ASUS GeForce RTX 3060 Phoenix V2 12GB GDDR6

The ASUS GeForce RTX 3060 Phoenix is a compact 12GB graphics card that handles 1080p gaming well, especially with DLSS. Its single-fan design runs hot and loud, and prices vary wildly between retailers. It's a solid budget pick if you can find it under USD 400 and need a small card, but there are better options for most builds.

The RTX 3060 Phoenix puts up a PassMark G3D score of 16,890, which lands it in the middle of the pack for raster performance. That translates to smooth 1080p gaming in most titles at high settings, and playable 1440p if you're willing to dial things back or lean on DLSS. The 3,584 CUDA cores and 1807MHz boost clock give it enough grunt for esports titles at high refresh rates, but don't expect to max out Cyberpunk 2077 without DLSS doing some heavy lifting.

Ray tracing performance is where this card shows its age. The 30 RT cores are second-gen, which was impressive in 2021, but compared to the RTX 40 series and newer cards, it's a noticeable step down. You'll want DLSS enabled for any ray-traced title, and even then, expect 60fps at 1080p rather than 1440p. The 12GB of VRAM is the saving grace here. Games like Hogwarts Legacy and The Last of Us Part I that eat VRAM for breakfast will run without stuttering, which is more than we can say for some 8GB cards in this price range.

Thermals are a weak spot. The single fan has to work hard to keep this 170W card cool, and our data puts thermal performance near the bottom of the charts. In a well-ventilated case it's fine, but in a cramped SFF build, expect the fan to spin up and get audible under load.

Against the newer RTX 40 series cards like the PNY VERTO RTX 4070 Ti Super, the Phoenix gets absolutely smoked. The 4070 Ti Super has more than double the CUDA cores and significantly better ray tracing performance. But it also costs a lot more, so that's not really a fair fight. The more relevant comparison is against other RTX 3060 variants and AMD's RX 6600 XT or RX 6700 XT. The AMD cards often beat the 3060 in raw rasterization at similar prices, but you lose DLSS and the better ray tracing support.

Compared to the Gigabyte AORUS RTX 5080 or MSI Suprim RTX 5080, well, those are in a completely different universe. Those are USD 1,000+ cards with 16GB of GDDR7 and performance that makes the 3060 look like a calculator. The ZOTAC SOLID SFF OC is an interesting one though. It's also a compact card, but with much newer architecture. If you need a small card and have the budget, that's the better buy. The Phoenix is really for people who need something compact and cheap, and are willing to accept the thermal and performance compromises that come with that.

The RTX 3060 Phoenix's value depends entirely on where you buy it. We've tracked prices from USD 350 to USD 635 across US retailers, and that USD 285 spread is the difference between "great budget pick" and "why would you do this to yourself." At USD 350, this card makes a lot of sense for a 1080p build. At USD 635, you're within spitting distance of cards that absolutely demolish it. If you're shopping in Europe, the spread is even more dramatic, ranging from EUR 665 to EUR 1,477. At the lower end of that range, it's a reasonable buy. At the upper end, you're paying RTX 4070 money for RTX 3060 performance. Shop around, check multiple retailers, and don't get hosed.

The ASUS GeForce RTX 3060 Phoenix sits in that sweet spot for budget-conscious builders who still want modern features like ray tracing and DLSS. It's a compact single-fan card, just 177mm long, which makes it a great fit for small form factor cases or prebuilts with limited clearance. The 12GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus is actually more VRAM than some newer cards in this price bracket, and that matters for texture-heavy games and creative work.

We've seen this card bounce around between USD 350 and USD 635 across US retailers, which is a wild spread. At the lower end it's a solid deal. At the upper end, you're paying too much for what is, at its core, a mid-range card from 2021. The Phoenix branding is ASUS's budget line, so you get a functional cooler and a backplate, but don't expect the fancy RGB or massive heatsinks from their ROG Strix cards.

For 1080p gaming, this card does the job. It's not going to blow anyone away at 1440p, but if you're on a 1080p monitor and want to play modern titles at high settings with DLSS enabled, this is a reasonable entry point into the RTX ecosystem.

Skip this card if you're building a standard ATX mid-tower with good airflow. The single-fan design is a compromise for small cases, and in a regular case you'd be better served by a dual or triple-fan RTX 3060 variant, or stepping up to an RX 6700 XT or RTX 4060 for similar money. Also skip it if you're planning to game at 1440p or higher, or if you care about ray tracing performance. The RT cores here are dated, and you'll be disappointed if you're expecting modern ray-traced visuals at high frame rates. Content creators doing heavy 4K video editing or 3D rendering should look at something with more compute power too. The 12GB of VRAM is nice, but the raw compute performance is middle of the pack at best.

Should you buy the ASUS RTX 3060 Phoenix? If you can find it for under USD 400, you're building a small form factor PC, and you want 12GB of VRAM without breaking the bank, then yes. It's a competent 1080p card that handles modern games well, especially with DLSS. The compact size is genuinely useful, and the 12GB of VRAM gives it more longevity than you'd expect from a card this old.

But if you have a normal-sized case, or you're willing to spend a bit more, there are better options. The single fan is a real limitation, and the thermal performance is one of the weakest we've seen in this category. This card makes sense in specific scenarios, not as a general recommendation. Know what you're getting into, and don't overpay.