I'm building my first PC and I'm deciding between an RTX 5060 Ti 8GB and an RX 9060 XT 16GB. My graphics card budget is around $600. I already have a PS5, so I mainly want the PC for competitive Apex Legends rather than demanding AAA games. I've seen people say that 8GB of VRAM may not be enough, but I'm wondering whether that matters for my use case. The RTX 5060 Ti I'm considering is about $50–$60 cheaper than the 9060 XT. My current parts are a Ryzen 5 9600X, Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE, ASRock B650M Pro RS, 16GB DDR5-6000 with plans to upgrade to 32GB, a 512GB NVMe SSD with plans to expand to 2TB, a 650W 80+ Gold PSU, and a Jonsbo Z20 case with three additional fans.
3 Answers
The RX 9060 XT 16GB would be my pick at similar prices. It should handle Apex easily and gives you more headroom for future games. AMD driver problems aren’t guaranteed, but if the 8GB RTX card is significantly cheaper and you’ll stick to competitive games, it should still meet your needs.
For Apex at competitive settings, either card should be more than fast enough, and VRAM is unlikely to be the deciding factor. I’d choose whichever is cheaper if you’re certain you’ll mainly play esports titles. If you might move toward newer AAA games later, the RX 9060 XT 16GB is the safer long-term option.
That makes sense. The 5060 Ti is currently around $50–$60 cheaper, so I’m weighing whether the extra VRAM is worth paying for now.
You could also look at an older used card such as an RTX 3070 if you only care about Apex, but it uses more power and has less VRAM than the 9060 XT. With a 650W power supply, the newer cards are a simpler and more efficient choice. For your build, the 5060 Ti 8GB is fine for competitive Apex, while the 9060 XT 16GB is better if you want flexibility beyond that game.
My main concern with AMD is hearing about occasional stutters or crashes, although the extra VRAM is appealing.