The GeForce RTX 3060, which is one of the best graphics cards for lower end systems, has gone through a small transformation involving defective dies from more powerful GPUs. Matthew Smith, who maintains TechPowerUp‘s graphics card database, discovered today that Nvidia is utilizing GA104 dies inside an unannounced GeForce RTX 3060 model.
Unfortunately, chip production isn’t perfect, and some silicon does come out defective. But just because it doesn’t meet the standards of a certain product doesn’t mean it can’t be of use in weaker SKUs. Therefore, chipmakers generally recycle defective silicon into lower tier products. Recycling dies is a common practice, and more so now that we’re in the middle of a global semiconductor shortage.
Nvidia has previously switched up the silicon on the GeForce GTX 1650 and more recently, EVGA with the GeForce RTX 2060 KO Gaming. Now, it appears to be the GeForce RTX 3060’s turn.
