Assemble that Passes # 273
By now most of the promised news for this fall have arrived and have made a lot of noise. But the Radeon RX 6000 series is still missing, based on RDNA 2 architecture, which promises brute power to sell, an extra boost thanks to the Smart Access Cache that allows the system to access all the memory of the video card and, what important, a system optimized to make the most of the hardware dedicated to ray tracing, apparently inferior in terms of brute power to that of the competitor.
In this regard NVIDIA wanted to specify that any performance differences should not be traced back to the use of proprietary technologies, but to hardware and optimization. RTX titles that use ray tracing, as reported by NVIDIA, all use the Microsoft DXR libraries, with the exception of Quake II RTX, Wolfenstein: Youngblood and JX3 which use an extension created by NVIDIA for Vulkan, waiting for it to arrive. ray tracing support for low-level libraries created by the Khronos Group.
In addition, NVIDIA has revealed that it is working on a technology similar to the Smart Access Cache of the Radeon RX 6000, a technology that allowing the system to access all the memory of the GPU should ensure net performance increases. But we will have the opportunity to talk in depth about all this when it comes time for reviews, also putting on the plate elements such as the new AMD system overclock, called Rage Mode, and the powerful hardware upscaling based on the AI of NVIDIA that made suddenly the most digestible 4K from consumer cards.
Whatever the outcome of the reviews, however, the official scores are already sufficient to be able to say that AMD is returning to have its say in the high-end GPU market. Among other things, while coming a short distance from the new GeForce, it has the opportunity to take advantage of a moment of weakness of NVIDIA that is struggling to fulfill orders. Why is still shrouded in mystery, but it is likely to have to do with a number of concomitant factors, among which there are also suspected issues related to Samsung's 8-nanometer transistors. But the lack of cards must not necessarily lead to hostility the possible arrival of the new GeForce RTX 3000. The new models could in fact be produced on different production lines and there may also be GPUs made with TSMC's 7-nanometer transistors, even if the matter could still be complicated. AMD, we know, has booked a large chunk of production, is selling several CPUs, is making console chips and is in the process of launching a new series of GPUs. But as NVIDIA's production expands we should still see an increase in the availability of the GeForce RTX 3000.
In the meantime, we wonder what GeForce RTX 3080 Ti will be, which according to the first rumors will arrive in January with 20GB of memory and an equal or slightly lower number of CUDA cores than the GeForce RTX 3090. And it is a credible indiscretion considering that such a card would have the precise purpose of facing the Radeon RX 6900 XT, apparently close in performance to the 3090 but as already we know much cheaper. Also for this reason there are those who bet on a price of 999 dollars also for the RTX 3080 Ti which at this point, given the prices reached by the RTX 3080, could be decidedly interesting. Moving on to the alleged RTX 3060 we are talking about December for a possible presentation and in the same period we could also find ourselves in front of the RTX 3050 Ti and the RTX 3050.
The GeForce RTX 3060, again according to rumors, should be equipped with a GA106 3840 CUDA core GPU and could mount up to 12 GB of 16 Gbps GGDR6 memory, although it seems strange to us since such an amount of VRAM would end up fueling the controversy over the memory of the RTX 3080. Sure, this' latest features GDDR6X memory with much higher performance, but we know that the amount of memory has a significant weight in marketing. For this we bet on an 8 GB version, as for the RTX 3070, which could be enough for a card probably destined to exceed, even if not too much, an RTX 2070.
But the same amount of memory could bear fruit also with the alleged GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, which listening to the rumors would be equipped with a 3584 CUDA core version of the GA106 GPU and the same 192-bit bus as its older sister. It could therefore be slightly less powerful than the RTX 3060 as opposed to the GeForce RTX 3050 which according to rumors will be equipped with GA107 GPU with 2304 CUDA cores, equal to those of a 2070 equipped, however, also with 2304 int32 cores, and 128 bit bus. But we are still talking about a card probably able to retire an RTX 2060, bringing ray tracing below, hopefully, the 200 euros.
Budget configuration
The budget configuration it is the one aimed at saving but it is not certain that there is no room for the upgrade where interesting prospects arise. The proposals in this range include solutions designed for low-tech games and 1080p-oriented builds.The Core i3-9100F, devoid of Hyper-Threading, has some inevitable limitations in terms of brute power, multitasking and streaming, but it remains a low-priced option that can guarantee excellent in-game performance. The price has increased in the last few days, but for the moment it is among the most palatable Intel processors, despite the compromises.
The low-end has welcomed several interesting CPUs in recent months, but lacks new options in the case of GPUs. Among other things, some of the most interesting options have become more expensive, making the GeForce GTX 1650 Super an almost indispensable option in this segment, obviously looking at gaming in 1080p.
BUDGET Component Price PROCESSOR Core i3-9100F 3.6-4.2 GHz € 100.00 MOTHERBOARD MSI B365M PRO-VH € 60.00 VIDEO CARD Inno3D GeForce GTX 1650 Super Twin 4GB € 170.00 RAM G.Skill Aegis 2x8GB 3200MHz CL16 60.00 € POWER SUPPLY EVGA 450 BR 80+ Bronze 45,00 € HARD DISK Kingston A400 480GB SATA III 50,00 € CASE Kolink Nimbus RGB Mid Tower 50,00 € TOTAL 535,00 €
Gaming configuration
In the gaming segment there are usually those components that allow you to face the game on PC without fear and to hold on for some time. The frame rate showdown is just around the corner but, with a good foundation, it's always possible to sell the old GPU before it devalues too much so you can buy a new one just in time to take on the next hardware smashing blockbuster.Difficult to find and overpriced, the Ryzen 5 5600X gives way to the Ryzen 5 3600, undoubtedly more limited, especially in 1080p, but still excellent, looking at a configuration capable of guaranteeing good performance in 1440p. The price in recent weeks has risen by a few euros, but it remains very attractive.
To push a game like Shadow of the Tomb Raider up to at least 60fps, a Radeon RX 5600 XT is enough, destined to remain in the field again for a while considering the first upcoming Radeon RX 6000s are all high-end. Among other things, despite the block of frequencies it still guarantees a good relationship between price and performance.
GAMING Component Price PROCESSOR AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6-4.2GHz 215,00 € MSI MOTHERBOARD B450 Tomahawk Max 105,00 € VIDEO CARD Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 5600 XT 6GB 300,00 € RAM Crucial Ballistix 2x8GB 3600MHz CL16 75,00 € POWER SUPPLY FSP Hydro PRO 600W 80+ Bronze 70,00 € HARD DISK Samsung 860 Evo 500GB SATA III 65,00 € CASE Fractal Design Meshify C Mid Tower 80.00 € TOTAL 910.00 €
Extra Configuration
The pushed configuration only makes sense for those who aim for high resolutions, aware that luxury often does not go hand in hand with rationality. On the other hand, let's face it, who doesn't like having a nice engine under the hood even if you have to respect the speed limit?Overpriced and hard to find, the Ryzen 5000 have changed the landscape of high-end CPUs at a time when GPUs are also catching up with new generations, leading us to recommend a bit of a wait before tackling any purchase of a certain weight. In the meantime, we take refuge in the Core i7-10700K, capable of guaranteeing excellent in-game performance at all resolutions.
As anticipated, this is no time for hurried purchases. NVIDIA has yet to unveil all models in its new series while AMD is in the process of dropping three high-end options two of which promise exceptional price-to-raw power. In the meantime we rely on the excellent GeForce RTX 3080, difficult to find and even more difficult to find at the right price, but undoubtedly powerful and equipped with very interesting technologies such as DLSS.
EXTRA Component Price PROCESSOR Core i7-10700K 3.8-5.1GHz 370,00 € Noctua NH-U12S Heatsink 60,00 € MSI MPG Z490 GAMING PLUS MOTHERBOARD 165,00 € NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition 8GB 720,00 € RAM Corsair Vengeance PRO RGB 2x8GB DDR4 3200MHz CL16 € 90.00 ANTEC POWER SUPPLY HCG-850 80+ Gold € 130.00 HARD DISK Sabrent Rocket 1TB M.2 € 150.00 CASE NZXT H710 Mid Tower € 160.00 TOTAL € 1845.00
