The most shocking thing about Nvidia’s recent RTX 5060 Ti is that it’s decent. That hasn’t been the case for most of Nvidia’s GPU releases this generation, but the RTX 5060 Ti offers decent value at its list price, particularly for the 16GB model. The problem is finding the RTX 5060 Ti at list price.
Board partners and retailers have already inflated prices before the initial stock has sold out, and once that stock is gone, prices will likely climb even higher. Thankfully, you don’t need to spend more just to get a decent GPU. These four alternatives to the RTX 5060 Ti offer better performance or reasonable compromises for around the same price.
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Nvidia’s DLSS 4 multi frame generation works best when it doesn’t make sense to use it
If you want to use Nvidia’s new multi frame generation, keep in mind that there are very specific times where it can actually make a difference.
4
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super
A more capable GPU overall, just without MFG
One of the more disappointing aspects of the RTX 5060 Ti is that it didn’t manage to match last-gen’s RTX 4070, much less the faster RTX 4070 Super. In the previous generation, the RTX 4070 Super was somewhat of a unicorn, as you can read in our RTX 4070 Super review, and given the limited generational gains Nvidia is offering with its new Blackwell GPUs, the RTX 4070 Super remains that unicorn. It’s an all-arounder that can handle just about anything you throw at it.
Based on my testing, the RTX 4070 Super is close to 25% faster than the RTX 5060 Ti, which is quite a leap. Meanwhile, the base RTX 4070 is only 10% faster than the RTX 5060 Ti, and you’ll commonly find that model for a little more than Nvidia’s latest. The RTX 4070 Super is even more expensive — $50 to $100 more than the RTX 4070 depending on where you look — but it’s an easy upgrade to justify given the performance boost.
Like all GPUs right now, it’s difficult to find the RTX 4070 Super in stock at retailers, and if you do, you can expect to spend close to $700 from third-party sellers. Unlike the RTX 5060 Ti, however, there are a ton of options on the secondhand market. I’ve seen models recently sell on eBay for between $500 and $600, which is what I’d recommend spending. The MSRP of the RTX 4070 Super was $600 when it originally released, so I wouldn’t spend above that.
The big thing you’re giving up compared to the RTX 5060 Ti is DLSS Multi-Frame Generation. The RTX 4070 Super has access to single frame generation, and it benefits from the new transformer model in DLSS 4 Super Resolution. It just can’t do 3X or 4X frame generation like the RTX 5060 Ti can. Thankfully, Lossless Scaling can help make up the gap, and the extra performance means you won’t need to resort to frame generation as often.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super FE
- Brand
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Nvidia
- Cooling Method
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Air
- Interface
-
PCIe 4.0
- Memory
-
12GB of GDDR6X
- Power
-
220W
- CUDA Cores
-
7,168
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I have an RTX 50-series GPU, and I’ve barely touched DLSS 4
I’ve intentionally ignored quadrupling my frame rate, and for a good reason.
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AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT
A fair trade of ray tracing performance for a lower price
The closest competitor to the RTX 5060 Ti is AMD’s last-gen RX 7700 XT. This GPU wasn’t a great option when it first released, arriving at just $50 less than the much more powerful RX 7800 XT. That unpopularity works in the card’s favor now, though. Prices massively dropped on the card shortly after launch, and they’ve stayed there since. And, given that the card was released more than a year and a half ago, there are plenty of options on the secondhand market.
On the performance front, the RX 7700 XT is slower than the RTX 5060 Ti. At 1440p, my numbers show the RTX 5060 Ti about 13% ahead of AMD, but that’s largely due to ray tracing performance. In games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Cyberpunk 2077, and Returnal, the RX 7700 XT and RTX 5060 Ti post nearly identical results from 1080p up to 4K. The RTX 5060 Ti still posts some leads in titles like Dying Light 2 and Black Myth: Wukong, but the margins are thin.
Unlike the Nvidia competition, you can find the RX 7700 XT in stock at retailers for around $450 to $500. I’d recommend shopping around for a model closer to $400, however. You likely won’t find that at an online retailer like Newegg, but you may at your local Micro Center or Best Buy. If you don’t mind shopping secondhand, you’ll find a ton of options on eBay. A few months back, models sold for around $400, but that price has crept up over the past month or so. Shop around for a deal if you can.
There are two major concessions you’re making with the RX 7700 XT: ray tracing performance and DLSS. AMD’s FSR 3 is excellent, but it doesn’t have nearly the support that DLSS has. And although the RX 7700 XT can hold up to lighter ray tracing titles like Returnal and Resident Evil 4, it doesn’t have enough grunt to stand up to the full path tracing you’ll find in Alan Wake 2 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
ASRock Challenger Radeon RX 7700 XT OC
The ASRock Challenger Radeon RX 7700 XT is one of the baseline models that delivers a reliable gaming experience for both 1080p and 1440p gamers. It also has a clean design with no RGB bling and also a small footprint, which allows it to easily fit inside most PC cases. It is, however, priced in a way that it upsells the RX 7800 XT models right now, and a price cut will make it that much better.
- Memory
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12GB GDDR6
- Process
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5nm
- Base clock speed
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2,226 MHz
- Boost clock speed
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2,584 MHz
- Memory bus width
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192-bit
- MSRP
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$450
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AMD teases FSR 3.1 with an improved algorithm for fewer upscaled visual artifacts
AMD just made its FSR technology usable with superior upscaling quality.
2
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070
Not much more expensive than the RTX 5060 Ti
Although the RTX 5060 Ti offers better value than the RTX 5070, that calculation is based on list price. The RTX 5060 Ti isn’t selling for list price, and some overclocked models are arriving at $530; just a stone’s throw away from the RTX 5070’s $550 MSRP. That’s not a major gap, considering the RTX 5070 is around 37% faster than the RTX 5060 Ti on average.
You can easily find the RTX 5070 in stock at retailers. As you can read in our RTX 5070 review, it was a disappointing follow-up to the excellent RTX 4070 from the previous generation. Although there were some models available at MSRP near release, prices have crept up to around $600 to $650 over the past month, at least at online retailers like Newegg. At my local Micro Center, however, there are three RTX 5070 models in stock for MSRP at the time of writing. If you have a Micro Center or Best Buy close by, make sure to check it.
Given how new the RTX 5070 is, you shouldn’t expect much from the secondhand market. There are plenty of units available on eBay, but the vast majority of them are from scalpers. Prices range from $700 to over $1,000, which doesn’t make much sense given how readily available the RTX 5070 is at retailers. Don’t fall for the bait.
There aren’t a ton of downsides going with the RTX 5070 over the RTX 5060 Ti. You get access to all the features of DLSS 4, including MFG, as well as the upgraded media engine in Blackwell GPUs. The major difference is price, which isn’t a huge concern if you’re able to score an RTX 5070 at or near MSRP. Be careful if you go above $600, though; the RTX 5070 becomes a lot less attractive above that price.
Nvidia RTX 5070 Founder’s Edition
- Brand
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Nvidia
- Cooling Method
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Dual-fan
- Interface
-
PCIe 5.0 x16
- Memory
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12GB GDDR7
- Power
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250W
- CUDA Cores
-
6,144
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I tested AMD’s RX 9070 XT against the Nvidia RTX 5070, and it isn’t pretty
Two $600 GPUs. Two different performance classes.
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AMD Radeon RX 9070
Team Red’s latest is one of its greatest
AMD’s recent RX 9070 is basically the RX 7700 XT of this generation. It’s a great GPU, but its proximity in price to the RX 9070 XT means it’s a non-option for most buyers. If you’re considering the RTX 5060 Ti, however, it’s worth keeping the RX 9070 in mind. It’s even faster than the RTX 5070, meaning you’re looking at average performance somewhere around 40% ahead of the RTX 5060 Ti. That’s a massive boost for not much more money.
The RX 9070 has an MSRP of $550, but good luck finding it in stock at that price. AMD’s RDNA 4 offerings are very popular, and even the base RX 9070 has shot up to between $650 and $700 at retailers, if you can find it in stock at all. Scalpers are fully taking advantage of the situation, and you’ll find the RX 9070 listed for between $750 and $1,000 on eBay. Nvidia’s RTX 50-series GPUs are relatively easy to find in stock at an inflated price, but the same can’t be said for AMD’s most recent offerings.
If you’re interested in the RX 9070, patience is on your side. AMD says it’s working to restock the GPU at retailers, so if you can keep an eye on your local Micro Center or Best Buy, there’s a good chance you’ll find one in stock at a decent price soon. Similar to the RTX 5070, you shouldn’t spend more than $600 on the card, and the closer it is to $500, the better deal you’re getting.
You don’t have access to DLSS 4 and MFG, but AMD’s new FSR 4 that’s exclusive to RDNA 4 GPUs is seriously impressive. It’s only available in a few games, but thankfully, the RX 9070 can leverage AMD’s Fluid Motion Frames (AFMF) through the driver, which injects frame generation is basically any game.
ASRock Radeon RX 9070 Steel Legend
The Radeon RX 9070 is one of AMD’s first GPUs powered by RDNA 4, capable of smooth 4K gaming with powerful internals and more advanced upscaling and frame generation technologies. It’s a great graphics card to buy for 4K gaming.
- Shader Units
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128
- Ray Accelerators/Cores
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56
- AI Accelerators/Cores
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112
- Stream Processors
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3,584
- Base Clock Speed
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1330 MHz
- Boost Clock Speed
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2520 MHz
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4 ways FSR 4 gives DLSS 4 a run for its money
FSR is no longer an afterthought for gamers
Shopping around is key
The GPU market is broken right now, so advice given one day could be ruled irrelevant the next. That’s why it’s so important to shop around and know when to pull the trigger on a good deal. The RTX 5060 Ti is a decent graphics card, but if you’re in the market for it, it’s worth keeping these other options in mind. If nothing else, that gives you a better chance of finding a deal while stock for the RTX 5060 Ti stabilizes.
