MSI just had to unlaunch its RTX 3060 Ti Super 3X because it's not actually 'Super'
There technically is no RTX 3060 Ti Super.
MSI recalls its RTX 3060 Ti Super 3X just a week after release because Nvidia wasn’t too keen on its name.
HKEPC (via videocardZ) reports that MSI is pulling the RTX 3060 Ti Super 3X graphics card series in China at the request of Nvidia. The "Super" branding could cause confusion among consumers, suggesting that this is a new line of Nvidia RTX 30-series GPUs in Asia. Nvidia used "Super" for some slightly upgraded 20-series cards, but there were no RTX 30-series Supers.
I doubt MSI's intention was to mislead: The company probably chose the name to highlight the card's massive Suprim cooler. It makes you wonder why MSI didn't call the Super 3X the "Suprim 3X," though I'll admit that "Super" has a better mouthfeel than "Suprim." It's also weird that Nvidia waited until after MSI launched the product to address the issue.
The card itself sported a triple-fan design with RGB and a clock speed of up to 1,845 MHz, making it a touch faster than Nvidia’s reference GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Not quite "Super," but still faster.
There's no telling if Nvidia is forcing this recall because it's potentially planning a "Super" revival with its 40-Series cards in the future. But it does seem like an easily avoidable faux pas on MSI's part. We haven't seen the Super branding on Nvidia GPUs since the RTX 20-series, but once Nvidia's made it part of the branding, you can't just trot out a word like that without confusing people.
This isn't the first time an RTX GPU had to be "unlaunched" over naming issues. Nvidia had to delay the RTX 4080 12GB launch after admitting that "having two GPUs with the 4080 designation is confusing." The GPU was later released as the RTX 4070 Ti in January.
The MSI RTX 3060 Ti Super 3X was only sold in China and is no longer available to purchase online. MSI will likely relaunch the graphics card under a new name. Personally, I think they should double down and call it the MSI RTX 3060 Ti Super 3X Super X Super. You know, a Super for each fan. It's a good thing I don't work in marketing anymore.
Nvidia declined to comment when reached by PC Gamer.