NVIDIA RTX 5060 Review: A Disappointing Step Forward
Introduction
Greetings from the 20th floor! High enough to sit back and dive into our review of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060. Despite efforts to prevent certain shortcomings, here we are—testing the latest midrange GPU from NVIDIA.
Specs & Architecture
The RTX 5060 is based on the same GB206 silicon as the RTX 5060 Ti, featuring:
-
21.9 billion transistors (though not all are utilized)
-
17% fewer cores than the 5060 Ti, but still 25% more than the RTX 4060
-
GDDR7 memory with 448 GB/s bandwidth (a 65% increase over the 4060)
-
8GB VRAM (a major limitation)
-
PCIe 5.0 x8 interface (problematic for older PCIe 3.0/4.0 systems)
The VRAM Problem RTX 5060
The 8GB VRAM buffer is a significant drawback in 2025. While NVIDIA avoided the trap of offering multiple VRAM configurations (unlike the 5060 Ti), this still severely limits performance in modern games at higher resolutions.
Gaming Performance:
Testing was conducted on an AM5 system with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, DDR5-6000 CL30 memory, and an MSI motherboard.
1080p Results:
-
Clare Obscure Expedition 33: 48 FPS (similar to the RTX 3060 Ti, just 17% faster than the 4060)
-
Oblivion Remastered: 45 FPS (matching the RTX 4060 Ti & 3070)
-
Cyberpunk 2077: 100 FPS (equal to the 4060 Ti, 28% faster than the 4060)
-
God of War Ragnarök: 128 FPS (45% faster than the 4060)
-
Star Wars Outlaws: 42 FPS (only 8% faster than the 4060)
1440p Struggles:
Due to 8GB VRAM limitations, performance often drops significantly:
-
Clare Obscure: Unplayable (VRAM bottleneck)
-
Oblivion Remastered: 34 FPS (choppy with 1% lows at 18 FPS)
-
Cyberpunk 2077: 66 FPS (still decent, but textures suffer)
-
The Last of Us Part I: Completely broken (VRAM issues)
Ray Tracing Performance:
The RTX 5060 struggles with ray tracing due to its limited power and VRAM:
-
Alan Wake 2 (DLSS Quality): 36 FPS (20% faster than 4060, but still weak)
-
Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra RT): ~60 FPS (upscaled, not native 1080p)
-
Spider-Man Remastered: 112 FPS (well-optimized, but an exception)
Pricing & Value RTX 5060
MSRP vs. Reality:
-
Official MSRP: $300
-
Actual Retail Price (Newegg): $330 (10% markup)
Cost Per Frame Comparison:
| GPU | Price | Performance | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5060 | $330 | 22% faster than 4060 | $5.35 per frame |
| RX 7700 XT | ~$400 | 6% faster than 5060 | Better long-term value |
| RTX 4060 | ~$280 | Baseline | Worse value |
The Big Problem: 8GB VRAM
At $330, the RTX 5060 is not future-proof. Many games already struggle at 1440p, and texture quality suffers due to VRAM limitations.
Final Verdict RTX 5060: A Missed Opportunity
Pros:
✅ ~22% faster than RTX 4060
✅ Good for 1080p esports (e.g., CS2, Spider-Man)
✅ GDDR7 memory helps in some scenarios
Cons:
❌ 8GB VRAM is inadequate in 2025
❌ PCIe 5.0 x8 hurts older systems
❌ Ray tracing performance is weak
❌ Overpriced for what it offers
Should You Buy It?
No - unless you’re upgrading from a very old GPU and only play at 1080p.
For most gamers, the incoming Radeon RX 9060 XT (with more VRAM) will likely be a far better choice.
Used market alternatives (RTX 3070, RX 7700 XT) offer better longevity.
NVIDIA had a chance to make the RTX 5060 a compelling product by adding more VRAM, but instead, it feels like a discounted RTX 4060 Ti - a GPU that’s already 5 years old in performance terms.
Closing Thoughts
The RTX 5060 is not a bad GPU, but it’s not an exciting one either. With AMD’s next - gen Radeon GPUs on the horizon, this feels like a stopgap release rather than a true upgrade.
For now, wait for alternatives - unless you absolutely need a new GPU today and don’t mind compromising on futureproofing.