Quick answer
The RTX 5060 and RX 9060 XT 16GB are about even for gaming in our index (scores 45 and 47, within 5%). The RX 9060 XT 16GB has more VRAM (16GB vs 8GB).
A side-by-side look at the GeForce RTX 5060 and the Radeon RX 9060 XT (16GB) using the specs from each maker and ComputingSkill’s gaming scores, the same numbers our calculators and tier list use. Prices change too often to compare here, so check current prices against the performance gap below.
Specs Side by Side
| RTX 5060 | RX 9060 XT 16GB | |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Blackwell | RDNA 4 |
| VRAM | 8GB GDDR7 | 16GB GDDR6 |
| Memory bus | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| Boost clock | 2500 MHz | 3130 MHz |
| Shaders | 3,840 CUDA Cores | 32 Compute Units |
| Board power | 145W | 160W |
| Maker’s recommended PSU | 550W | 450W |
| Upscaling / frame generation | DLSS 4 upscaling and Multi Frame Generation (up to 4x) | FSR 4 upscaling and frame generation, plus AFMF in the driver |
| Released | 2025 | 2025 |
| Gaming score (tier) | 45 (C) | 47 (C) |
Specs: RTX 5060 official page and RX 9060 XT 16GB official page. Scores are ComputingSkill’s gaming index, positioned from publicly reported review averages, not our own benchmarks (methodology).
Clock speeds and shader counts can’t be compared across brands, which is why the gaming score is the fairer measure.
Gaming Performance
Estimated average FPS in a typical AAA game, from the FPS Calculator’s formula, with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D so the cards are the limit. * marks a figure held back by the CPU. Ray tracing, upscaling and frame generation are not included.
| Resolution, settings | RTX 5060 | RX 9060 XT 16GB | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p, high | 113 | 118 | RX 9060 XT 16GB +4% |
| 1440p, high | 73 | 77 | RX 9060 XT 16GB +4% |
| 4K, high | 35 | 45 | RX 9060 XT 16GB +31% |
| 1080p, ultra | 90 | 94 | RX 9060 XT 16GB +4% |
| 1440p, ultra | 53 | 61 | RX 9060 XT 16GB +16% |
| 4K, ultra | 26 | 36 | RX 9060 XT 16GB +39% |
VRAM
RTX 5060: 8GB of VRAM is enough for ultra textures at 1080p, enough for high (not ultra) textures at 1440p and below the 12GB our VRAM rule asks for at 4K high settings, so expect to lower texture quality there.
RX 9060 XT 16GB: 16GB of VRAM is enough for ultra textures at 1080p, 1440p and 4K.
With Your CPU
A faster card only pays off when your CPU can feed it. Here is each card with common processors in our bottleneck engine (typical AAA game, high settings). “GPU-limited” is normal; a CPU % is how much of the card goes unused.
| CPU | RTX 5060 | RX 9060 XT 16GB |
|---|---|---|
| Core i3-12100F | CPU ~9% / GPU-limited | CPU ~13% / GPU-limited |
| Ryzen 5 5600 | Balanced / GPU-limited | CPU ~6% / GPU-limited |
| Core i5-12400F | Balanced / GPU-limited | Balanced / GPU-limited |
| Ryzen 5 7600 | GPU-limited / GPU-limited | GPU-limited / GPU-limited |
| Core i5-14600K | GPU-limited / GPU-limited | GPU-limited / GPU-limited |
| Ryzen 7 7800X3D | GPU-limited / GPU-limited | GPU-limited / GPU-limited |
Power and PSU
With a Ryzen 5 7600, the PSU Calculator recommends 550W for a PC with the RTX 5060 and 450W with the RX 9060 XT 16GB. The makers’ own recommendations are 550W and 450W.
Which Should You Buy?
- Performance is close enough that price, VRAM and features should decide.
- For 1440p, 4K or keeping the card for years, the RX 9060 XT 16GB’s extra VRAM is the safer choice.
- Features differ: the RTX 5060 offers DLSS 4 upscaling and Multi Frame Generation (up to 4x); the RX 9060 XT 16GB offers FSR 4 upscaling and frame generation, plus AFMF in the driver.
- Not sure your CPU keeps up? Check your exact pair in the PC Bottleneck Calculator.
More comparisons: Arc B580 vs RTX 5060, RTX 4060 vs RTX 5060, RTX 5060 Ti 16GB vs RX 9060 XT 16GB and RX 7600 vs RX 9060 XT 16GB. Every card ranked: GPU tier list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the RTX 5060 better than the RX 9060 XT 16GB?
They are about even for gaming in our index (45 vs 47). Pick on price, VRAM and features.
Which is better for 1440p, the RTX 5060 or the RX 9060 XT 16GB?
At 1440p high the RTX 5060 averages about 73 FPS and the RX 9060 XT 16GB about 77 FPS in a typical AAA game with a fast CPU. The RX 9060 XT 16GB has more VRAM headroom there.
Which uses less power?
The RTX 5060 (145W board power vs 160W).