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A December 2020 report attributed to Igor’s Lab predicted that Nvidia would show an RTX 3060 around CES 2021 and launch an RTX 3080 Ti after February 17. Nvidia ultimately announced the desktop RTX 3060 on January 12, 2021 and released it on February 25; the RTX 3080 Ti was announced on May 31 and released on June 3. The rumor identified real products, but its schedule and key specifications were not confirmed and did not match the final launches.
What the December 2020 rumor claimed
Contemporary coverage of the Igor’s Lab report described a reshuffled Ampere schedule. The RTX 3060 was reportedly set to take the RTX 3080 Ti’s place at CES 2021, with a 12GB model around CES or early January and a possible 6GB version later in January. The report said the RTX 3080 Ti would be postponed until after February 17, following the Chinese New Year holiday. It also suggested a 20GB GDDR6X card with a CUDA-core count potentially matching the RTX 3090. Tom’s Hardware’s December 2020 report presented all of this as a leak, not an Nvidia announcement.
Nvidia had not confirmed either date or the proposed memory configurations. “After February 17” was a timing window, not a guaranteed February retail launch.
What Nvidia announced in January
Nvidia announced the desktop GeForce RTX 3060 on January 12, 2021. The company listed a $329 starting price, 12GB of GDDR6 memory and availability in late February. The announcement described a partner-board product rather than a standard Nvidia Founders Edition card. Nvidia’s announcement did not establish the rumored 6GB/12GB desktop split.
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That January event was an announcement, not the card’s retail release. Laptop RTX 3060 announcements were a separate product context; the date below concerns the desktop graphics card.
The RTX 3060 actually launched in February
Nvidia said the desktop RTX 3060 became available at 9 a.m. Pacific time on February 25, 2021. Its stated starting price remained $329, and official launch materials centered on a 12GB GDDR6 configuration sold through board partners. Nvidia’s availability notice confirms the retail date. Regional stock and partner-card pricing could differ, and the starting price was not a promise that cards would remain in stock at that amount.
The RTX 3080 Ti missed the February window
The RTX 3080 Ti did not launch in February 2021. Nvidia announced it on May 31 during its Computex announcements and began availability on June 3 at a $1,199 starting price. The Computex announcement and Nvidia’s product release identify those dates.
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- Powered by GeForce RTX 3060
- Integrated with 12GB GDDR6 192-bit memory interface
The retail card used 12GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit interface, not the rumored 20GB configuration. Nvidia’s materials described it as a new gaming flagship. The RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 3070 Ti specifications page provides the confirmed memory details.
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| Product | December 2020 report | Confirmed launch |
|---|---|---|
| RTX 3060 | Possible 12GB GDDR6 card around CES, with a possible 6GB version later in January; timing unconfirmed. | Announced January 12, 2021; desktop release February 25, 2021; 12GB GDDR6; $329 starting price. |
| RTX 3080 Ti | Possible release after February 17; reportedly 20GB GDDR6X and potentially RTX 3090-level CUDA count. | Announced May 31, 2021; released June 3, 2021; 12GB GDDR6X, 384-bit interface; $1,199 starting price. |
The leaked 6GB RTX 3060 and 20GB RTX 3080 Ti should therefore be treated as unconfirmed proposals, not specifications of the standard retail cards.
Why the schedule may have changed
The report described an Nvidia launch reshuffle amid the broader Ampere rollout. In late 2020 and 2021, demand for RTX 30-series cards was exceptionally high, supply was constrained, AMD’s Radeon RX 6000-series created competitive pressure, and Nvidia had product gaps between the RTX 3060 Ti, RTX 3080, RTX 3090 and competing Radeon cards. Those factors provide context for a changing roadmap, but Nvidia did not publicly establish that Chinese New Year, shortages or AMD competition was the specific cause of the RTX 3080 Ti’s delay. The internal reason was not confirmed.
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How to read the original headline today
“Rumored to launch” was accurate wording for the December report because Nvidia had not confirmed the dates. In retrospect, the useful distinction is between an announcement and retail availability:
- RTX 3060: announced January 12, released February 25, 2021.
- RTX 3080 Ti: announced May 31, released June 3, 2021.
The rumor was broadly right that both GPUs were in Nvidia’s Ampere pipeline. It was wrong about the RTX 3060’s January retail timing, the RTX 3080 Ti’s February window and the final RTX 3080 Ti memory capacity.
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Historical pricing versus buying today
The $329 RTX 3060 and $1,199 RTX 3080 Ti figures are original launch starting prices from 2021, not current 2026 market prices. Anyone considering a used card should check warranty status, seller reputation, power-supply requirements and whether a newer-generation GPU offers better performance per dollar. Current stock, used prices and retailer warranties are not established here.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
