I recently bought an RTX 5060 Ti 16GB for $400 after finding what seemed like a great deal. I've been using an RTX 3070 Ventus 3X for about six years, so I'm trying to decide which card makes more sense to keep.
From the comparisons I've watched, the 5060 Ti doesn't seem dramatically faster in raw performance, although it uses less power, runs cooler, has twice the VRAM, and supports newer features such as DLSS 4 and improved frame generation. I'm also interested in having more memory for newer games, but I don't want to spend much more money upgrading the rest of my system unnecessarily.
My CPU is an i7-10700K, paired with 32GB of 3200MHz DDR4 RAM. Some people say that processor could bottleneck a newer GPU, which makes me wonder whether I'd need to replace the motherboard and CPU too. Should I sell the 5060 Ti and continue using the 3070, or keep the 5060 Ti and sell the older card?
4 Answers
The most practical answer is to use both cards for a while and compare them in the games and applications you actually use. Check frame rates, temperatures, power draw, noise, and whether any games exceed 8GB of VRAM. Then sell the one you prefer less. Don’t base the decision on the original $800 price of the 3070—that money is already spent, so only its current resale value matters.
The 5060 Ti 16GB is the better overall card, but it isn’t a huge raw-performance upgrade. Depending on the game and settings, the difference may only be around 10–15%. Its biggest advantages are the extra VRAM, lower power use, newer features, and better support for modern upscaling and frame generation. If you can sell the 3070 for roughly $200–$250, the effective upgrade cost becomes much more reasonable.
If you don’t need the money back, keeping the 3070 as a spare is an option, but it probably makes more sense to sell it while it still has resale value. “Future-proofing” is limited with any GPU; in a few years, the 5060 Ti will also be a midrange older card. Treat the extra VRAM and newer features as useful benefits, not a guarantee that you won’t need another upgrade later.
I’d keep the 5060 Ti if you care about newer games and plan to use the system for several more years. Eight gigabytes of VRAM is becoming restrictive, while 16GB gives you more breathing room. That said, don’t upgrade the CPU and motherboard just because you bought the card. An i7-10700K system that runs a 3070 should generally run a 5060 Ti fine. Upgrade the platform only if you actually see CPU limitations in the games you play.
I tested the 5060 Ti in my existing system with FurMark for about 30 minutes and it ran normally, so I’m relieved that I may not need an immediate platform upgrade.