Nvidia unveiled the RTX 5060 alongside the RTX 5060 Ti back in April 2025, and now, the more budget-friendly GPU is hitting the market, following an announcement at Computex. Priced at a starting point of $299, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 packs 3,840 CUDA cores spread across 30 Streaming Multiprocessors, making it a solid choice for 1080p gaming enthusiasts. Nvidia boasts that the RTX 5060 can achieve remarkable performance at this resolution, such as reaching 223 fps in Doom: The Dark Ages at 1080p with maximum settings—albeit with multi-frame generation set to 4x.

The highlight of this generation of graphics cards, according to Nvidia, is the advanced technology suite, including Multi-Frame Generation and the full support of DLSS 4. While the RTX 5060 is the most budget-friendly option, it comes equipped with these cutting-edge features. However, with just 30 SMs, there are still limits to what DLSS can achieve.

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

Reviews Are Coming... Later

Although the RTX 5060 is reasonably affordable, especially if the $299 MSRP holds, it's wise to hold off on purchasing until the performance reviews come in. Nvidia's bold performance claims are based on tests with Multi-Frame Generation enabled, and we'll need lab results to see how it truly performs.

Unfortunately, we'll need 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 comprehensive reviews won't be available for the first week or so after the GPU's launch. While the RTX 5060 is expected to be a strong contender for 1080p gaming, the rest of the Blackwell lineup has faced challenges in achieving significant generational uplift.

There's a possibility that the RTX 5060 might follow a similar performance trajectory to the RTX 5070 compared to its predecessor, particularly in traditional gaming without frame generation. When I inquired about the performance increase over the RTX 4060, Nvidia claimed that the 5060 could double the performance with frame generation enabled, but only see around a 20% boost in games without ray tracing or frame generation—and that's under optimal conditions.

As with any high-cost tech purchase, my recommendation is to wait for the reviews before making a decision, ensuring you get the best value for your money. Those reviews are on their way, but they might take a few days to surface.