I'm building my first PC and I'm deciding between an RTX 5060 Ti and an RTX 5070. I mainly play story-focused games such as The Witcher and Soulslike titles, and I want to run demanding games at high settings with smooth frame rates rather than chase maximum performance. My setup uses two 1080p 180Hz monitors, and I don't expect to upgrade them because I may move abroad and sell the whole PC in about a year. The price difference between the 5060 Ti 16GB and 5070 appears to be roughly $60–$80, depending on the model. Is the RTX 5070 worth paying extra for its performance and resale value, or would the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB be the more sensible choice for 1080p gaming over the next year?
3 Answers
At only about $60–$80 more, the RTX 5070 is the stronger choice. It is roughly 20–30% faster than the RTX 5060 Ti and will be better suited to high-refresh-rate gaming, even at 1080p. It should also be easier to resell later. The 5060 Ti’s extra VRAM is useful in some situations, but 12GB is generally sufficient for 1080p right now. You could even use DLDSR for sharper image quality on a 1080p display.
The deciding factor is the actual price difference. If the RTX 5070 costs less than about $75 more, I’d choose it without much hesitation because the extra performance is worthwhile and it will be more capable at high refresh rates. If the gap is significantly larger, the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB is still a perfectly reasonable 1080p card, especially since you plan to sell the system in roughly a year.
For your short ownership period, the RTX 5060 Ti will still handle 1080p gaming well and could save money. If you want the best value and don’t care about reaching very high frame rates, the 16GB version makes sense. The 8GB model is another way to reduce the cost, though maxed-out settings in newer games can make 8GB less comfortable over time.
I considered the 8GB model, but I’m concerned that it could run into limitations when newer games are played with maximum settings.
The price gap should be around $70, although choosing a dual-fan 5070 might bring it down closer to $60.