Quadro RTX 6000 vs RTX 3060

TuringvsAmpereUpdated 36 days ago

The RTX 3060 emerges as the winner for most common machine learning use cases due to its availability from $0.03 per hour, lower 170 W TDP, and newer Ampere architecture, despite the Quadro RTX 6000's superior 24 GB VRAM and 16.3 TFLOPS performance. Accessibility and efficiency outweigh raw specs for cloud-based training and inference.

RTX 3060 from $0.23/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecQUADRO-RTX-6000RTX-3060
TDP260W170W
VRAM24 GB12 GB
CUDA Cores4,6083,584
Memory TypeGDDR6GDDR6
ArchitectureTuringAmpere
Form FactorsPCIePCIe
InterconnectNVLink
Tensor Cores576112
FP16 Performance16.3 TFLOPS12.7 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance16.3 TFLOPS12.7 TFLOPS
Memory Bandwidth672 GB/s360 GB/s

Performance Analysis

FP16 performance stands at 16.3 TFLOPS for the Quadro RTX 6000 and 12.7 TFLOPS for the RTX 3060, indicating the former handles half-precision training and inference 28 percent faster based on peak throughput. FP32 matches these figures exactly for both, suiting single-precision scientific computing equally. The Quadro RTX 6000's identical FP16 and FP32 rates optimize mixed-precision workflows without bottlenecks.

Memory differences prove critical: 24 GB VRAM in the Quadro RTX 6000 supports batch sizes twice that of the RTX 3060's 12 GB, reducing offloading to host RAM in large model training. Bandwidth of 672 GB/s versus 360 GB/s doubles data transfer rates, accelerating gradient updates and enabling larger effective batch sizes in memory-constrained inference. Ampere's architectural refinements in the RTX 3060 may yield real-world efficiency gains despite lower specs.

Higher 260 W TDP in the Quadro RTX 6000 demands robust cooling compared to 170 W in the RTX 3060, impacting deployment in power-sensitive clouds.

Live Cloud Pricing

Real-time prices from 25+ providers. Updated every 60 seconds.

RTX 3060

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
12GB VRAM
$0.23/GPU/hr
Available
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
12GB VRAM
$0.23/GPU/hr
Available
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
12GB VRAM
$0.23/GPU/hr
Available
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
2×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
12GB VRAM
$0.23/GPU/hr
$0.45/hr total (2×)
Available

Compare real-time pricing across 25+ providers

When to Choose the Quadro RTX 6000

The Quadro RTX 6000 excels in scenarios requiring extensive VRAM, such as training models exceeding 12 GB like certain LLMs, where its 24 GB capacity prevents fragmentation issues. NVLink support facilitates multi-GPU setups for scaling beyond single-card limits, ideal for professional visualization or simulation workloads leveraging 672 GB/s bandwidth.

When to Choose the RTX 3060

Opt for the RTX 3060 in cost-sensitive environments with its cloud pricing from $0.03 per hour and average $0.07 per hour across 12 offers, unavailable for the Quadro RTX 6000. Lower 170 W TDP suits edge deployments or dense clusters, while Ampere architecture from 2021 provides modern tensor core efficiencies for inference at 12.7 TFLOPS FP16.

Use Cases

LLM Training
Quadro RTX 6000

24 GB VRAM handles larger models without splitting batches, unlike 12 GB in the RTX 3060. Higher 672 GB/s bandwidth speeds gradient computations.

LLM Inference
RTX 3060

RTX 3060's $0.03 per hour pricing and 170 W TDP optimize cost for high-throughput serving. 12.7 TFLOPS FP16 suffices for most inference loads.

Fine-tuning
Either

Both offer comparable FP32 at 16.3 TFLOPS and 12.7 TFLOPS; choose Quadro RTX 6000 for datasets over 12 GB or RTX 3060 for budget.

Stable Diffusion
Quadro RTX 6000

24 GB VRAM supports high-resolution generations without OOM errors, exceeding RTX 3060's 12 GB limit. NVLink aids multi-GPU rendering.

Scientific Computing
RTX 3060

Ampere's 2021 efficiency and 360 GB/s bandwidth handle simulations cost-effectively at $0.07 per hour average. Lower TDP fits clusters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Quadro RTX 6000 have more VRAM than the RTX 3060?

Yes, the Quadro RTX 6000 provides 24 GB GDDR6 compared to 12 GB in the RTX 3060. This doubles capacity for large models. Bandwidth also doubles at 672 GB/s versus 360 GB/s.

Which has higher FP32 performance?

The Quadro RTX 6000 achieves 16.3 TFLOPS FP32, surpassing the RTX 3060's 12.7 TFLOPS by 28 percent. FP16 matches these peaks for both GPUs.

Is the RTX 3060 available in the cloud?

Yes, RTX 3060 offers start at $0.03 per hour with an average of $0.07 per hour across 12 providers. No live offers exist for Quadro RTX 6000.

What is the power consumption difference?

Quadro RTX 6000 draws 260 W TDP, while RTX 3060 uses 170 W. This makes RTX 3060 more suitable for power-limited setups.

Can these GPUs connect via NVLink?

Quadro RTX 6000 supports NVLink for multi-GPU communication. RTX 3060 lacks this interconnect, relying on PCIe alone.

Which architecture is newer?

RTX 3060 uses Ampere from 2021, newer than Turing in Quadro RTX 6000 from 2018. This brings efficiency improvements despite lower peak specs.

Which is cheaper to rent, the Quadro RTX 6000 or the RTX 3060?

Cloud rental prices for both the Quadro RTX 6000 and RTX 3060 vary by provider, configuration, and availability. This page shows live pricing from 25+ providers updated every 60 seconds. Scroll to the Live Cloud Pricing section to compare current rates.

How much VRAM does the Quadro RTX 6000 have compared to the RTX 3060?

The Quadro RTX 6000 has 24 GB of GDDR6 memory. The RTX 3060 has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Can I find Quadro RTX 6000 and RTX 3060 GPUs available to rent right now?

Yes. This page shows real-time availability across 25+ cloud GPU providers. The Live Cloud Pricing section displays only in-stock offers with current pricing.

What is the main difference between the Quadro RTX 6000 and the RTX 3060?

The Quadro RTX 6000 uses the Turing architecture (2018) while the RTX 3060 uses Ampere (2021). The Quadro RTX 6000 delivers 1.3x the FP16 throughput and 1.9x the memory bandwidth of the RTX 3060.