Compact MSI RTX 3060 and 3060 Ti AERO ITX Graphics Cards

MSI has introduced two new graphics cards in its AERO Mini ITX series. Both models look virtually identical, share the exact same PCB, and feature the same rear I/O layout. However, the RTX 3060 and RTX 3060 Ti AERO ITX differ under the hood, using GPUs with different core configurations: the RTX 3060 Ti packs a GA104 GPU with 4,864 active CUDA cores, while the standard RTX 3060 features just 3,584.

Beyond the core count, there is also a noticeable difference in VRAM: the Ti model comes with 8 GB of 14 Gbps GDDR6, while the non-Ti version gets 12 GB of faster 15 Gbps GDDR6.

Both MSI AERO ITX models share the same dimensions (172 x 125 x 43 mm), but the RTX 3060 Ti is 56 grams heavier than the standard RTX 3060 (559g vs 503g).

However, as the photos show, the cooling system on the MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ti AERO ITX is slightly more robust: the higher-tier card uses four direct-contact heat pipes, while the cheaper model gets by with just two.

Both cards come with a factory overclock: the RTX 3060 Ti boosts to 1695 MHz, and the RTX 3060 goes up to 1792 MHz. However, this modest bump is unlikely to make a noticeable difference in real-world performance. Not that it matters for the AERO ITX series anyway—these cards aren't built for heavy overclocking.

Here are the full specifications for the new cards:

RTX 3060 AERO ITX OC

GPU - 1792 MHz
GDDR6 - 12 GB, 15 Gbps
DisplayPort x 3
HDMI x 1 (supports 4K @ 120Hz as specified in HDMI 2.1)

RTX 3060 Ti AERO ITX OC

GPU - 1695 MHz