our primary FPS capture and analysis tool for all our gaming benchmarks. The latest build version of Windows 11 Pro and WHQL-certified drivers are used for our benchmarks. Readings such as temperatures and power draws are recorded using HWINFO64, and other relevant software for cross-checking.

ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Benchmarks

COUNTER-STRIKE: GLOBAL OFFENSIVE

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive aka CSGO is an 11-year-old first-person shooter title that’s still widely popular despite its old Source Engine. CS:GO is a great game to test out CPU performance as the game is heavily CPU-dependent like any other FPS title. Our CS:GO benchmark process uses ULLETICAL’s FPS Benchmark workshop mod to measure the hardware’s performance.

Marvel’s Spider-man: Miles Morales

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony is one of the most popular PC port titles last 2022. It’s one of the few modern game titles that support upscaling technologies FSR, DLSS, and XeSS making it a great title to use for benchmarks.

CALL OF DUTY MODERN WARFARE

The latest installment in the Call of Duty franchise is a sequel to the much-loved Modern Warfare game that launched in 2019. Call of Duty Modern Warfare II is one of the most demanding titles to date, pushing the latest hardware from Intel, AMD, and Nvidia. CODMW2 is one of the few games that comes with the DLSS feature without Ray Tracing.

Far Cry 6

FarCry 6 is an FPS game published by Ubisoft and uses the Dunia engine. It heavily relies on and takes advantage of DirectX 12 to render a realistic environment that makes it taxing to both the CPU and GPU. It’s also the first game of the franchise to support Ray Tracing.

Rainbow Six Siege

Rainbow Six Seige is one of the few popular AAA games that’s still popular in 2021 due to its competitive gameplay mechanics. R6S uses the AnvilNext game engine, which the game’s publisher, Ubisoft, developed. As of writing, Rainbow Six Siege is currently the most popular Tom Clancy title beating out Wildlands, Breakpoint, and even Division 2.

Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is arguably the most hyped game of 2020. Developed by CD Projekt Red, the dystopian open-world, action-adventure RPG sports is one of the most demanding titles to date. Cyberpunk 2077 also supports three Ray Tracing settings as well as DLSS which makes the game a great tool to measure Ray tracing performance for both AMD and Nvidia graphics cards.

Shadow of The Tomb Raider

Shadow of The Tomb Raider or SOTR is the latest installment of the Lara Croft Tomb Raider franchise. Developed by Square Enix, SOTR uses the Foundation engine and is further enhanced by Eidos Montreal. SOTR is also one of the first games to come out with Ray Tracing and DLSS support.

Metro Exodus

Metro Exodus is the third Metro game trilogy based on Dmitry Glukhovsky’s novels. The game is a first-person shooter with survival horror and stealth elements. The post-apocalyptic game uses 4A Engine by 4A games. Released last 2019, Metro Exodus remains to be one of the most graphically pleasing and demanding games that’s popular to date.

Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the latest Assassin’s Creed game from Ubisoft Montreal making it the twelfth major installment in the franchise. It uses the AnvilNext 2.0 game engine, an updated version of Rainbow Six Siege’s game engine, and uses the DirectX 12 API.

F1 22

F1 22 is the official video game of the 2022 Formula 1 and Formula 2 championships developed by Codemasters. F1 2022 is the fifteenth installment in the franchise and uses the Ego Engine 4.0. F1 22 is a good representation of racing games thanks to its realistic graphics and fairly demanding spec requirements as well as support for Ray Tracing and DLSS 3.

HORIZON ZERO DAWN

Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the most popular console-port RPG developed by Guerilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Horizon Zero Dawn is a multi-award-winning action RPG, and its popularity resulted in an exclusive Complete Edition game bundle on Steam.

ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Temps and Power Draw

ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Review ASUS ROG RTX 4060 Temps
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Review ASUS ROG RTX 4060 Temps

The overkill 3.1 slot triple-fan cooler on the ROG Strix RTX 4060 easily tames the 115W AD106 GPU as we recorded a peak 62.1°C easily making it the coolest graphics card in our test suite.

ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Review ASUS ROG RTX 4060 Power Draw
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Review ASUS ROG RTX 4060 Power Draw

The ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC draws a little bit more power than the MSRP Inno3D RTX 4060 Twin X2 by about ~4 watts. The slightly larger power draw can be attributed to the triple fan setup and ASUS Aurasync RGB lighting. It isn’t something to be worried about as the RTX 4060 itself is a low-powered card.

Performance Summary and Conclusion

ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Review PH ROG RTX 4060 Price Philippines
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC Review PH ROG RTX 4060 Price Philippines

The ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC easily trumps the reference RTX 4060 with performance gains of around 5 to 10 FPS in 1080p. There’s a much noticeable improvement as you scale up to higher resolutions as the extra 5 to 10 FPS gain over the MSRP RTX 4060 makes the difference between smooth and playable especially at 4K. This is thanks to the robust cooling which allows the card to sustain higher clock speeds which also results in more stable framerates as represented by our 1% FPS numbers in our benchmarks.

Of course, the extra average framerate, better framerate stability, and cooling come at a cost not to mention there’s the extra ROG premium tax on top of it.The ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC has a Philippine SRP of 26,210 which is 5,490 or about $100 higher than the RTX 4060’s MSRP making it slightly closer to the RTX 4060 Ti 8GB territory. The ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC is basically a no-compromise RTX 4060 thanks to the equipped overkill cooler. If anything, the obvious compromise is its bulky size and case compatibility but buyers of this GPU will have most likely taken it into account as they probably care more about getting the best performance and aesthetics. That said, if you don’t have a restricted budget then the ROG Strix RTX 4060 is one of the best if not the best RTX 4060 GPU in terms of performance and build quality. However, considering that the RTX 4060 is budget slash value tier GPU, I wouldn’t personally suggest biting the Php 5,490 premium as you can easily allocate the funds in getting a CPU cooler or faster RAM or CPU which will definitely provide more FPS versus going for the flagship ROG Strix variant of the RTX 4060.

So, if you’re aiming for the best in class RTX 4060 GPU available, the ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC tops the list with its superb performance, stable gameplay experience, and robust build quality that somewhat justifies premium price tag especially if you’re into the ROG ecoystem. Else, better save up the Php 5,490 extra and reinvest it in components that would yield more FPS or save up a bit more for an RTX 4060 Ti 8GB.


Source: Gadget Pilipinas

Post a Comment

0 Comments