My Gigabyte Eagle RTX 3080 Ti started freezing and restarting after about five years, so I'm temporarily using a GTX 1650 while deciding on a replacement. In my area, a ZOTAC RTX 5060 Twin Edge OC 8GB costs around $425, while an RTX 5070 Twin Edge OC 12GB is about $885.
I use 3ds Max, ZBrush, Substance Painter, and 3D-Coat for fairly light 3D work. The GTX 1650 handles most of it, but I can't use texture baking in Substance Painter because it lacks ray-tracing support. For games, I mainly play lighter titles such as Overwatch, with InZoi being the most demanding game I expect to run.
I don't think I ever pushed the 3080 Ti to its full potential, although having 12GB of VRAM was reassuring. Would the RTX 5060 8GB be enough for my use case, or would it be wiser to wait and spend more on a card with 12GB or 16GB of VRAM? I use a 1080p 240Hz primary monitor and a 1440p 180Hz secondary monitor.
My system has an Intel Core i5-13600K, an Asus ROG Strix Z690-A motherboard, a Cooler Master V850 Gold power supply, and 32GB of DDR4 memory.
5 Answers
You may want to look at AMD options too. A used RX 7800 XT would be a decent step up, while an RX 7900 XT or a newer RX 9070 would provide stronger performance and more VRAM. For the software and games you listed, you may not need NVIDIA-specific features.
If the RTX 5070 is comfortably within your budget, it’s the safer long-term choice. Otherwise, waiting for prices to settle or choosing a 16GB card seems better than spending $425 on an 8GB model you may soon outgrow.
I’d avoid buying an 8GB card for a new system, especially since you also use a 1440p display. Twelve gigabytes should be the minimum, and 16GB would give you much more breathing room for future games and 3D projects.
The RTX 5060 Ti 16GB could be a sensible middle ground if you can find one at a reasonable price. It would give you substantially more VRAM without jumping all the way to the expensive RTX 5070.
Before replacing the 3080 Ti completely, try cleaning it and replacing the thermal paste and thermal pads. Freezes and restarts can come from overheating, so repairing the card might be cheaper than buying a replacement.
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