I’d so desperately love to do a graphics card evaluate with out the fug of a wider controversy (or cacked-up market conditions), however the RTX 50 sequence hasn’t been notably cooperative in that regard, so why ought to the RTX 5060 be any totally different? This time, the unhappiness cloud comes wafting from Nvidia themselves, amid accusations of engineering dodgy RTX 5060 previews and attempting to trade access for better protection of its Multi Frame Generation (MFG) functionality.
Such scheming, if true and intentional, would recommend a outstanding lack of religion within the RTX 5060’s core, un-frame-genned efficiency. But now that I’ve spent some high quality time with the cardboard myself – impartial of any tit-for-tat preview shenanigans, clearly – it actually isn’t that unhealthy, on pure {hardware} phrases. It’s not outfitted for cut-price 1440p however as an inexpensive 1080p pusher, it’s advantageous. Enough. Affordable. Hardly some disaster that wants a thunder-running PR offensive to cowl up with MFG figures.
The drivers, although? Now there’s a catastrophe. And never due to the convention-breaking lack of early evaluate software program for press hacks – I acquired entry to the RTX 5060’s Sport Reader Driver 576.52 replace on the identical time everybody else did, when each it and the GPU launched on Might nineteenth. The actual downside is that it’s the latest in a series of GeForce driver updates which have invited all method of unforced errors upon video games previous and new, together with a number of of my benchmarking regulars.
Some, like Horizon Forbidden West and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, started struggling sustained framerate drops that they’ve by no means exhibited earlier than. In the meantime, Metro Exodus would crash on startup, and F1 24 would carry out worse with Nvidia’s treasured DLSS body era than with out. Even when these aren’t the fault of the RTX 5060 {hardware}, these driver issues are simply but extra unhealthy vibes round a graphics card that ought to be – just like the RTX 3060 and, after some time, the RTX 4060 earlier than it – a individuals’s champion.
That is, in spite of everything, the extra inexpensive RTX 50 GPU of the bunch, and thus the least taxing entry level (actually, when you’re over the pond in Tariffs Land) into full-spectrum DLSS 4 help. In actual fact the very mannequin you see right here, the properly compact Zotac GeForce RTX 5060 Solo, is considered one of a number of which can be really promoting at RRP/MSRP, or £270 / $299. That’s a snip, by 2025 requirements, particularly when most RTX 5060 Ti fashions have already gained a number of quid. If nothing else, then it’s at the least value trying for some upsides.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 evaluate: 1440p benchmarks
Granted, 1440p possibly isn’t one of the best place to start out the search. After numerous restarts and reloads, I did finally get some usable information from the 576.52 drivers, and at native decision the RTX 5060 does make for visibly smoother framerates than the RTX 4060 in most video games – Metro Exodus and Total War: Warhammer III particularly. However then it solely produced a single further body in Forbidden West, forcing it to drop behind the older and cheaper Intel Arc B580. That is an underdog GPU that the RTX 5060 may additionally solely maintain to a attract each Cyberpunk 2077 and F1 24.
Factors for coming near the Radeon RX 7700 XT, a possible challenger from the second-hand market, but when I used to be speccing a 1440p rig on a funds, I’d nonetheless save up for an RTX 5060 Ti 16GB. Partially as a result of the VRAM distinction does change into evident at this type of rez, notably in Forbidden West, which had a sure jittery high quality that I don’t assume is fully defined by the decrease body output alone. Playable proof suggests 8GB is okay for many 1080p video games, regardless of latest grumbles from tech fanatics, however an additional 8GB on high of that seemingly will assist deal with the rigours of Quad HD.
You’ll additionally want to take a position extra if you wish to partake in path tracing. Even with High quality DLSS upscaling, neither of my path traced check video games may attain 30fps on the RTX 5060, once more making an argument for the RTX 5060 Ti. MFG may get the numbers up, however solely Cyberpunk 2077 at 2x felt remotely playable: at 4x, enter lag went off the charts, and Alan Wake II had a equally sludgy feeling (together with noticeable blurring on digicam actions).
DLSS 4 remains to be one of the best general upscaler/body gen bundle within the biz, however as I appear to say each time it comes up, it simply doesn’t work as a way of smoothening out low efficiency. It’s nice at taking quite-fast video games and making them look even slicker, however that actually wants a basis of ordinarily rendered frames for DLSS to generate new ones from; with out that, it’s the gaming {hardware} equal of sitting in a rusty wheelbarrow with a Ferrari livery. You may decide up some good speeds on the fitting hill, however will not benefit from the sensation.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 evaluate: 1080p benchmarks
Life is a lot better at 1080p. The B580 nonetheless beats the RTX 5060 in Horizon, however solely by a number of frames, and it’s virtually on par with the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB in Metro and Cyberpunk. Not far behind in Warhammer III or Murderer’s Creed Mirage, both.
Vitally, there’s additionally – as a rule – an honest enchancment on the RTX 4060, particularly in Metro and Cyberpunk. That is sustained with the appliance of normal ray tracing, too. Including Extremely-quality RT results to Metro solely introduced the RTX 5060 all the way down to 77fps, whereas the RTX 4060 managed 62fps.
Will it constantly fill out a 165Hz monitor on max high quality? No, however then for lower than £300 it doesn’t have to. It’s advantageous. Enough. Affordable, I keep in mind somebody saying. VRAM-wise, it is best to most likely take into consideration whether or not you would possibly prefer to improve to 1440p inside this card’s shelf life, however in the interim it does seem like you may get away with 8GB at 1080p. I didn’t see way more of that jittering in Forbidden West, for one factor, and a side-jaunt into Doom: The Dark Ages – with its always-on ray tracing and Extremely Nightmare settings – produced a easy, stutter-free 73fps, as soon as once more besting the RTX 4060 at 60fps.
Path tracing stays a questionable endeavour, thoughts. Though the RTX 5060 may crawl to an ostensibly playable 30fps-plus in each video games at this decrease rez, this wasn’t sufficient to keep away from an offputting deluge of enter lag as soon as MFG tried to make up the distinction. Alan Wake 2 wasn’t as blurry as at 1440p, however nonetheless, it felt sharper to only have Extremely-quality ray tracing at 44fps as a substitute.
In equity, I did discover a use case for MFG in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. With Extremely settings, DLSS on High quality and all ray tracing results enabled, Nvidia’s tech turned 53fps into 88fps on 2x and 150fps with a 4x override. Crucially, neither of the heightened outcomes got here with extreme latency, thanks largely to the truth that the RTX 5060 was already working the sport acceptably with out them.
It’s simply unlucky that to get these numbers, I needed to re-run the check each time a type of newfound framerate collapses occurred, on high of getting to restart the sport after each settings change as a result of in any other case they’d kill efficiency for no obvious cause. That’s not due to a latest unhealthy patch on Bioware’s half, and it’s actually not an issue with how the RTX 5060 itself is engineered, with Zotac’s single fan retaining peak GPU temps to a wise 68°c. Nope, this was the fault of my lifelong enemy for the previous two days: these 576.52 drivers.
A chance exists that they’ll be fastened, and may not even get replaced by one thing worse, however at this level, there have been sufficient defective Sport Prepared drivers – whose faults are often particular to the RTX 50 sequence – that it’s change into an issue for the whole GPU household. Sadly, that has to incorporate the RTX 5060. By Nvidia’s personal hand, this places it within the unenviable place of being probably the most highly effective and versatile 1080p graphics card in its worth vary but additionally one which makes the phrases “Sure, you can purchase this” disproportionately troublesome to say out loud. Why would, or ought to, somebody put money into a element when its requisite drivers have such a excessive likelihood of breaking their video games?
This evaluate is predicated on a retail unit supplied by the producer.
