I bought an RTX 5070 less than a year ago, but I'm still using a 144Hz 1080p monitor and I'm happy with it. I play all kinds of games, including competitive titles and demanding AAA releases. Was buying the 5070 a waste for this resolution, or is the extra performance useful for high settings, high frame rates, and future games? I've been offered a new RTX 5060 plus $300 in exchange for my 5070, so I'm wondering whether downgrading would make sense. My CPU is a Ryzen 7 7700 with an overclock similar to a 7700X, and I can already reach 144 FPS easily in the games I play.
5 Answers
I’d keep the RTX 5070. It may be more than you strictly need for 1080p today, but that gives you extra headroom for maximum settings, demanding games, ray tracing, and future releases. Downgrading to a 5060 could save money now, but you may regret losing that performance later.
The main case for taking the deal is if you genuinely need the $300. Otherwise, the trade is a downgrade in both performance and VRAM. Some extremely demanding games can challenge even a 5070 at 1080p with ray tracing or path tracing, so calling it completely unnecessary isn’t accurate.
The VRAM difference is an important consideration. The 5060’s 8GB may already be limiting in some newer AAA games, even at 1080p, while the 5070’s 12GB gives you more room for high textures and future titles. If you don’t need the cash, keeping the 5070 is the safer choice.
I’d only switch to the 5060 if you have a specific financial reason. Since your CPU is capable and you’re playing both competitive and AAA games, the 5070 is a good match for a high-refresh setup and should remain useful for several more years.
There’s nothing wrong with using a powerful GPU with a 1080p monitor. It can help you maintain high frame rates and use higher-quality settings, and it means you can keep the same monitor longer before needing a graphics card upgrade. A 1440p monitor could make better use of the 5070 someday, but you shouldn’t buy one if you’re already satisfied with 1080p.
That makes sense. I’m already happy with 144Hz, so I mainly want to avoid making a downgrade that I’ll regret when newer games get more demanding.