I've decided to get a Radeon 9060 XT and am choosing between the 8GB and 16GB models. My system has a Ryzen 7 5800XT, a 1080p monitor, and runs Linux. The least expensive 8GB card I can find locally costs €284, while the cheapest 16GB version is €360. I don't expect to play demanding modern games that need a lot of VRAM right now, but I plan to keep this build for several years. Is paying the extra €76 worthwhile for future-proofing, or would 8GB be enough for 1080p?
2 Answers
For 1080p gaming, 8GB should be fine today, especially if you aren’t planning to play the most demanding new releases. However, since you want to keep the card for several years, the 16GB model gives you more headroom and reduces the chance of running into VRAM limits later. If the extra €76 fits your budget, it’s the safer long-term choice.
The 8GB version is the better value if you expect to upgrade again before the card becomes outdated. At 1080p, it should handle your current needs well. The 16GB version is worth considering mainly because you plan to keep the system for a long time, not because you immediately need that much VRAM.
That makes sense, although it’s hard to imagine a game that the 9060 XT can run well at 1080p while actually needing the full 16GB of VRAM. The extra memory may become useful eventually, but the GPU’s performance could become the limiting factor first.