Exclusive Insider Insights: Unveiling the Mysteriously Coveted Nvidia RTX 4060TI 16GB Review Unit

Nvidia has already confirmed the upcoming release of the GeForce RTX 4060Ti with 16GB VRAM, although an exact date has not been provided. Rumors indicate that the card may be launched on July 18. Interestingly, it appears that both Nvidia and its partners are reluctant to send out GPUs for review. If this is true, those hoping for day 1 benchmarks of the RTX 4060Ti may be disappointed, unless reviewers are able to acquire the graphics card through retailers in time.

The initial release of the GeForce RTX 4060Ti in May with 8GB VRAM received a somewhat lackluster response from the community. The card is priced at $399 for the Founders Edition (FE), with the board partner cards being slightly more expensive. Nvidia also announced the introduction of a 16GB VRAM variant of the card in July, but did not provide a specific date. Notably, a recent leak on Twitter suggested a launch date of July 18 for the GeForce RTX 4060Ti 16GB. Twitter user @Zed__Wang shared what appears to be the embargo timeline for the card, revealing the on-shelf date as July 18.

With just a week remaining before the speculated release, Nvidia and its partners do not seem enthusiastic about the launch of the GeForce RTX 4060Ti 16GB. Unlike previous GPU launches, Nvidia appears to be taking a less active role in the launch/review process. They are not soliciting a list of influences and reviewers from their board partners, nor dictating when reviewers can publish their results or overseeing the testing process. Additionally, unlike the 8GB model, there will be no Founders Edition of the 16GB variant.

A well-known reviewer, Hardware Unboxed, recently shared on Twitter that neither Nvidia nor its partners are interested in providing GPUs for review. They contacted all the Nvidia partners who stated that they will not be providing review samples and are uncertain about the availability of their version of the card. If this situation persists, there will be inadequate coverage of the RTX 4060Ti 16GB at its launch, and those looking to obtain the card early will not have access to proper benchmarking numbers.

Reviewers have previously had the opportunity to obtain a GPU from retailers before the embargo and conduct their testing in order to have the data ready for the product launch. However, it remains uncertain if this will be the case for the RTX 4060Ti 16GB.

In terms of pricing, it is expected that the 16GB variant will cost an additional $100 compared to the 8GB variant, resulting in a retail price of $499 or possibly higher at launch, as there is no Founders Edition version available. This price point further detracts from the card's appeal, especially considering that the RTX 4060Ti 8GB itself is not considered a good value at $399.