Abstract:

This video presents a detailed, independently conducted review of the Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU, purchased by the reviewers due to Nvidia's refusal to provide samples. The review provides extensive benchmark data across various games (Starfield, Dragon's Dogma 2, Final Fantasy 14, Resident Evil 4, Blacksmith, Dying Light 2, Cyberpunk 2077) at multiple resolutions (1080p, 1440p, 4K) and with ray tracing enabled. The analysis highlights the 5060's underwhelming performance, frequently matching or only marginally surpassing older cards like the RTX 3070 and 3060 Ti, while being severely hampered by its limited 8GB GDDR7 VRAM. The video also criticizes Nvidia's aggressive product segmentation, "shrinkflation" practices, and perceived anti-consumer behavior, strongly advising potential buyers to delay their purchase until the release of the upcoming AMD RX 960 XT review for a comprehensive market comparison.

Review of the Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU

• 0:00 - 0:02 Independent Acquisition: The reviewer purchased the RTX 5060 directly as Nvidia did not provide review samples, signaling a commitment to independent journalism.
• 0:43 - 0:57 Real-World Pricing: The cards were bought for $330 (Newegg) and $360 (Taiwan), with the review focusing on actual paid prices rather than theoretical MSRPs.
• 1:42 - 2:18 Performance Overview: The RTX 5060 offers modest generational gains, performing similarly to an RTX 3070, and is typically 15-25% slower than the 5060 Ti. It shows about 6-27% improvement over the 4060 and 34-49% over the 3060.
• 2:18 - 2:23 VRAM Limitation: The 8GB GDDR7 VRAM is identified as a critical and growing bottleneck for modern games.
• 2:24 - 2:34 Emerging Competition: Intel's B580 GPU is noted for occasionally matching the 5060's performance, indicating Intel's increasing competitiveness.
• 2:36 - 2:42 Immediate Recommendation: Viewers are strongly advised to wait for the imminent launch and review of AMD's RX 960 XT before considering a purchase.
• 3:43 - 4:18 Core Specifications: The 5060 features 8GB GDDR7 memory on an "anemic" 128-bit bus, 3,840 CUDA cores, and uses a PCIe 5.0 x8 interface in a half-length slot, indicative of a "cut down" design.
• 4:40 - 5:33 Criticism of Nvidia's Strategy: The 5060 is deemed undeserving of the "RTX" branding and is presented as an example of Nvidia's "shrinkflation" and "anti-consumer behavior" that is damaging the PC gaming industry.
• 5:39 - 8:50 Starfield Benchmarks (Rasterization):
  • At 1080p, the 5060 achieved 66 FPS, a mere 3.1% improvement over the 3060 Ti and 6.6% over the 4060.
  • At 1440p, it ran at 52 FPS, slightly trailing the 3070 and functionally identical to the 3060 Ti.
  • 4K performance was unplayable at 33 FPS.
• 8:52 - 10:48 Dragon's Dogma 2 Benchmarks (Rasterization):
  • At 1440p, the 5060 averaged 57 FPS, equating to the 4060 Ti 16GB (despite half the VRAM) and the 3070.
  • At 1080p, it hit 76 FPS, roughly tying the 3070 and 3060 Ti.
• 11:57 - 13:58 Final Fantasy 14 Benchmarks (Rasterization):
  • At 4K, the 5060 was embarrassingly outperformed by Intel's B580 (47 FPS vs. 47 FPS, but Intel's lows were better).
  • At 1440p, it was again tied with the Intel B580, and the 3060 Ti actually led the 5060 by 3%.
• 13:59 - 15:51 Resident Evil 4 Benchmarks (Rasterization):
  • At 4K, it averaged 46 FPS, essentially tying the RTX 3070 and Intel A770.
  • At 1440p, it ran at 91 FPS, functionally equal to the 4060 Ti.
• 15:52 - 17:22 Blacksmith who call Benchmarks (Rasterization):
  • 4K was unplayable at 25 FPS.
  • At 1440p, it managed 46 FPS, tying with the 3070, 7700 XT, and 4060 Ti 16GB (which has more VRAM).
  • At 1080p, it achieved a playable 66 FPS, indistinguishable from various previous-gen cards.
• 17:23 - 18:20 Dying Light 2 Benchmarks (Rasterization):
  • At 4K, it tied the 2080 Ti with 32 FPS.
  • At 1440p, Intel's B580 notably outperformed the 5060.
• 18:21 - 19:10 Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty Benchmarks (Rasterization):
  • At 4K, it averaged 24.4 FPS, similar to the 3070.
  • At 1440p, it hit 55 FPS, positioned between the 3070 Ti and 3070.
  • At 1080p, it reached 89 FPS, still sandwiched by the 3070 and 3070 Ti.
• 19:11 - 24:12 Ray Tracing Benchmarks: Generally poor at 4K (unplayable). At lower resolutions with upscaling, performance improved but often remained competitive with or slightly behind previous-generation cards. Intel's ARC GPUs, while inconsistent in lows, showed competitive ray tracing performance.
• 24:13 - 24:29 Future Data Release: Power consumption and efficiency data for the 5060 will be published in the upcoming RX 960 XT review for direct comparison.
• 24:30 - 25:58 Final Recommendation & Critique: The reviewer strongly advises against buying the RTX 5060 currently, reiterating that Nvidia's product segmentation and market practices are "damaging the PC gaming hobby." The channel will continue to buy GPUs independently if samples are not provided.