RTX 3060 8GB vs Arc B570: Which Graphics Card Should You Buy?

For most people building or upgrading a 1080p gaming PC, the Intel Arc B570 is the better buy: it is faster in rasterized games, carries 10 GB of VRAM instead of 8 GB, and draws less power. The RTX 3060 8GB only makes sense if you find one cheaply used, need NVIDIA-specific software such as CUDA or NVENC-based workflows, or play older DirectX 11 titles where NVIDIA’s mature drivers still give it a steadier experience.

That short answer hides a few important details. The RTX 3060 8GB is not the same card as the original RTX 3060 12GB, the B570 has a narrower PCIe link and some CPU sensitivity, and the two cards support very different upscaling and frame generation stacks. The sections below walk through each of these so you can match the card to your actual system.

MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 8GB GDRR6 Boost Clock: 1807 MHz 128-Bit HDMI/DP PCIe 4 Torx Twin Fan Ampere OC Graphics Card (RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 8G OC)

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ASRock Intel Arc B570 Challenger 10GB OC GDDR6 Graphics Card, 2600 MHz GPU, 19 Gbps Memory, Dual Fan, Metal Backplate, HDMI 2.1a, DisplayPort 2.1, 0dB Cooling

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acer Nitro Intel Arc B570 Overclocking Graphics Card | 10GB GDDR6 | Xe2 18 Cores | Dual Fan Frostblade Cooling System | Graphics Clock 2.69 GHz | 1 x HDMI 2.1 Supporting HDMI 4K & 3 x DisplayPort 2.1

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The Two Cards at a Glance

The RTX 3060 8GB arrived in October 2022 as a cut-down variant of NVIDIA’s popular Ampere mid-ranger. The Arc B570 launched in January 2025 at a $219 MSRP as the entry point to Intel’s second-generation Battlemage lineup. Here is how their specifications line up.

The bandwidth row tells most of the story. The B570 has roughly 58% more memory bandwidth (380 vs 240 GB/s) and three times the L2 cache, which matters a lot for a card running modern games at 1080p with high-resolution textures.

Why the 8GB RTX 3060 Is a Different Animal

Many buyers assume an RTX 3060 is an RTX 3060. It is not. The 8GB version cuts the memory bus from 192-bit to 128-bit, which drops bandwidth to two-thirds of the 12GB card. In Hardware Unboxed’s 12-game comparison (also published by TechSpot), the 8GB model averaged roughly 15–17% slower than the 12GB model at both 1080p and 1440p, with the worst case, Dying Light 2, showing a gap of around 35%. Their test settings were chosen to stay inside the 8 GB buffer, so that deficit comes from bandwidth, not capacity.

This matters for the comparison because most “RTX 3060 vs B570” charts you see online use the 12GB card. If a chart shows the two neck and neck, subtract that bandwidth penalty before applying it to the 8GB model.

Gaming Performance: Raster, Ray Tracing and 1440p

Rasterized games at 1080p

According to TechPowerUp’s B570 review data, the Arc B570 lands just behind the RTX 4060 and just ahead of the Radeon RX 7600 at 1080p, and it beats Intel’s own previous flagship, the Arc A770. KitGuru found the B570 essentially level with or slightly ahead of the RTX 3060 12GB in titles such as Alan Wake 2. Combining that with Hardware Unboxed’s 15–17% gap between the two RTX 3060 versions, the B570 should be roughly 15–25% faster than the RTX 3060 8GB on average in modern games, with bigger leads in bandwidth-heavy titles.

In practical terms, if the RTX 3060 8GB runs a demanding modern title at around 50–60 FPS on high settings at 1080p, the B570 will often sit somewhere in the 60–70 FPS area in the same scene. Those figures are approximate and shift with game patches, settings and your CPU.

1440p

At 1440p the bandwidth gap widens and the 8 GB buffer starts to fill. Neither card is a true 1440p high-settings card in 2025-era games, but the B570 with upscaling enabled is a more realistic 1440p option. The RTX 3060 8GB at 1440p usually needs medium textures and upscaling to stay smooth.

Ray tracing

Ray tracing is closer. Ampere’s second-generation RT cores are capable, and Intel’s Battlemage RT units are strong for the price. Reviews generally show the B570 matching or slightly beating 3060-class cards in lighter RT workloads, but neither card has enough raw speed for heavy path tracing. Treat RT on either card as a “turn on reflections or shadows with upscaling” feature, not a showcase.

Upscaling and Frame Generation

• RTX 3060 8GB: supports DLSS Super Resolution, including the newer DLSS 4 transformer upscaling model, which noticeably improves image quality over older DLSS versions. It does not support NVIDIA’s DLSS Frame Generation (RTX 40 series and newer) or Multi Frame Generation (RTX 50 only). It can use FSR 3.1 frame generation in games that offer it.
• Arc B570: supports XeSS 2, which bundles XeSS Super Resolution, XeSS Frame Generation and Xe Low Latency. Game support for XeSS 2 is narrower than DLSS, but it is growing, and FSR 3.1 works as a fallback.

The DLSS library is still the bigger advantage on the NVIDIA side: more games support it, and the DLSS 4 upscaler looks very clean even at “Performance” mode. If the games you play most only offer DLSS, that narrows the B570’s real-world lead.

VRAM Headroom: How Much Do You Actually Need?

A simple way to think about VRAM in current games:

• 1080p, medium–high textures: 8 GB is usually enough, but some recent titles push past it with high textures or ray tracing enabled.
• 1080p ultra textures plus RT or frame generation: 10–12 GB is the comfortable range. Frame generation itself adds several hundred megabytes of memory use.
• 1440p high settings: 10 GB is a reasonable minimum, 12 GB or more is better for longevity.

The B570’s extra 2 GB is not a huge cushion, but it is the difference between “turn textures down” and “leave textures on high” in a growing number of games.

Power, PSU and Case Fit

Here is a quick PSU sizing calculation using a common rule of thumb: GPU TDP + CPU power + about 150 W of headroom for the motherboard, drives, fans and transient spikes.

Both cards are easy to power. Note the connector difference: the RTX 3060 8GB is listed with a 12-pin input on the reference design, but most partner cards use a standard 8-pin, so check the specific model. The B570 uses a single 8-pin.

For case fit, the B570’s 272 mm reference length is about 30 mm longer than the RTX 3060 8GB’s 242 mm. Both are dual-slot, and both fit most mid-tower cases, but compact Mini-ITX builders should measure clearance, since partner B570 cards vary in length.

Platform Caveats for the B570

Two things trip up B570 buyers in older PCs:

• Resizable BAR: Intel Arc cards depend on ReBAR (also called Smart Access Memory on AMD boards). Without it, performance drops sharply. Most AM4 and Intel 10th-gen-or-newer platforms support it after a BIOS update.
• PCIe x8 and CPU overhead: the B570 uses eight PCIe lanes. On a PCIe 3.0 board that halves available bus bandwidth, which hurts most when VRAM runs out. Hardware Unboxed also documented that Battlemage cards lose more performance than NVIDIA or AMD cards when paired with older, slower CPUs. If you run a Ryzen 5 2600 or Core i5-9400 class chip, the B570’s lead shrinks.

The RTX 3060 8GB uses a full x16 link and is less sensitive to platform age, which is a genuine advantage for owners of older systems.

Used Market Notes

The RTX 3060 8GB is no longer a current product, so most units now sell secondhand. Used prices for the 8GB model usually sit roughly in the $140–$190 range, often below the 12GB version. Be careful with listings that just say “RTX 3060”: ask for a GPU-Z screenshot to confirm memory size and bus width. If the used 8GB card costs nearly as much as a new B570, the newer card with a warranty is the smarter purchase.

Which One Fits Your Build?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the RTX 3060 8GB slower than the RTX 3060 12GB?

Yes. Hardware Unboxed measured the 8GB version about 15–17% slower on average, and up to around 35% slower in bandwidth-heavy games. The cause is the narrower 128-bit memory bus, not just the smaller capacity. Always confirm which version a listing is selling.

Does the Arc B570 work well on older motherboards?

It works, but it needs Resizable BAR enabled to perform properly. On PCIe 3.0 boards its x8 link has half the bus bandwidth, and Battlemage cards are more sensitive to slower CPUs. A system from roughly 2020 onward with ReBAR enabled is the best match.

Can the RTX 3060 8GB use DLSS 4?

It can use the DLSS 4 Super Resolution upscaler with the transformer model, which improves image quality. It cannot use DLSS Frame Generation or Multi Frame Generation, which require RTX 40 and RTX 50 cards respectively. FSR 3.1 frame generation remains an option in supported games.

What power supply do I need for the Arc B570?

A quality 450–550 W unit is plenty for a B570 paired with a typical mid-range CPU. The card is rated at 150 W and uses a single 8-pin connector. Leave more headroom if you run a high-power CPU or plan a future GPU upgrade.

Is 10 GB of VRAM enough for 1080p gaming?

For 1080p, 10 GB covers most current games at high texture settings. It gives more breathing room than 8 GB when you enable ray tracing or frame generation. For 1440p with ultra textures, 12 GB or more is the safer target.