There may be some relief on the horizon for PC gamers, with a new reputation Nvidia will re-release the RTX 3060 GPU. Graphics cards, SSDs and other components have seen rapidly rising prices lately as RAM becomes more difficult and expensive to obtain for both consumers and manufacturers. Now, if leaks are to be believed, Nvidia, one of the biggest players in the PC gaming space, could soften the blow by relaunching a more affordable option.
It hasn't been easy for gamers to get their hands on new, high-end hardware lately. As the global RAM shortage sent shockwaves through the computer parts supply chain, some retailers were listing RTX 5090 GPUs for $3,000 and up, with all signs pointing to even bigger increases on the way. Nvidia has yet to make an official comment on the matter, but there are plenty of rumors about what has been going on behind the scenes. One of the latest could provide an unexpected glimmer of hope in an otherwise difficult time for PC builders.
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The leaker claims that Nvidia will re-release the RTX 3060 in early 2026
On January 5, PC hardware leaker hongxing2020 released a brief but promising claim that Nvidia will bring back the RTX 3060 in the first quarter of 2026. Nvidia stopped making RTX 3060 GPUs at the end of 2024, roughly three years after the line came out. The card was very popular both before and after it was discontinued, and while it may not deliver the kind of performance that the newer 40- and 50-series GPUs do, the price, starting around $330, is a welcome change for many in a sea of sky-high price tags for newer hardware. The affordability, and its use of older, less AI-influenced memory, would make a re-release make sense, although there's no official confirmation, and hongxing2020 didn't provide any further details.
Despite the lack of details, hongxing2020's statements carry some weight, given the leaker's history of accurate claims. Previously, they had correctly leaked Nvidia's RTX 5050 to be released in July 2025. They also predicted a delay for the 50 Super series of GPUs, which seems likely in light of how Nvidia has confirmed that it will not show off any new GPUs at CES 2026. Relaunching the company's sales could also help 3 grace despite rising RAM prices, especially amid rumors that Nvidia will reduce production of the 50 series GPUs to account for cost.
If Nvidia revives the 3060, the GPU would not be completely immune to rising RAM costs, as it still needs memory which is affected by the shortage. However, it uses DDR6 rather than the more expensive DDR7 and, most importantly, uses much less RAM than Nvidia's newer line of graphics cards. According to the latest Steam hardware survey, the RTX 3060 8GB is the most popular GPU today, and this 8GB is a far cry from the 50 series, which can use as much as 32GB of VRAM. Even if the re-released 3060 comes with a higher price tag than it did in 2021, the lower specs would mean it would still be much cheaper to produce than a 50-series or 40-series alternative.
The move would make sense beyond catering to price-conscious consumers. Rising RAM costs are also affecting companies like Nvidia, with Samsung reportedly doubling what it charges manufacturers for DDR5 as it reserves more of its memory production for AI use. Pivoting to focus on making lower-spec GPUs could lower Nvidia's own spending to help it weather the storm. Of course, the return of the 3060s is just a rumor at the moment, so players will have to wait and see how things play out.
- Date founded
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April 1, 1993
- Head office
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Santa Clara, California, USA
- CEO
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Jensen Huang
- Subsidiary
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Mellanox Technologies, Cumulus Networks, NVIDIA Advanced Rendering Center
