The Radeon RX 9060 (non-XT) arrives for entry-level 1080p, with RDNA 4 architecture, 28 Compute Units, i.e. 1,792 stream processors, but obviously with only 8 GB GDDR6 on 128-bit bus. What’s more, AMD uses 18 Gbps memory here, which sets the bandwidth at 288 GB/s. AMD justifies itself by claiming that this memory configuration is sufficient for e-sport and AAA titles at moderate settings… Which is partially true. The good news comes from the first synthetic tests showing 14,132 points under 3DMark Time Spy and 35,511 under Fire Strike. If we compare this little RX with the competition, the card shows itself to be around 20% faster than the RTX 5050, while remaining within a few percent of the RTX 5060 8GB depending on the scene
So it’s clearly a solution to consider. The problem is that it’s hard to afford. In fact, the reason AMD hasn’t announced its price is that the RX 9060 is reserved for system integrators (SI) for the time being, and will therefore be seen first in pre-assembled PCs. In use, we’re aiming for smooth 1080p, with FSR as a back-up, while ray tracing requires compromises.
RX 9060: the right choice for small budgets
In detail, the RX 9060 has a limited VRAM configuration with its 8 GB GDDR6 18 Gbps on a 128-bit bus, which explains its 288 GB/s bandwidth. However, as mentioned above, published 3DMark scores (14,132 Time Spy, 35,511 Fire Strike) place it some 20% ahead of the RTX 5050, and 3-5% behind the RTX 5060 at 8 GB depending on the test. It therefore competes with the RTX 5050 with some verve…except that the latter has the merit of being officially available at retail
In a selection of games such as God of War 2018, Cyberpunk 2077 and Warhammer 40000: Space Marine 2, youtuber Technosaurus demonstrates that the performance level of the RX 9060 is very close to that of the RTX 5060. In fact, the latter outperforms the RX 9060 by just 2% in terms of speed. What’s more, the RX 9060 XT version outperforms its non-XT counterpart by around 6%. These results were measured at 1080p resolution, while applying the most advanced graphics settings.
Finally, it has to be said that Nvidia and its DLSS 4 remain a cut above the competition’s solutions, and are a great help on these “small” cards. The limited availability of FSR 4 contrasts sharply with the widespread use of Nvidia’s DLSS 4 technology, currently supported by over 125 games and applications. AMD is well aware of this, and is pulling out all the stops with its FSR Redstone.
It now remains to be seen whether this RX 9060 will be available for retail sale at a later date. If the card is exclusively in the hands of PC integrators, it is common for them to gradually feed the grey market with this type of component.