MSI RTX 3060 Ti Gaming X LHR review – the sweet spot

It seems that the GPU shortage is almost over and the gamers can finally get a new and up-to-date GPU. No matter how big is your budget, saving money is always a good idea and that’s why a video card like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti can be easily considered as a smart buy. This fella has the same memory capacity and bus width as its bigger siblings – RTX 3070 and RTX 3070 Ti. In addition, it’s not too far away from the performance levels of the GeForce RTX 3070 and if you want to squeeze a bit more performance out of it you can use DLSS to boost the FPS.

It’s almost clear that this GPU should perform great on 1080p but what will happen if you have a 1440p monitor or even a 4K one? That’s why we’re here to find if the 8GB VRAM could possibly be a bottleneck on higher resolutions, especially on 4K or if this GPU can be the ultimate sweet spot among the other Ampere video cards?  For this occasion, we got the MSI RTX 3060 Ti Gaming X LHR – this graphics card looks like a great allrounder – it’s not huge, it weighs 1 kilo, and its cooling should be sufficient to cool down the internals.

You can check the current price of MSI RTX 3060 Ti Gaming X LHR here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

Contents


Specs Sheet

 MSI RTX 3060 Ti Gaming X LHR
ArchitectureAmpere
GPU chipGA104
Shader units4864
ROPs80
TMUs152
Transistors17400M
Base Clock (MHz)1410
Boost clock (MHz)1770
Memory clock (MHz)1750
Memory size (MB)8192
Memory typeGDDR6
Memory bus width (bit)256
Default board power limit220W
Max board power limit230W
Power Connectors8-pin + 6-pin
Recommended PSU600W
Dimensions278 x 131 x 51 mm
Weight1007g
I/O3x Display Port v1.4a, 1x HDMI 2.1
Max Resolution7680×4320
DirectX version12.2
Technology8nm
RTX capabilitiesYes
Release date12.2020

Test configuration

CPU: Intel Core i9-12900K
Motherboard: MSI MPG Z690 Carbon
RAM: 2x16GB DDR5 G.SKILL Trident Z5 6000MHz CL36
Power Supply: EVGA P+ 1300W
Cooling: COUGAR AQUA 360mm
Monitor: LG 43UN700-B
Case: Open test bench

Software
OS: Windows 11 x64 with the latest updates
Drivers: NVIDIA 516.40 drivers

Drivers

The GPU drivers for the MSI RTX 3060 Ti Gaming X LHR can be found in the following link:
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/drivers/

What’s in the box?

The video card is well-secured in a sturdy-looking box. Inside, you’ll find the GPU itself surrounded by protective foam which is good if the couriers decide to play a bit of ping-pong with your precious GPU before delivering it. Of course, there is a quick start guide and some other manuals.


Design and looks

The GPU features a two-fan design and that’s why it’s decently compact compared to some other RTX 3060 Ti models with triple-fan coolers. As you can see, the video card isn’t huge but keep in mind that it’s still a 2.5-inch product – other than that, it should fit even in most mATX cases.

Speaking of the fans, here we can find a pair of two TORX FAN 4.0 which on paper should be better compared to the previous versions. These fans can be found in many other MSI RTX 3000 graphics cards, including top-tier models. The shroud is made of plastic and it’s not a surprise at all – most modern GPUs come with plastic shrouds. On the other hand, the shroud houses the RGB illumination which isn’t too intrusive, ergo, the GPU isn’t glowing like a Christmas tree. If you’re not a fan of these modern fancy RGBs, probably you’re going to like this video card.

The backplate is made of metal which ensures better protection for the GPU and it has many cuts for better heat dissipation. Actually, it is good that the backplate is metal, considering that some mid-range video cards are equipped with plastic backplates, which is a shame.

This graphics card has a metal anti-bending strap which should prevent GPU sag. Still, it’s not a 32 cm four-slot model so GPU sagging isn’t a problem at all. MSI is advertising the heatsink design as “silencing” because of the improved “airflow dynamics”. Well, we’ll see further in the review if the GPU is silent under load or not.


Synthetic benchmarks, BIOS, and overclock

So, let’s test the GPUs’ raw performance with the aid of some popular benchmarks like 3DMark Fire Strike, 3DMark Time Spy, and Unigine Superposition. We’ll start with the stock results.

Now, let’s check the OC results.

 

 

 

3Dmark Fire Strike Graphics Score3Dmark Time Spy Graphics ScoreUnigine Superposition
MSI RTX 3060 Ti Gaming X LHR Stock30571116727215
MSI RTX 3060 Ti Gaming X LHR OC32882 (+8%)12499 (+7%)7689 (+7%)

As you can see from the table above, the average gain from the overclock is around 7%. If you have some spare time, you can try to overclock your GPU – the free performance is always welcome but if you just want to play games after work, don’t even bother the OC sliders, the performance gains aren’t massive at all.

BIOS 

You can have a look at the BIOS of the GPU and its stock clocks. In idle, the graphics card is dead silent, the fans aren’t spinning at all and the core temperature is below 40°C.

We’re a bit disappointed, that the GPU maximum power limit is just 10W higher compared to the stock one – shame.

Overclock
We’re using Unigine Heaven 4.0 in 4K for monitoring the stock and OC frequencies while testing for stability. Our video card isn’t a monstrosity when it comes to overclocking potential but keep in mind that it’s held back by the smaller power limit. Let’s check the stock frequencies. We got around 1935-1950MHz@64°C for the core and the memory is set to 1750MHz (7000MHz effective). The fans are spinning with 1710 RPM.

Overclocking the GPU isn’t complicated at all. With the MSI Afterburner’s Voltage/Curve frequency editor we set the core voltage to exactly 1V and the core clock to 2085MHz – the video card needs more than 1V for 2100MHz and this lead to throttling because it’s out of power limit. The Hynix memory is not an overclock champion – it’s stable at +750MHz (1938MHz – 7750MHz effective clock). The fans are set to 50% (1855 RPM) and we can bearly hear them spinning.

Gaming tests


 

StrayMedium (Check settings)High (Check settings)
1440p207 fps160 fps
4K108 fps80 fps


Far Cry 6Low (Check settings)High (Check settings)Ultra (Check settings)
1080p180 fps141 fps122 fps
1440p138 fps109 fps92 fps
4K63 fps54 fps


Diablo ImmortalV.High (Check settings)
1080p505 fps

God Of WarLow (Check settings)Original (Check settings)High (Check settings)Ultra (Check settings)
1080p197 fps170 fps145 fps105 fps
1440p134 fps118 fps103 fps81 fps
4K57 fps49 fps

Forza Horizon 5Medium (Check settings)Extreme (Check settings)
1080p179 fps95 fps
1440p153 fps82 fps
4K108 fps59 fps


 

Days GoneLow (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)High (Check settings)Very High (Check settings)
1080p262 fps222 fps202 fps148 fps
1440p183 fps154 fps139 fps103 fps
4K75 fps55 fps


Death StrandingLow (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)V.High (Check settings)
1080p206 fps194 fps176 fps
1440p150 fps142 fps130 fps
4K80 fps73 fps

 

Call Of Duty Warzone (Caldera)V.Low (Check settings)Normal (Check settings)Ultra (Check settings)
1080p192 fps172 fps150 fps
1440p147 fps128 fps105 fps
4K76 fps62 fps


 

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon BreakpointMedium (Check settings)High (Check settings)Very High (Check settings)Ultra (Check settings)
1080p175 fps165 fps146 fps123 fps
1440p142 fps133 fps116 fps99 fps
4K72 fps64 fps


 

FIFA 22Low (Check settings)Ultra (Check settings)
1080p466 fps437 fps
1440p397 fps
4K275 fps


 

Resident Evil VillagePerformance (Check settings)Balanced (Check settings)Graphics P. (Check settings)Max (Check settings)
1080p260 fps
1440p213 fps213 fps193 fps172 fps
4K98 fps87 fps


 

Cyberpunk 2077Low (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)High (Check settings)Ultra (Check settings)
1080p169 fps139 fps106 fps89 fps
1440p116 fps92 fps68 fps56 fps
4K32 fps25 fps


 

Cyberpunk 2077 BenchmarkLow (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)High (Check settings)Ultra (Check settings)
1080p170 fps139 fps106 fps87 fps
1440p115 fps92 fps55 fps56 fps
4K33 fps33 fps



 

Assassin’s Creed ValhallaLow (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)High (Check settings)Ultra (Check settings)
1080p139 fps120 fps102 fps88 fps
1440p115 fps97 fps82 fps71 fps
4K52 fps45 fps


 

eFootball PES 2021Low (Check settings)High (Check settings)
1080p463 fps307 fps
1440p366 fps207 fps
4K105 fps


cs-go-benchmarks

 

CS:GOLow (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)MAX (Check settings)
1080p798 fps714 fps574 fps
1440p460 fps
4K244 fps


 

 

DOTA 2Low (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)High (Check settings)Ultra (Check settings)
1080p360 fps236 fps232 fps220 fps
1440p295 fps244 fps
4K234 fps141 fps


GTA-V-benchmarks

 

Grand Theft Auto V (GTA 5)Normal (Check settings)High (Check settings)Very High (Check settings)Ultra (Check settings)
1080p187 fps187 fps146 fps94 fps
1440p187 fps185 fps110 fps62 fps
4K57 fps30 fps


 

For HonorMedium (Check settings)High (Check settings)Extreme (Check settings)
1080p280 fps266 fps207 fps
1440p181 fps173 fps142 fps
4K73 fps88 fps


 

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six SiegeUltra (Check settings)
1080p492 fps
1440p342 fps
4K181 fps


 

 

Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018)Lowest (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)High (Check settings)Highest (Check settings)
1080p224 fps173 fps163 fps112 fps
1440p208 fps121 fps113 fps74 fps
4K63 fps38 fps


 

Doom EternalLow (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)U.Nightmare (Check settings)
1080p325 fps304 fps257 fps
1440p217 fps214 fps191 fps
4K129 fps112 fps


 

Red Dead Redemption 2Low (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)High (Check settings)MAX (Check settings)
1080p182 fps115 fps68 fps36 fps
1440p142 fps83 fps49 fps26 fps
4K26 fps


 

Metro ExodusLow (Check settings)High (Check settings)Extreme (Check settings)
1080p201 fps103 fps50 fps
1440p178 fps80 fps38 fps
4K49 fps22 fps


 

Gears 5Low (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)High (Check settings)Ultra (Check settings)
1080p266 fps199 fps166 fps133 fps
1440p228 fps147 fps123 fps98 fps
4K68 fps53 fps

 

Assassin’s Creed OdysseyLow (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)High (Check settings)Ultra High (Check settings)
1080p162 fps144 fps123 fps89 fps
1440p132 fps118 fps102 fps72 fps
4K65 fps48 fps


HearthstoneLow (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)High (Check settings)
1080p1343 fps1385 fps60 fps
1440p1270 fps
4K785 fps


 

World Of Tanks EncoreMedium (Check settings)Ultra (Check settings)
1080p266 fps
1440p348 fps177 fps
4K175 fps90 fps


 

MinecraftMinimum (Check settings)Maximum (Check settings)
1080p2962 fps242 fps
1440p2317 fps237 fps
4K357 fps


 

League Of LegendsV.Low (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)V.High (Check settings)
1080p958 fps774 fps760 fps
1440p766 fps
4K670 fps


Rocket LeagueH.Quality (Check settings)
1080p559 fps
1440p409 fps
4K212 fps


OverwatchHigh (Check settings)Epic (Check settings)
1080p300 fps
1440p305 fps204 fps
4K158 fps108 fps




PUBGV.Low (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)High (Check settings)Ultra (Check settings)
1080p267 fps214 fps
1440p326 fps227 fps193 fps150 fps
4K100 fps75 fps


Borderlands 3V.Low (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)High (Check settings)Badass (Check settings)
1080p218 fps189 fps138 fps105 fps
1440p208 fps148 fps96 fps74 fps
4K50 fps40 fps


Team Fortress 2MAX (Check settings)
1080p279 fps
1440p279 fps
4K248 fps


 

Far Cry New DawnLow (Check settings)High (Check settings)Ultra (Check settings)
1080p194 fps161 fps142 fps
1440p159 fps133 fps120 fps
4K74 fps68 fps


 

The Witcher 3Low (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)High (Check settings)Ultra (Check settings)
1080p270 fps230 fps151 fps
1440p241 fps183 fps160 fps113 fps
4Kxxx fpsxxx fps86 fps65 fps


 

Need For Speed HeatLow (Check settings)High (Check settings)Ultra (Check settings)
1080p160 fps143 fps
1440p167 fps128 fps116 fps
4K75 fps69 fps


 

Apex LegendsMin. (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)MAX (Check settings)
1080p299 fps299 fps240 fps
1440p296 fps225 fps173 fps
4K116 fps97 fps


Battlefield VLow (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)High (Check settings)Ultra (Check settings)
1080p200 fps200 fps197 fps190 fps
1440p200 fps198 fps159 fps153 fps
4K87 fps87 fps


 

ARK: Survival EvolvedLow (Check settings)Medium (Check settings)High (Check settings)Epic (Check settings)
1080p304 fps158 fps117 fps74 fps
1440p251 fps106 fps85 fps54 fps
4K42 fps28 fps


 

WarframeLow (Check settings)High (Check settings)
1080p958 fps431 fps
1440p267 fps
4K128 fps


Temperatures and comfort

In this test we use 100% on the GPU, monitoring its frequencies and chip temperature.

30 min Cyberpunk 2077 on 4K Ultra detailsClockCore TemperatureGPU Hot Sport TemperaturePowerFAN RPM
MSI RTX 3060 Ti Gaming X LHR1868 Mhz64°C74°C219.1W1677 RPM


Yes, the MSI RTX 3060 Ti Gaming X LHR is almost a near-silent video card. Keep in mind that we are torturing the GPU in Cyberpunk 2077 for 30 minutes on 4K resolution and the quality is bumped to Ultra – on 1080p and 1440p the GPU is even cooler and quieter (also, check the frequencies while benchmarking with Unigine Heaven 4.0). Let’s get back to the stress test – 64°C core temperature and around 1677 RPM for the fans is a great result. The Hot Spot temperature is in check as well – this GPU can be great for overclocking but it needs a bigger power limit or you can try a combination of undervolt and overclock.

Verdict

The MSI RTX 3060 Ti Gaming X LHR is a great mid-range GPU. Yes, it’s great because it has a good build quality, its unintrusive design is a bit on the stealthy side, it’s quiet under load (almost near-silent) and the performance of this GPU is even enough for 4K gaming with some compromises. Speaking of which, at least for now, the 8GB memory buffer isn’t a problem for playing on 2160p but if you’re looking for a future-proof product, probably a 10GB+ video card will be a better choice.

In most cases, if the FPS on 4K isn’t high enough, the bottleneck isn’t the capacity of the video memory  – the raw power under the hood is the real limitation in these scenarios. Still, the GPU is doing a good job (on 2160p) even in games like God Of War, Days Gone, Call Of Duty: Warzone, etc. If you need more FPS, you can always drop down the details from Ultra to Very High / High – (depending on the game) or you can use DLSS if the title supports this feature.

You can check the current price of MSI RTX 3060 Ti Gaming X LHR here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

Pros

  • Well-build
  • Nearly silent under load
  • Compact
  • Has a metal backplate
  • Cool during gaming
  • Idle fan stop
  • Comes with goodies like HDMI 2.1, PCI-Express 4.0, DLSS, and ray tracing
  • 8nm tech process


Cons

  • Just 230W TGP for a 8-pin + 6-pin configuration
  • The maximum power limit isn’t sufficient for a proper overclocking without throttling

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