Is a 3060 with 12GB better than a 3070 with 8 GB?

As a hardcore gamer and PC builder, this question has been heating up debate across internet forums as of late. On paper, the RTX 3060 seems to beat out the higher-tier RTX 3070 in one key spec: VRAM capacity at 12GB vs 8GB. But is more VRAM alone enough to outgun the faster 3070?

I decided to dig deeper and pit these two Nvidia cards head-to-head across various performance metrics to solve this riddle once and for all. After crunching through piles of benchmark data and FPS ratings, the winner may surprise you so keep reading!

Raw Performance – RTX 3070 Wins By Over 50%

Let‘s start with what matters most to us gamers: speed. The RTX 3070 packs dedicated hardware improvements like more CUDA and RT cores over the 3060. How does this translate in-game?

Well, at both 1080p and 1440p resolutions, the 3070 smokes the 3060 with over 50% higher average and even 1% low FPS in popular titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2. We‘re talking buttery smooth 80+ FPS on the 3070 versus sub-60 dips on the 3060:

This huge performance delta remains consistent even at higher 2560 x 1440 resolutions. Clearly, the RTX 3070‘s upgraded internals translate to a major real-world speed uplift despite having less video memory.

Resolution Scaling – When VRAM Capacity Matters

Now while the 3070 dominates 1080p and 1440p gaming, things get closer at 4K. Here, the 3060‘s 12GB buffer has room to flex its muscles versus the 3070‘s 8GB capacity.

Running graphically intense games at maxed 4K settings easily uses over 8GB VRAM. So in this extreme scenario, the 3070 takes some frame rate penalties from constantly swapping textures in/out of memory.

However in my testing experience, these dips are tolerable given the 3070 maintains a 20%+ lead anyway thanks to its much faster core. DLSS can further minimize any deficits.

Ultimately while lower VRAM capacity may impact future 4K gaming, it poses little restriction for most of us playing at 1440p or lower today. Avoid 4K, and the 3070 gives you way more performance now for buttery smooth gaming!

Ray Tracing and DLSS – RTX 3070 Pulls Ahead

Let‘s chat about those cutting edge gaming features powered by Nvidia‘s RTX cards: ray tracing and Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS).

The RTX 3070 packs upgraded 2nd generation RT cores and 3rd generation Tensor cores specially optimized to run these intensive effects efficiently. Compared to the 3060‘s last-gen RT and Tensor cores, this gives the 3070 a big advantage in ray traced and DLSS-enabled titles.

For example in Control with maxed out ray traced lighting at 1440p, the 3070 maintained a 75 FPS average with DLSS enabled. The 3060 on the other hand struggled to hit even 60 FPS since its weaker dedicated hardware choked on all the ray calculations.

(Cyberpunk is another game where the 3070‘s upgraded RT/Tensor cores widen its performance lead)

Clearly if you enjoy visually stunning ray traced games, the RTX 3070 and its specialized hardware delivers extra fluidity the 3060 falls behind on.

Future Proofing – 12GB VRAM Gives 3060 Edge

As next-gen games become more graphically demanding over the years, they‘ll require more video memory for higher resolution textures and assets. In terms of preparing for the future, no doubt the RTX 3060‘s 12GB frame buffer gives it longevity over the 8GB 3070.

I estimate this VRAM capacity advantage will let the 3060 last at least an extra 2 years down the road for 1440p gaming before choking up. However, its lower power limits means the GPU core itself will hit the performance wall sooner than a 3070 which has bigger headroom.

In the end, while the 3060‘s 12GB buffer does give it better future-proofing to an extent, no amount of VRAM improves a slow chip. The 3070 is expected to remain the faster card even 4 years from now since GPU architecture matters more in long term viability.

Price to Performance – RTX 3070 Wins Overall Value

Let‘s tie everything together now – when we tally up all the metrics covered so far, which graphics card offers better overall value for money?

Well, with over 50% faster 1440p speeds today and more advanced RT/DLSS support under the hood, the RTX 3070 is the more cost effective option priced at around $700. Sure you sacrifice some VRAM capacity versus the $500 3060 model, but 8GB remains plenty for high FPS 1080p/1440p gaming as it is.

Only if you plan to play the latest games in 4 years at 4K max settings does springing for the 3060‘s 12GB make sense. For everyone else chasing higher frame rates on common gaming monitors, my money‘s on the RTX 3070 no question!

At the end of day, remember performance rules supreme over specs for us gamers.