The RTX 5060 is the better gaming card for almost everyone: it is meaningfully faster, supports ray tracing and DLSS 4, and runs games that the RX 5700 XT cannot launch at all. The RX 5700 XT only makes sense as a very cheap used card for older and esports titles at 1080p, where its value per dollar can still be attractive.
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Why This Matchup Is Lopsided
Both cards carry 8 GB of VRAM and, oddly, the exact same 448 GB/s of memory bandwidth. That is where the similarity ends. The RX 5700 XT is a July 2019 RDNA 1 design that predates hardware ray tracing on Radeon. The RTX 5060 is a May 2025 Blackwell card with dedicated RT and Tensor hardware. That feature gap matters more each year, because a growing number of games now treat ray tracing support as a minimum requirement rather than an optional extra.
Specifications Compared
| Category | RX 5700 XT | RTX 5060 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | RDNA 1.0 | Blackwell 2.0 |
| Released | 7 July 2019 | 19 May 2025 |
| Launch price | Check on Amazon | Check on Amazon |
| Shaders / CUDA cores | 2560 | 3840 |
| Boost clock | 1905 MHz | 2497 MHz |
| Process node | 7 nm | 5 nm |
| TDP | 225 W | 145 W |
| VRAM | 8 GB GDDR6 | 8 GB GDDR7 |
| Memory bus | 256-bit | 128-bit |
| Bandwidth | 448.0 GB/s | 448.0 GB/s |
| L2 cache | 4 MB | 32 MB |
| PCIe | 4.0 x16 | 5.0 x8 |
| Power input | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Size | 272 mm, 2-slot | 241 mm, 2-slot |
| Display outputs | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DP 1.4a | 1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DP 2.1b |
Note the display outputs too. HDMI 2.0b on the RX 5700 XT limits 4K televisions to 60 Hz, while the RTX 5060’s HDMI 2.1b handles 4K at 120 Hz and above on compatible TVs.
Gaming Performance in Numbers
Raster averages
Aggregated benchmark data consistently puts the RTX 5060 ahead. Technical City’s aggregate rates it about 29 percent faster, while HowManyFPS’ average across more than 100 games puts the gap closer to 45 percent. A realistic expectation is that the RTX 5060 delivers roughly 30 to 45 percent more performance in modern titles, with the gap narrowing in older DirectX 11 games and widening in newer DirectX 12 engines.
In practice, at 1080p high settings, demanding recent games that run around 45 to 60 FPS on an RX 5700 XT often land around 60 to 85 FPS on an RTX 5060. Those ranges vary with the game, settings, CPU and driver version.
Games the RX 5700 XT cannot run
This is the part spec sheets hide. Several recent releases, including Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Doom: The Dark Ages, require a GPU with hardware ray tracing support. The RX 5700 XT has none, so those games either refuse to launch or need unofficial workarounds. Other titles built around DirectX 12 Ultimate features such as mesh shaders run poorly on RDNA 1. The RTX 5060 supports all of these features, so it is the safer bet for upcoming releases.
Ray tracing
There is no contest. The RTX 5060 handles moderate ray tracing at 1080p, especially with DLSS enabled. The RX 5700 XT cannot use hardware RT at all.
DLSS 4 Versus FSR on an Older Radeon
The RTX 5060 supports DLSS 4 Super Resolution with the transformer model, plus Multi Frame Generation, which can generate up to three extra frames for each rendered frame in supported games. That can turn a 50 FPS base into a much smoother on-screen result, though input latency still follows the base frame rate.
The RX 5700 XT can use FSR 3.x upscaling and frame generation in games that offer them, as well as XeSS in its compatibility mode. Those help, but FSR 4 is reserved for RDNA 4. AMD also moved RDNA 1 and RDNA 2 cards to a separate maintenance-focused driver branch in late 2025, so new-game optimizations for the RX 5700 XT are no longer a priority.
Is 8 GB Equal on Both Cards?
Capacity is the same, but the experience differs slightly. Both will hit the 8 GB ceiling in some new games at high textures, especially at 1440p. The RTX 5060’s newer memory compression and much larger 32 MB L2 cache help it use the same capacity more efficiently, while DLSS lets it render at a lower internal resolution, which also reduces memory pressure. Neither is a great long-term 1440p card; the RTX 5060 simply stretches 8 GB further.
Value Math: Performance per Dollar
Using launch MSRPs and the midpoint of the published performance gap, treat the RX 5700 XT as 100 and the RTX 5060 as about 137:
The used market changes the picture. The catch is that the cheap price buys a card without RT support, without warranty, and with an aging driver track, so the value only holds if your game library avoids RT-required titles.
Power Draw and Physical Fit
Use the formula GPU power + CPU gaming power + about 150 W of headroom:
- RX 5700 XT: 225 W + about 120 W + 150 W = roughly 495 W, so a quality 550 W to 600 W unit with one 6-pin and one 8-pin cable.
- RTX 5060: 145 W + about 120 W + 150 W = roughly 415 W, so a good 450 W to 550 W unit with a single 8-pin.
The reference RX 5700 XT used a blower cooler that ran loud and hot; most used cards are partner models with open-air coolers that are quieter but can exceed 272 mm in length. The RTX 5060 at 241 mm fits small form factor builds more easily. One platform note: the RTX 5060 uses a PCIe 5.0 x8 link, so on a PCIe 3.0 motherboard it runs at 3.0 x8, which can cost a few percent in VRAM-limited scenarios.
Pick by Resolution and Budget
| Scenario | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Budget under $150, older games and esports at 1080p | Used RX 5700 XT |
| Modern AAA games at 1080p | RTX 5060 |
| Any interest in ray tracing | RTX 5060 |
| Upcoming releases that may require RT hardware | RTX 5060 |
| 1440p gaming | Neither ideal; consider a 12 GB or 16 GB card |
| Upgrading from an RX 5700 XT | RTX 5060 is a solid step, a 16 GB card is a bigger one |
Used RX 5700 XT Checklist
Many RX 5700 XT cards went through heavy use during the 2020 to 2022 mining period. Ask about history, check for loud or rattling fans, and run a stress test to watch temperatures. Early RDNA 1 drivers had stability complaints that were largely fixed later, so install a current driver before judging the card.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much faster is the RTX 5060 than the RX 5700 XT?
Aggregated benchmark data places the RTX 5060 roughly 30 to 45 percent ahead on average in rasterized games. The gap is larger in newer DirectX 12 titles. With ray tracing or DLSS, the difference grows much further.
Can the RX 5700 XT run ray tracing games?
It has no hardware ray tracing support. Games that make RT optional run with it switched off, but titles that require RT hardware, such as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, will not run normally. This is the strongest reason to retire an RX 5700 XT.
Is upgrading from an RX 5700 XT to an RTX 5060 worth it?
It is a worthwhile upgrade for modern games, adding roughly a third or more performance plus RT and DLSS 4. However, you stay at 8 GB of VRAM. If your budget stretches, a 16 GB card such as the RX 9060 XT 16 GB or RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB is a more future-proof step.
Will my power supply handle the RTX 5060?
If it ran an RX 5700 XT reliably, it will almost certainly handle the RTX 5060, which is rated 80 W lower. You need one 8-pin PCIe connector. A quality 450 W to 550 W unit is the recommended range with a mainstream CPU.
Does the RX 5700 XT still get driver updates?
Yes, but on a maintenance-focused branch that AMD set up for RDNA 1 and RDNA 2 in late 2025. It continues to receive fixes, but new-game optimizations arrive mainly for newer Radeon generations.
