Thanks to AI, we feel like we are living in a state of permanent IT scarcity. Whether it's SSDs, memory, CPUs, or graphics cards... almost all components have been scarce and expensive since the incredibly massive expansion of AI data centers. This is what is now prompting manufacturers like Nvidia to make graphics hardware from past, better times available again—as has now apparently happened with the GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB.
After the model was effectively unavailable since the end of 2025, there is now fresh stock, including from Asus and Gigabyte. However, at 333 euros for the Asus Dual OC, the price is significantly higher than the last "summer level" of around 250 euros and even slightly above the original MSRP of 329 euros.
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB is officially back – for 333 euros
However, a purchase is only worthwhile in a few specific cases where you absolutely want Nvidia technology in this price range. While the card offers more VRAM with 12 GB than current Nvidia entry-level models, it clearly lags behind an RTX 5050 8 GB in terms of pure performance. In addition, while DLSS 4.5 is supported, it comes at a relatively high performance cost, and modern frame generation features are completely missing. And for video editing, you generally prefer 16 GB to be on the safe side with effects.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang described the idea of bringing back older cards as a "good idea" at CES 2026, but new production had not been officially confirmed until now. In fact, the RTX 3060 chip can still be produced by Samsung using an 8 nm process, meaning it does not take up valuable TSMC capacity—and the installed GDDR6 RAM is currently not as scarce as GDDR7.
From the competition, you can get 16 GB GDDR6 cards for approx. 320 euros (Intel ARC-770) or 390 euros (AMD RX 9060 XT). The cheapest "current" Nvidia GPU with 16 GB GDDR7—the RTX 5060 Ti—is currently available starting at approx. 530 euros.
