Nvidia’s RTX 3060 is officially the most popular GPU according to Steam survey

Nvidia’s RTX 3060 is officially the most popular gaming GPU in the world, according to the September edition of the Steam Hardware Survey.

Every month, Valve polls Steam users for their gaming PC‘s specifications. While the GTX 1060, 2060, and 1650 all remain near the top, a contender has been steadily challenging their market share. This month, the RTX 3060 finally takes the top spot, officially making it the most popular gaming GPU in the world. This figure also discounts the number of RTX 3060 mobile chips, too.

The RTX 3060 was first introduced in early 2021, and after several years in the market, it’s finally managed to eclipse its predecessors. Originally retailing for $329, the RTX 3060 targeted a large chunk of gamers looking for the latest tech, while also on a budget. Several years on, RTX 4060 has also made its debut. While the 3060’s successor is indeed a powerful GPU, there’s an absolutely minuscule performance uplift between the two cards.

This means that for budget-savvy gamers, picking up a second-hand RTX 3060 might be the better purchase, rather than splashing for the shiny and new RTX 4060 with all of its bells and frame-generated whistles.

Is the RTX 3060 still good in 2023?

MSI

Ideal for pretty much everything – if you don’t want to game higher than 1080p.

The RTX 3060 is still an incredibly accomplished GPU in 2023, thanks to its Ampere architecture, and great rasterized performance in most games. If you’re not looking for a GPU that can also use frame generation, or if you are using a 1080p gaming monitor.

Of course, if DLSS 3 matters to you, and you expect to be using the feature a lot, then consider the 4060, or even an AMD RX 7800 XT, which can use FSR 3, instead.

But, it’s not too surprising to see the RTX 3060 take the top spot here, it’s a fantastic GPU, at a competitive price, which can now be found for even cheaper if you are okay with purchasing used parts for your gaming PC. There’s a reason we think this is the best gaming GPU for most people, and it’s because of this potent combination of value and performance.