Question Clueless about picking new GPU

[MBurner]

Haven't bought a GPU since 2015 and didn't know much about what I was doing then either.

Current GPU was a 970, currently running off of my motherboard since the gpu up and died last night. power supply is Corsair CX Series CX600M 600 Watt ATX.
Purchase date: ASAP, I need a replacement in my machine yesterday and would rush to get it overnight amazon if it's available.
Usage is for gaming, I've been held back a bit by the fact it's an aging 970 but I'd like to be able to play stuff like Starfield when it comes out. I've also been playing around with AI art stuff on the side using remote machines and would be interested in doing it locally. I don't know anything about overclocking or any of that.
Budget is roughly $300-400

I was looking at the 4060 and 3060 since they're both generally in the budget range before prices start doubling but i'm confused about which is better as while the 4060 is newer and all it also has less vram than the 3060 but I don't know how much more important that is compared to any advantages the 4060 already has. I'm also not sure about the signifgance/worth of the ti models?

 

[DSzymborski]

PCPartPicker Part List

Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12G GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card ($299.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RM750e (2023) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $399.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-08-13 12:50 EDT-0400

PCPartPicker Part List

Video Card: Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC GeForce RTX 4060 8 GB Video Card ($299.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RM750e (2023) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $399.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-08-13 12:49 EDT-0400

It's dependent on what's more important to you. You've already noted there's a tradeoff and if you're playing with AI, the VRAM can be an issue. You can also choose to go AMD though it can require more legwork to get AI stuff working well.

The PSU wasn't even good when it was new a decade ago. If that's not part of the upgrade, then just buy a used GTX 970 for $70-85 or so and ride that one until it dies.

 

[MBurner]

It's dependent on what's more important to you. You've already noted there's a tradeoff and if you're playing with AI, the VRAM can be an issue. You can also choose to go AMD though it can require more legwork to get AI stuff working well.

The PSU wasn't even good when it was new a decade ago. If that's not part of the upgrade, then just buy a used GTX 970 for $70-85 or so and ride that one until it dies.

If I'm not doing anything crazy would I even notice the difference between the 3060 and 4060? Ive tried googling stuff but seeing a bunch of bars and being told it's like 23% better at stuff isn't as informative as I'd think.

Also if I'm upgrading the power supply does that need to be done simultaneously? Shipping for most GPU i've looked at are as soon as next day but getting the psu your recommended is anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks depending on where I get it from.

 

[geofelt]

Here is a handy sizing chart for power supplies:

PSU REQUIREMENTS - RealHardTechX

PSU REQUIREMENTS - RealHardTechX

www.realhardtechx.com

It might suggest that 550w is sufficient.
But, new gen graphics cards can have higher than nominal power peaks.
A stronger psu is better able to handle that.
Graphics card upgrades are your most likely future upgrade.
Plan for that and buy something in 750w or even more.
A psu will only use the power demanded of it, regardless of the max capability.
You will usually find smallish incremental differences as power is increased.
Above all, buy only a quality unit with at least a 7 year warranty.
Corsair RMx and Seasonic focus/prime are good places to start.

 

[MBurner]

Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12G GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card ($299.99 @ Amazon)

Looks like that card in particular sold out, would this be a decent alternative for a 3060?

https://www.amazon.com/ZOTAC-GeForce-Graphics-IceStorm-ZT-A30600H-10M/dp/B08W8DGK3X/ref=sr_1_3?crid=19SEFXTIIVKER&keywords=zotac+3060+amp&qid=1691940826&s=electronics&sprefix=zotac+3060+amp%2Celectronics%2C92&sr=1-3

My brother has a 3060 ti, I'm trying to look that up but is it the same case as with the 4060 where they only seem to have 8gb vram?

As an additional note I was just told it's a tax free weekend in my state so that adds some urgency to save some money if I buy asap. I grabbed the recommended psu already since that was simple enough.