Nvidia RTX 5060 8 GB vs RTX 4060 8 GB: Which is the better gaming GPU?

The Nvidia RTX 5060 8 GB and the RTX 4060 8 GB are entry-level cards designed for smooth 1080p gaming. The older Ada Lovelace-based design is still being stocked today at a cheaper price, making it a lucrative alternative to the brand new 5060, which didn't receive very favorable reviews given the slim gen-on-gen rasterization improvements.

That being said, you get DLSS multi-frame generation with the new card, which can multiply framerates by 4x, adding to the allure of the Blackwell offering.

In this article, we have dissected the two 60-class graphics cards and tried to find out which is the best bang for the buck.

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The RTX 4060 and RTX 5060 are designed for 1080p gaming

With DLSS and frame generation, the Nvidia RTX 4060 continues to be capable at 1080p gaming (Image via Amazon)

Given that the RTX 4060 and 5060 are based on very different architectures, an apples-to-apples comparison doesn't reveal much about how they perform in real-world benchmarks. Regardless, they share a similar DNA and are placed in the entry-level $300 bracket. Let's look at the specs sheet before delving into the framerate differences.

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Specs comparison

The Nvidia RTX 4060 8 GB and RTX 5060 8 GB share a few similarities. For instance, both are based on a cut-down graphics chip with efficient power draw numbers (<150W on both GPUs).

In terms of core counts, the newer GPU gets a healthy 25% bump across CUDA, RT, and Tensor cores. With the raw rendering performance not having gone up much for this generation, the 5060 likely relies on spec bumps to deliver most of its performance uplifts.

Although the capacity remains the same at 8 GB, the memory is faster in this generation. With the 50 series, Nvidia is opting for 28 Gbps GDDR7, which results in a near-doubling of the memory bandwidth (272 vs 448 GB/s).

Here's the specs sheet of the two GPUs:

In terms of pricing, both cards were introduced at $299. However, you might get to spot more deals on the older 4060 now that it's being phased out.

Read more: Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti review: This GPU can play Cyberpunk 2077 Path Tracing at 160 FPS

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Performance comparison

The RTX 5060's biggest weapon is multi-frame generation (Image via Zotac)

Gaming performance is the main delimiter when it comes to choosing between entry-level GPUs. Given the newer generation, specs list improvements, and faster memory, we expect the 5060 to be faster. Let's find out by how much.

Here's a side-by-side comparison of the framerates achieved by both GPUs while playing some of the latest titles at 1080p. The numbers are sourced from the YouTube channel Testing Games.

On average, the new RTX 5060 is 22.2% faster than the last generation. The largest gains are reported in graphics-heavy titles such as God of War: Ragnarok (30.2%), Oblivion Remastered (25.8%), and Black Myth: Wukong (25%). While the 4060 holds its ground remarkably well, do note that 22.2% could be the difference between playable and unplayable a couple of years later.

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The RTX 5060 brings 25% better performance than the last generation at the same price, which sounds pretty commendable. Moreover, you also get DLSS multi-frame generation, future-proofing the card even further. As the 4060 will only be $20-30 cheaper, we recommend buying the 5060.

Edited by Abhishek Manikandan