RTX 5060 Ti 8GB “Instantly Obsolete” reviewer confirms after testing

Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti lags behind its 16GB counterpart due to insufficient VRAM – Review confirms

Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti is available in two forms: the 16GB model and the 8GB model. At launch, there were almost no reviews for the graphics card’s 8GB model, with the only exception being some smaller media outlets in Asia. Hardware Unboxed claimed that Nvidia “explicitly prevented” its partners from giving 8GB GPUs to reviewers for testing.

Now, Hardware Unboxed is back with a video comparing Nvidia’s 8GB and 16GB RTX 5060 Ti GPUs. Their video showcased both GPUs running 5 different games using across several different resolutions and graphical presets. In all instances, the 16GB GPU outperformed its 8GB counterpart.

In several instances, Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti 16 outperformed its lower-VRAM counterpart by a huge margin. For the 4K The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered test below, average framerates were over 100% higher. Yes, this 4K test is a little extreme, but it’s worth noting that the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB is delivering 60+ FPS performance at 4K.

At 1440p Very High Settings, the average framerates of the 16GB model remained over 30% higher than its 8GB counterpart during Hardware Unboxed’s full test run. 1% lows were said to be 215% higher with the 16GB graphics card. Even at 1440p, 8GB of VRAM is insufficient in The Last of Us Part II at these settings.

Below, we can see that at 1440p high settings that the 8GB GPU inches closer to its 16GB counterpart. Even so, the 16GB version remains 18% faster on average and delivers 35% higher lower percentile framerates.Clearly VRAM capacity matters, and 8GB GPUs have problems.

Bad news for Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti 8GB

In all of their tested games, including The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Final Fantasy XIV, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Hogwarts Legacy, and Horizon Forbidden West, Nvidia’s 8GB RTX 5060 Ti delivered sub-par results. Low percentile framerate results were poor, and the 16GB model was always significantly faster.

Outside of raw performance numbers, Nvidia’s 8GB GPU model also suffered from image quality issues. Many games lowered their texture quality to help them run faster, resulting in lower quality visuals. This means that many games will look worse on Nvidia’s 8GB GPU, not just run slower.

All in all, Nvidia’s 8GB RTX 5060 Ti is a GPU that isn’t worth recommending. The cost savings of the 8GB model are simply not worth its compromises.

You can join the discussion on Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti 8GB getting reviewed on the OC3D Forums.