5060 Ti 8GB DOA

[Sunny and 75]

heavily modded skyrim ... wouldn't be much choice

Lexy (aka MAD Lady) says otherwise

Spoiler

This is her GPU: ASUS TUF Gaming OC RTX 4070 TI 12GB

Spoiler

VRAM-related threads do NOT need 30+ pages (like the other one) so let's make this one concise and to the point, guys, I thank you for your consideration

 

[Why_Me]

Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 8GB loses up to 10% performance when using PCIe 4.0

8GB VRAM no longer cuts it for modern gaming.

www.tomshardware.com

 

[Onasi]

@Why_Me
Makes sense, has to shuffle more data back and forth between VRAM and system memory in the case it runs out of the former. Probably isn’t an actual issue in real world use (most people buying these won’t play maxxed out), but another reason why the 8Gb version probably shouldn’t even exist. Neither should PCI-e interface cuts, having everything below 5070 just be Gen 4 16x would have made more sense, but we are where we are.

 

[Sunny and 75]

Vote with your wallet.

 

[wheresmycar]

Vote with your wallet.

I always try but success is not always on my side.

Lol I go full throttle on thrifty mode. Its easy when you’re sitting back, feet up and the current GPUs getting the business done, even with borderline tolerable trade-offs. In this sort of relaxed space, I'm like a conscious RESISTANCE warrior fighting for all the gamers in the world.

...then out of the blue, FFS, something BIG drops, maybe the next fav GTA or Battlefield chapter. If the existing card ain't cutting it, the bullet is bit, the thrifty is shifty, and like the day shifts into the night, the resistance warrior gives way to the impulsive buyer and all hell breaks loose. I’ve been down this road one too many times to pretend I’ve got a handle on it - I don't. One thing is certain, ain't gonna blow the dough on a 5090 no matter what comes my way. Ah, plot twist, that is a wallet vote. The resistance lives!

 

[iameatingjam]

turning a few settings down will fix that problem easily.

Yeah I know, I was making a joke that I guess wasn't funny. There probably wouldn't be much for gaming cards if pcs only had one video game.

 

[Sunny and 75]

wasn't funny

'twas almost funny

One thing is certain, ain't gonna blow the dough on a 5090 no matter what comes my way. Ah, plot twist, that is a wallet vote. The resistance lives!

Long live the resistance (Saluting face emoji)

 

[lexluthermiester]

Yeah I know, I was making a joke that I guess wasn't funny.

I did not catch that joke. My apologies.

There probably wouldn't be much for gaming cards if pcs only had one video game.

Like everything, it depends on the game.

 

[Chrispy_]

@Why_Me
Neither should PCI-e interface cuts, having everything below 5070 just be Gen 4 16x would have made more sense, but we are where we are.

Cutting the NUMBER of lanes saves the GPU manufacturer money.
Cutting the generation of those lanes saves the motherboard/CPU/chipset manufacturer money.

Guess which option the GPU manufacturer always picks...

 

[ARF]

It won't be missed - an obsolete and ridiculous product, let it R.I.P. already.

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

Not trying to defend it (not at this price, at least), but that's where I'll have to argue, if a game can't run on 8 GB at 1080p at low settings, then I reckon the problem isn't the hardware. The Xbox Series S got less memory than that to be shared between the program and graphics memory (10GB total, its OS and hypervisor take about 3-4 GB), and games gotta run on that hardware. In this scenario, 8 GB of graphics memory manages to be a luxury.

OR, perhaps, the xbox series S was already DOA, having less RAM then the xbox one X and the same amount as the xbox one, a console that was launched in 2013.

series S games are not running native 1080p half the time anyway, they're running some lower oddball resolution then tiled and upscaled to 1080p low, and usually run below 30 FPS to boot. Also, something something console SKUs optimized specifically for that hardware something something. If you're willing to run upscaled 720p, then yeah the 8GB cards run fine. But most people dont want to do that.

I believe there will be a GB207 chip positioned below this for the RTX 5050. But it retains the same 128-bit memory interface and 8 (potentially 16) GB configuration. This is already the lowest that Nvidia is willing to go, even in SKUs 2 tiers below this - which is what makes it so jarring. A product they are selling at this price really needed to be 16 GB by default, IMHO.

On this we agree. 8GB shouldnt be used on modern cards over $120. Every 8GB 5060ti is one less 16GB 5060ti.

 

[lexluthermiester]

For some perspective, this gentleman just benched a 4GB 1050ti...

This is a 9 year old card getting very reasonable 1080p performance in a number of modern titles on 1/4(or less) the GPU power and 1/2 the VRAM of the 5060ti subject of this topic.
Just throwing it out there..

 

[Chrispy_]

For some perspective, this gentleman just benched a 4GB 1050ti...

This is a 9 year old card getting very reasonable 1080p performance in a number of modern titles on 1/4 the GPU power an 1/2 the VRAM.
Just throwing it out there..

I interpreted his video as "You don't need to give Nvidia $400-500 to play esports games"

Modern IGPs will do the same job, but for an older system that has a terrible IGP, or a system without an IGP, it's passable. Like he says in the intro, the faster, more efficient GTX 1650 is often available for a better price, though that doesn't seem to be true in the US.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I interpreted his video as "You don't need to give Nvidia $400-500 to play esports games"

Not just esports titles..

Modern IGPs will do the same job, but for an older system that has a terrible IGP, or a system without an IGP, it's passable. Like he says in the intro, the faster, more efficient GTX 1650 is often available for a better price, though that doesn't seem to be true in the US.

Yeah, but the point I'm trying to make here is that a GPU with 25% or less of the power and half the VRAM is still a plausible gaming card and will give a reasonable experience with modern titles. If he had run those games at 900p or 720p, the experience would have been much improved.

 

[Chrispy_]

Not just esports titles..

Yeah, but the point I'm trying to make here is that a GPU with 25% or less of the power and half the VRAM is still a plausible gaming card and will give a reasonable experience with modern titles. If he had run those games at 900p or 720p, the experience would have been much improved.

He was, effectively - he said he was running FSR balanced in the heavier titles where the target was >30fps.
That's 60% of 1080, so 1152*648, I think.

1050Ti 4GB held up all these years because it had enough VRAM for its shader power. The 2GB variant has been useless for at least a couple of years now, if not longer.

 

[lexluthermiester]

He was, effectively - he said he was running FSR balanced in the heavier titles where the target was >30fps.
That's 60% of 1080, so 1152*648, I think.

FSR still takes compute resources. Running native takes less than 1080p with FSR or DLSS. However, that's not the point.

1050Ti 4GB held up all these years because it had enough VRAM for its shader power. The 2GB variant has been useless for at least a couple of years now, if not longer.

You just highlighted an excellent point. 99%(ish) of all PC games will run fine on 4GB of VRAM and 98%(ish) will run fine on 2GB. I've tested this, for giggles. Of my 500+ PC games(Physical+GOG+Steam+Epic). Only a few will not run well on my GTX980 4GB. A few more will not run on my GTX670 2GB. That is less than 30 games out of my library of 500ish that will not run well or at all on a 2GB card. And I have nowhere near the number of games available in total on GOG, let alone again, Steam & Epic.

Swinging back around to the topic, if 2GB and 4GB is enough to play the vast majority of PC game titles currently available, then how is it the 8GB on a card that massively out performs my two older cards is suddenly not enough. How is an 8GB card "DOA" given the overwhelming evidence that it will play 99.5%(ish) of all games available exceptionally well?

People are not thinking objectively when expressing the opinions supporting this idea. They're not seeing the big picture, focusing instead on a handful of examples and are forgetting the market sector these cards are aimed at.

 

[phanbuey]

Swinging back around to the topic, if 2GB and 4GB is enough to play the vast majority of PC game titles currently available, then how is it the 8GB on a card that massively out performs my two older cards is suddenly not enough. How is an 8GB card "DOA" given the overwhelming evidence that it will play 99.5%(ish) of all games available exceptionally well?

People are not thinking objectively when expressing the opinions supporting this idea. They're not seeing the big picture, focusing instead on a handful of examples and are forgetting the market sector these cards are aimed at.

The 99.5% you're talking about is PAST games - in new games it crashes in Indiana Jones, and in DOOM Dark Ages DLSS Frame Generation doesn't work half the time at any settings, which is sad since it would otherwise be able to deliver decent high FPS - Same story in Stalker 2 w/ FG.

For a new card that's just arriving that's not great - it's fine - it's usable but meh. Not for a new card that you're going to keep for years. Especially since you can pick up older used cards for less $$. The card is pretty DOA.

 

[thestryker6]

Swinging back around to the topic, if 2GB and 4GB is enough to play the vast majority of PC game titles currently available, then how is it the 8GB on a card that massively out performs my two older cards is suddenly not enough. How is an 8GB card "DOA" given the overwhelming evidence that it will play 99.5%(ish) of all games available exceptionally well?

Pretty easily: 8GB on this is like if your 980 had 2GB.

It's a matter of VRAM capacity versus performance capability and cost. The 5060 Ti is clearly capable of leveraging more than 8GB VRAM to good effect. Were we talking budget cards (sub $300) 8GB would be fine. While I do think Intel has set a standard with 12GB on the B580 at $250 MSRP I don't really expect AMD or nvidia to match their value. It's not unreasonable to expect them to match 12GB VRAM at $300+ though and especially with the performance level being provided.

In the end while an 8GB card is absolutely workable for the majority of games (and likely will be for a while) it's a matter of offering a bad value for the market. There shouldn't be a 5060 Ti 8GB model period, and it likely would have been best as a 12GB card, but nvidia is saving their 3GB GDDR7 for higher profit cards. Same thing for the 5060 if they're going to continue to charge $300+ for it.

This will mark the third generation in a row where nvidia has sold cards with 8GB VRAM which really should have had more. It's a great way to try to convince people to spend more on a higher tier card though.

 

[lexluthermiester]

The 99.5% you're talking about is PAST games

No, a lot of them are today's selections. Most good, popular games are not AAA titles and do not need top tier GFX performance. That is games released in the last 6 months. Most don't need even 4GB of VRAM. Again, big picture.

in new games it crashes in Indiana Jones

Unless one turns settings down a bit. Then it's fine.

DOOM Dark Ages DLSS Frame Generation doesn't work half the time at any settings

Again, turn settings down. Then it's fine.

That is exactly two titles that have issues out of how many? The rest of the games in the benchmarks only need adjustments to run fine.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Unless one turns settings down a bit. Then it's fine.

"Indiana Jones requires RT and won't run on an 8 GB GPU!"
Linux nerds: hold my beer

Yes, that's right. A pure RT title running on an RX Vega 64, at decent frame rates.

I think there are more than few things being omitted from this "8 GB GPUs are effectively worthless" and not much of the community is ready to talk about it

 

[lexluthermiester]

I think there are more than few things being omitted from this "8 GB GPUs are effectively worthless" and not much of the community is ready to talk about it

Exactly. People are focusing too much on the narrative of the idea and not enough on the practical facts of reality.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Exactly. People are focusing too much on the narrative of the idea and not enough on the practical facts of reality.

At the 1080p mediumish settings I use on my laptop, quite a few games run well and to the hardware's full capabilities, and its 3050M is a GPU faster than the Nintendo Switch 2 is gonna have. I haven't tried the very latest games I have on it, but sincerely, it's an RTX 3050M. If it really comes down to it, settings meant for the Steam Deck are gonna work, and they are gonna work well since the GPU is so much faster.

There's a whole problem with the graphics drivers going on (and perhaps even Windows itself) - sure the latest Nvidia branch has been unstable, but there, look at that video. A Vega 64, happily running RT, and AMD swore up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right B and A to us that it couldn't be done and the performance would be unacceptable so they wouldn't even bother. Then I'm some sort of über-green Nvidia fanboy for pointing that out. The GPU vendors aren't being entirely honest with us here, and they have started to avoid doing the bulk of the work if it can be helped.

I really don't think 8 GB is the ultimate deal breaker that it is being painted as, I think this is a marketing and pricing problem first, a technical issue second, and a hardware limitation last.

 

[phanbuey]

I really don't think 8 GB is the ultimate deal breaker that it is being painted as, I think this is a marketing and pricing problem first, a technical issue second, and a hardware limitation last.

It absolutely is -- if the 5060ti 8GB was released as a slightly slower 5050 8GB for $300 it would be amazing. At $420 when there's a 16GB variant it's a bit DOA - the 8GB framebuffer alongside the rest of the performance, it's just not a product i think anyone would recommend.

That is exactly two titles that have issues out of how many? The rest of the games in the benchmarks only need adjustments to run fine.

Right the issue is it's 2 titles NOW - the card released 5 minutes ago for $420 with a 16GB variant at $480. Nvidia's been doing this since the G80 with a 320MB and 8800GT 256MB (vs the 640/512MB versions), 1060 3GB etc -- the bottom sku in these ram starved gpus always age like milk on a hot day. This one is no different.

 

[eidairaman1]

It absolutely is -- if the 5060ti 8GB was released as a slightly slower 5050 8GB for $300 it would be amazing. At $420 when there's a 16GB variant it's a bit DOA - the 8GB framebuffer alongside the rest of the performance, it's just not a product i think anyone would recommend.


Right the issue is it's 2 titles NOW - the card released 5 minutes ago for $420 with a 16GB variant at $480. Nvidia's been doing this since the G80 with a 320MB and 8800GT 256MB (vs the 640/512MB versions), 1060 3GB etc -- the bottom sku in these ram starved gpus always age like milk on a hot day. This one is no different.

So in the end yes the 5060ti 8GB is DOA/DIW. Really no more necessity to beat this dead horse.

 

[Sunny and 75]

The 12GB 5060 SUPER (128-bit 3GB memory modules) is coming our way at CES 2026

Spoiler

Alongside the 18GB 5070 SUPER (192-bit 3GB memory modules)

and 24GB 5080 SUPER (256-bit 3GB memory modules)