Nvidia unveiled the RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti in April 2025, but the more budget-friendly RTX 5060 is now hitting the market, following a recent announcement at Computex. Priced starting at $299, this GPU packs 3,840 CUDA cores spread across 30 Streaming Multiprocessors, making it well-suited for 1080p gaming. Nvidia boasts that the RTX 5060 can deliver impressive performance at this resolution, claiming it can achieve up to 223 fps in Doom: The Dark Ages at 1080p with max settings, although this is with multi-frame generation set to 4x.

The key feature Nvidia is promoting with this new generation of graphics cards is Multi-Frame Generation. Even though the RTX 5060 is the most affordable option, it fully supports Multi-Frame Generation and the entire DLSS 4 technology suite. However, with only 30 SMs, there are still limitations to what DLSS can achieve.

It's important to note that the $299 starting price is just that—a starting point. While some models will be available at this price, many RTX 5060 variants will be pricier, often featuring additional perks like factory-tuned overclocking and RGB lighting.

Reviews Are Coming... Later

Despite the RTX 5060 being a relatively affordable GPU—provided the $299 MSRP remains consistent—it's wise to hold off on purchasing until you can see how it performs in real-world tests. Nvidia has made bold performance claims, but these are based on using Multi-Frame Generation, and we'll need lab results to confirm actual performance.

Unfortunately, we'll have to wait a bit longer for those reviews. Unlike previous launches in this generation, such as the RTX 5090, Nvidia isn't providing an early driver to the press, so expect a delay of about a week before reviews start rolling in. The RTX 5060 is likely to be a solid 1080p graphics card, but the rest of the Blackwell lineup has seen mixed results in terms of generational improvements.

There's a chance the RTX 5060 will follow a similar pattern to the RTX 5070, especially in traditional gaming workloads without frame generation. When I inquired about the performance uplift over the RTX 4060, Nvidia stated that the 5060 could potentially double performance with frame generation enabled, but only achieve around a 20% increase in games without ray tracing or frame generation—and that's under optimal conditions.

As with any costly tech purchase, my recommendation is to wait for the reviews before making a decision. This way, you can be sure you're getting the best value for your money. Those reviews are indeed on their way, but they might take a few days to surface.