I'm planning to upgrade from an RTX 3050 6GB and would like to know whether an RTX 5060 would be a worthwhile improvement. My system has an Intel i5-12400F, MSI H610M PRO E motherboard, 16GB (2×8GB) DDR4-3200, a 512GB NVMe SSD, and a PCCooler 550W 80+ Bronze power supply. I use the PC for Blender rendering, Photoshop, and demanding gaming, including long sessions with GTA Online and newer AAA games. Should I buy the RTX 5060, consider a 5060 Ti 16GB, or upgrade something else first?
4 Answers
A 5060 would be a noticeable upgrade, but for Blender the amount of VRAM matters a lot. If your budget allows, the 5060 Ti with 16GB would be a better long-term choice than an 8GB model. A used RTX 3080 could also be powerful, but it uses considerably more power and may require a stronger PSU.
The best choice depends on the price and what you mean by demanding gaming. Since you render in Blender for hours and play newer AAA games for long sessions, I’d prioritize a card with at least 12GB, preferably 16GB of VRAM. The 5060 Ti 16GB makes more sense for your workload than an 8GB card, assuming the price is reasonable.
Before choosing a higher-performing card, check its power requirements. A 550W Bronze unit may be fine for a 5060-class card, but I’d consider replacing it with a higher-quality, higher-wattage PSU if you move to a more power-hungry GPU. Also, make sure the specific model’s recommended PSU requirement is compatible.
You should seriously consider upgrading to 32GB of RAM with a 2×16GB kit. Blender, Photoshop, and modern games can use more than 16GB, especially when rendering or multitasking. More system memory won’t replace a GPU upgrade, but it should make the overall system feel less restricted.
I might be able to stretch the budget for the 16GB model next month, although I’m worried prices could increase.