INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 Review

TweakTown's Rating: 87%

The Bottom Line

The INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 is an impressive mainstream GPU release. Compared to the GeForce RTX 3060 and even the new Radeon RX 7600, it delivers when it comes to raw 1080p performance - with the bonus of DLSS 3 and Frame Generation in some of the biggest games.

Pros

• + Decent 1080p and 1440p performance
• + Incredible power efficiency
• + USD 299 price is lower than the RTX 3060's launch price
• + DLSS 3 is great, even at 1080p
• + Great build quality for an MSRP model

Cons

• - Less memory than the GeForce RTX 3060
• - 1440p performance is a little lacking
• - Stiff competition at this price point

Should you buy it?

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Introduction

With the GeForce RTX 4060, NVIDIA has launched its mainstream offering for the Ada Lovelace RTX 40 Series generation. When it comes to the launch of a new GPU, more often than not, there's a lot of mystery surrounding things like expected performance, features, and overall capabilities. Where in the wide world of PC graphics will the new product sit?

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Revealed ahead of time, alongside the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti, NVIDIA presented the new GeForce RTX 4060 family as GPUs tailor-made for 1080p gaming in 2023. This is worth highlighting because playing high-end AAA titles now versus when something like the still popular GeForce RTX 1060 hit the scene is very different. We also learned that outside of supporting DLSS 3 and Frame Generation, and it's fantastic to see this cutting-edge tech working well on the mainstream GeForce RTX 4060, people should expect a 20% raw performance uplift in 1080p performance over the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB.

This certainly rings true for the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2, an MSRP model with an attractive price point of USD 299. You are looking at a notable gen-on-gen upgrade over the GeForce RTX 3060, with the bonus of DLSS 3 and power efficiency that sees the power rating sit at a remarkable 115W for the GeForce RTX 4060. A 30% improvement over the RTX 3060 and the RTX 4060's direct competitor, the Radeon RX 7600.

Of course, this review will also go deep into this, including the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2's 1440p and overall thermal performance - so let's dig in.

Inno3D GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Twin X2

	Today	Yesterday	7 days ago	30 days ago
	$468.39	$468.39	$464.45	$477.28	Buy
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The Ada Lovelace Generation

Below is a summary of the GeForce RTX 40 Series technology, applicable to all models.

There was a time when outright visual quality was the main driver for determining how advanced real-time rendering, especially in games, had progressed. There was also a time when pure grunt in raw hardware power determined how good a game could technically look and how fast it ran. We're now at a point where visual quality and performance go hand-in-hand, with raw power only being a part of the equation.

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The GeForce RTX 40 Series, the Ada Lovelace generation, is a lineup of GPUs built on a cutting-edge process node while leveraging and evolving all of the advances in AI and hardware-based ray-tracing that NVIDIA helped become mainstream with the GeForce RTX 30 Series.

Named after mathematician Ada Lovelace, considered the world's first computer programmer, the GeForce RTX 40 Series is built on TSMC 4N process technology - a giant leap forward over the Samsung 8nm process used in the GeForce RTX 30 Series Ampere generation. From a pure numbers perspective, the full NVIDIA Ada GPU features 76.3 billion transistors, up to 18,432 CUDA Cores (70% more than the previous gen), and delivers clock speeds over 2.5 GHz while maintaining the same power requirements of the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti.

Ada also introduces the latest generation of RT and Tensor Cores, with the latter introducing brand-new hardware responsible for the next iteration of AI rendering - DLSS 3. NVIDIA's DLSS or Deep Learning Super Sampling is one of the reasons why raw power is no longer the be-all-end-all; it's an AI-based form of upscaling that can provide a sizable boost to in-game performance without sacrificing visual fidelity. In fact, in some cases, it can improve upon native rendering.

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For this reason alone, DLSS and other forms of algorithm-based upscaling have become some of the most talked about bits of technology in the PC gaming space.

Free frames, enough said.

DLSS 3 combines DLSS Super Resolution (DLSS 2) with NVIDIA Reflex to reduce system latency and the brand-new hardware-accelerated Frame Generation technology. Three bits of rendering tech = DLSS 3. And it's exclusive to the GeForce RTX 40 Series.

And it's here where NVIDIA is looking to do what it has done for real-time graphics upscaling to the idea of frame-interpolation - or what they call Motion Plus in the TV world. Which, to be fair, is not a fair comparison on account of tech like Motion Plus being - well - terrible. But the fundamental idea is the same, albeit using specialized AI hardware in the GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics cards to generate and create entire frames.

So far, the results, although not without flaws, are impressive - with dramatic improvements to overall performance (in the smoothness stakes) seen in games like Cyberpunk 2077, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered, Diablo IV, and more.

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As seen with DLSS 3, the Ada generation is much more than "smaller = more," with NVIDIA introducing back-end technology in the form of Shader Execution Reordering - which effectively ensures render tasks happen more efficiently and without running into bottlenecks. This means a leap forward in the real-time rendering of hardware-intensive ray-tracing effects.

The Ada generation also levels up NVIDIA's already formidable content creation chops with the arrival of AV1 encoding for better video quality for streamers without sacrificing anything in the way of performance or more bandwidth.

Specs and Test System

Specifications

Here we can see how the specs and hardware stack up for the GeForce RTX 4060 compared to the previous generation's GeForce RTX 3060 and this generation's GeForce RTX 4060 Ti.

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For a gen-on-gen upgrade, much like we saw with the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti, the new GeForce RTX 4060 does more with less. This new GeForce graphics card features fewer CUDA Cores than its predecessor, fewer RT and Tensor Cores, a cut-down memory interface, and 50% less VRAM capacity than the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB model. On paper, it paints an unexciting picture. Is this simply going to be a GPU on par with the RTX 3060, albeit more efficient? The answer is, of course, no - the hardware here showcases that NVIDIA's Ada Lovelace generation scales incredibly well in terms of performance and efficiency.

This is brand-new architecture, with next-generation ray-tracing and AI hardware - the latter features specialized technology that makes DLSS 3 and Frame Generation possible. The new process also sees a massive boost of 700 MHz for the overall clock speeds for the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2. And even though the 8GB of memory is on a 128-bit bus, the massive increase in L2 Cache helps the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 deliver better 1% low performance than the previous gen's RTX 3060 on top of improved overall performance. According to NVIDIA, the L2 Cache increases the effective bandwidth to 453 GB/s from 272 GB/s.

Would it have been nice to see the GeForce RTX 4060 ship with 16GB of memory? Sure, but when you get into the mainstream bracket where GPUs like the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 exist, you're at a point where tweaking settings to maximize performance is a part of the deal.

The INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 is an MSRP model that features the baseline spec outlined by NVIDIA, and for this review, we used out-of-the-box specs with no additional overclocking. As the entry-level model from INNO3D, it features a solid (albeit mostly plastic) build and is lightweight and compact.

• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060
• Model: INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2
• Interface: PCI Express 4.0
• CUDA Cores: 3072
• Tensor Cores: 96 (4th Generation)
• RT Cores: 24 (3rd Generation)
• Clocks: Boost: 2460 MHz, OC via MSI Center
• Memory: 8GB GDDR6
• Memory Speed: 17 Gbps
• Memory Interface: 128-bit
• Total Memory Bandwidth: 272 GB/s (453 GB/s effective)
• L2 Cache: 24576 K
• Display Connections: 3 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI 2.1 x 1
• Power Connectors: 1 x PCIe 8-pin cable
• Recommended PSU: 550W
• What's in the Box: INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2, Installation Guide

Kosta's Test System

• Motherboard: MSI MPG X670E Carbon Wi-Fi
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7900X
• Cooler: Corsair iCUE H100i RGB PRO XT Liquid CPU Cooler
• RAM: 64GB (2x32GB) Corsair DOMINATOR PLATINUM RGB DDR5 DRAM 5200MHz
• SSD: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 4TB, Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 8TB
• Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 850W
• Case: Thermaltake Core P3 Tempered Glass Snow
• OS: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 64-bit

Physical Design and Cooling

As a two-slot, twin-fan GPU, the new INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 backs up its small and compact form factor with excellent cooling, near-silent detachable fans, and great-to-see features like a metal backplate and nickel-plated DHT heat pipe. The build quality here is ideal for an entry-level GeForce RTX 4060 card with a rugged yet lightweight construction with dimensions of 250 x 118 x 42mm.

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The look is minimal and stylish, too, with an aesthetically pleasing two-tone look. The only downside we mentioned in our review of the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 Ti TWIN X2 is that the INNO3D labels on the detachable fans are noticeable stickers. With two 88mm fans and ample cooling and heat dissipation, fan speed remains below 40% with stock settings even under sustained load.

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As an MSRP model, the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 is built to last alongside something easily fitting in a smaller mini-ITX case. This versatility is worth quite a bit as we move into the mainstream options in the GeForce RTX 40 Series line-up. Connection-wise, you've got three DisplayPort 1.4 ports on the back, alongside a single HDMI 2.1 port - standard for the GeForce RTX 40 Series.

Benchmarks - 15 Game Averages

The Games and Tests

In 2023 PC gaming is a complicated and varied space, from indie games to major blockbuster releases and titles that push hardware and technology to their limit with the adoption of effects like real-time ray-tracing.

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This is all a way of saying that the 15 in-game benchmarks we've chosen (and run at 1080p and 1440p) represent a wide range of styles, not only in terms of genres, like first-person shooters and racing games but also in the API technology (DirectX 11, 12) and cutting-edge features like ray tracing and upscaling technology.

Results include DLSS and FSR 2, where possible, as both technologies are the sorts of things, especially in 1440p and 4K, which you'd turn on. Six of the 15 game benchmarks also feature ray tracing, a great way to see the additional benefit of NVIDIA's DLSS and Frame Generation technology. Also, each title is set to ultra-equivalent quality settings to push GPU hardware and minimize CPU bottlenecks at higher resolutions.

Also, it's just fun to max out a game's visual settings and see the results. Here's the breakdown of games, graphics settings, and what's being tested.

And with 15 games, a special shoutout goes to Sabrent for providing us with the storage to ensure we can keep everything installed - and then some - with both the Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 4TB and Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus Plus-G M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 8TB offering exceptional performance, capacity, and reliability.

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We can keep all our benchmark software installed while also installing every new game release that comes our way.

• Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Ultra High-quality settings, with the in-game benchmark tool used.
• Borderlands 3: Ultra quality settings, with the in-game benchmark tool used.
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II: Ultra quality setting, in-game multiplayer benchmark tool used.
• Cyberpunk 2077: Ultra quality setting, in-game benchmark tool used. AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• Cyberpunk 2077 (RT): Ray tracing Ultra quality setting, in-game benchmark tool used. AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• DOOM Eternal (RT): Ultra Nightmare quality setting with ray-tracing enabled, the opening of Mars Core campaign level used to benchmark.
• F1 22 (RT): Ultra High-quality setting with ray tracing, one lap of the Bahrain track benchmarked. AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• Forza Horizon 5 (RT): Extreme quality setting with ray tracing enabled, in-game benchmark tool used. AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• Hitman (RT): Ultra-quality settings with ray-tracing, Dubai scene benchmarked. AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS results are included. A May 2023 update to the game has greatly improved performance, so comparison results are limited.
• Horizon Zero Dawn: Ultimate quality setting, in-game benchmark used.
• Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (RT): Ultra quality setting with ray tracing enabled, the in-game benchmark tool used.
• Rainbow Six Extraction: Ultra quality settings and in-game benchmark tool used.
• Red Dead Redemption 2: Maximum quality settings, with in-game benchmark tool used. AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• The Division 2: Ultra quality settings with in-game benchmark tool used.
• Total War: Warhammer III: Ultra-quality settings with the in-game Battle Benchmark tool used.

15 Game Average FPS - 1080p Results

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The 1080p results here cover raw in-game performance without features like DLSS enabled. DLSS Super Resolution, available in most current PC game releases, is an upscaling and performance-boosting technology that still looks great at 1080p when using the Quality setting. So it's the sort of feature you'd enable on the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2.

Compared to the previous generation's GeForce RTX 3060 12GB (a premium OC model from ASUS), you're looking at an 18.6% uplift - which is right there with NVIDIA's claims of 20%. The GeForce RTX 4060's MSRP of USD 299 means it competes directly with AMD's new mainstream RDNA 3 offering, the Radeon RX 7600. Regarding raw 1080p performance across 15 games, the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 outperforms AMD's latest mainstream GPU by around 9.7% while consuming approximately 30% less power. The INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 also consumes 30% less energy than the GeForce RTX 3060, making it another considerable efficiency win for Ada.

That said, there are titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Borderlands 3 where AMD hardware performs notably better than the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 - but for the most part, the RTX 4060 maintains a comfortable lead. RT performance is, naturally, better on NVIDIA hardware, and outside of Cyberpunk 2077 (which does need DLSS), you're looking at decent 1080p RT performance on the new GPU.

Compared to the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti, the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 is 19% slower and 4.7% slower than the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. However, you're getting triple-digit 1080p performance on average - which is impressive.

15 Game Average FPS - 1440p Results

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The drop-off from 1080p to 1440p sits at around 32%, which is disappointing for the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2. Here we are potentially seeing the limitations of the 128-bit memory bus and how much the bump in L2 Cache can help, though it's hard to say. The raw performance uplift over the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB also drops to 13.1%, while the lead over the Radeon RX 7600 remains consistent at 9.5%.

This is not to say that the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 isn't capable of delivering a great 1440p gaming experience; an average frame rate of 69 fps with a 1% low of 47 fps presents a different story - which changes again once you enable DLSS Super Resolution with the Quality preset. Looking at individual game data, this means performance in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II jumps up to 98 fps from 64 fps, and Hitman ray-tracing performance increases to 74 fps from 45 fps with no perceived loss in visual fidelity.

For those that don't want to tinker with settings to boost performance, the good news is that NVIDIA's Optimal Playable Settings in GeForce Experience is available for the new RTX 4060 on day one - which is an automated process of optimizing a game's graphics settings.

Benchmarks - 3DMark FireStrike

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3DMark FireStrike is a DirectX 11 test that has been around for many years and covers quite a large portion of games released over the past decade - at least in terms of the API and graphics technologies used. The three tests cover the resolutions - 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Using the baseline 1080p test, the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 delivers a 22.8% improvement over the GeForce RTX 3060. However, it falls behind the Radeon RX 7600 by around 6.3%-a result not reflected by the actual in-game benchmarks.

Benchmarks - 3DMark TimeSpy and Port Royal

With 3DMark TimeSpy being DirectX 12-based, it's a more relevant synthetic benchmark for modern games. Here the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 delivers a score 16.1% higher than the GeForce RTX 3060, which tracks with in-game results because TimeSpy is a 1440p test. The score is roughly the same compared to AMD's mainstream Radeon RX 7600, which is a result not reflected by actual in-game results. TimeSpy Extreme, a 4K test, sees the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 score 15.7% higher than the GeForce RTX 3060, maintaining its lead. However, you wouldn't use this GPU for 4K gaming unless you played an older title.

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3DMark Port Royal is a synthetic ray-tracing benchmark, an area where NVIDIA's new Ada Lovelace architecture excels. Here the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 delivers a score 13.6% higher than the GeForce RTX 3060, which is a result that caught us by surprise. Regarding gen-on-gen gains, we expected the new GeForce RTX 4060 to deliver a more notable RT uplift. This score is also 11.7% higher than the Radeon RX 7600, one of the rare instances of the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 beating AMD's mainstream offering in a 3DMark test.

Of course, RT is a tech where DLSS Super Resolution and Frame Generation comes alive - with DLSS 3 letting you play Cyberpunk 2077 on the demanding RT Ultra setting at 94 fps.

Benchmarks - 1080p Gaming

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Benchmarks - 1440p Gaming

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Benchmarks Summary, Ray-Tracing Performance, and DLSS 3

The 20% performance uplift over the GeForce RTX 3060 for the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 holds for the most part, a notable increase that makes it a fantastic brand-new mainstream option for those coming from something like the GeForce RTX 2060 or GeForce RTX 1060. Would you upgrade from the GeForce RTX 3060 to the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2? DLSS 3 makes a great case, but probably not. This is the sort of GPU that hold to the idea that most people get a new GPU every other generation.

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The idea of DLSS 3 being a selling point for the GeForce RTX 4060 is undoubtedly true, as Frame Generation's adoption rate continues to rise. It's available in one of the biggest PC releases of 2023, Diablo IV, and even though that's a game that isn't in our current benchmark suite (but probably will be in the future), Frame Generation works brilliantly. The visuals remain impressive, and the controls are responsive, which I can comfortably state with a speedy Level 64 Rogue that dashes around the map slicing up demons.

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As mentioned above, DLSS 3 and Frame Generation can significantly boost titles in 1080p. For Cybeprunk 2077, using the RT Ultra setting, the triple-digit frame-rate result with DLSS 3 represents a 2.8X increase over native 1080p rendering. In Forza Horizon 5, with RT enabled using the game's Extreme visual quality setting, you're looking at a more modest 1.2X increase. For F1 22 and Hitman 3, two titles with great ray-tracing implementations, it's an impressive 2X increase over native 1080p rendering.

DLSS 3 isn't available in every game, but it is something GeForce RTX 4060 owners can tap into - and that's fantastic.

Temperature and Power Efficiency

Undoubtedly, the GeForce RTX 4060 is super efficient; this became apparent when NVIDIA announced the power rating of 115W for the GPU. This is a substantial efficiency gain over the GeForce RTX 3060 (which is made all the more impressive when you factor in the performance uplift); it's also more efficient than AMD's Radeon RX 7600 and its 165W power rating.

Looking at the power draw across our 15-game benchmark suite, the 1080p average power usage of 110W is even lower than the GeForce RTX 3050 - with the bonus of a massive 64.5% increase in performance. Being efficient is one thing, but delivering when it comes to performance is the real kicker. As mentioned, the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 outperforms AMD's latest mainstream GPU by around 9.7% while consuming 30% less power.

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As a compact two-slot GPU, the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2's temperature remains in the 60-65 degree Celsius sweet spot when gaming, with a hot spot in our stress test of 68.9 degrees. An excellent result for INNO3D's entry-level GeForce RTX 4060 option, and with fan speeds remaining below 1400 RPM, it's relatively quiet too.

Final Thoughts

Without a Founders Edition model from NVIDIA, MSRP cards like the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 represent the baseline for the new GeForce RTX 4060 hardware. INNO3D's TWIN X2 design is stylish thanks to its two-tone look and compact thanks to its twin-fan, two-slot build. Adding a metal backplate is worth reiterating because it's not something you usually see in mainstream, entry-level cards.

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Performance-wise, you're looking at a notable 20% uplift over the GeForce RTX 3060 when it comes to 1080p, though that figure drops when you bump up the resolution to 1440p. New technology like DLSS 3's Frame Generation and AV1 encoding for content creation and streaming is excellent for the mainstream card in the Ada Lovelace line-up. In the case of Frame Generation, it can be a game changer, making the previously impossible possible. It works in 1080p, so in a way, that's a mission accomplished for NVIDIA.

Of course, the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 and the GeForce RTX 4060 hardware are imperfect, from the 8GB limitation in memory capacity to the slower memory interface. But, with the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 sitting in that mainstream GPU bracket, there is an expectation that you'll need to tweak settings to get the best performance. In the end, seeing an average frame rate of over 100 fps across 15 titles played with Ultra-like graphics settings make the INNO3D GeForce RTX 4060 TWIN X2 an excellent mainstream choice.