RTX 5060 Ti 16GB benchmark leak brings good news for budget PC gaming — here’s why

It appears we’re getting closer to an RTX 5060 Ti release, as benchmarks for the upcoming Nvidia GPU has been spotted — and results appear to be on point.

A new 3DMark benchmark seen by VideoCardz shows performance results for the anticipated RTX 5060 Ti with 16GB GDDR7 VRAM, and it already delivers a 20% average boost over the 16GB RTX 4060 Ti. This similarly falls in line with our RTX 5090 benchmark tests, seeing an average 22% improvement over the RTX 4090.

Noted results were taken across many of 3DMark’s tests, including Speed Way, Steel Nomad, Time Spy and Fire Strike, showcasing performance at various resolutions: 1080p, 1440p and 2160p (4K). Particularly in 1440p tests, the RTX 5060 Ti pulls further ahead compared to its predecessor.

As noted in the report, Time Spy and Fire Strike aren’t as reliable at gauging benchmarks for more recent GPUs, but their Extreme versions offer more accurate results, along with other modern tests such as Speed Way and Port Royal.

However, according to the results, the RTX 5070 offers a 33% average increase over the 16GB 5060 Ti. The difference here is disappointing to see, especially as the RTX 5070 ($549/£529) is already one of the more affordable cards in Nvidia’s arsenal. That is, if you can find it at MSRP.

Of course, these benchmarks aren’t official, and there’s no telling other PC components used for testing. That said, they give us a good idea of the performance to expect. Despite the expected difference compared to the RTX 5070, the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB has a key factor going for it: price.

Budget PC gaming gains

There’s good reason behind why I think the RTX 5060 Ti will be a GPU worth getting, and much of it has to do with its expected price.

Last week, we heard that the Nvidia 5060 Ti price is set to be from $379. This would be more affordable than RTX 4060 Ti’s $399 launch price, and performance gains are accurate, this means those after an upgrade will see higher improvements at a cheaper cost.

Now, that is for the 8GB VRAM model, which we have yet to see any leaked benchmarks for. However, the 16GB RTX 5060 Ti is also set to be more affordable, starting at $429. That’s a lot lower than the 16GB RTX 4060 Ti ($499).

But Nvidia’s DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation also needs to be taken in account. As we’ve seen on an RTX 5070 Ti, frames rates shoot up from 57 fps to 221 fps in games such as Hogwarts Legacy and Cyberpunk 2077. If the RTX 5060 Ti see similar performance gains and a more affordable price, then this GPU will do wonders for budget PC gaming.

The RTX 5060 Ti is expected to launch as soon as April 16, with an announcement as soon as April 15. Once we know its official price and how it performs, we’ll find out if Nvidia’s next graphics card will shine for PC gaming on a budget.

Still keen on finding an RTX 5090, 5080 or 5070 Ti? Our live stock tracker will point you in the right direction.

More from Tom’s Guide

• I just played games on Nvidia RTX 50-series GPUs and it feels like the future — here’s why I’m not buying one
• I just tested LG’s 45-inch 5K curved OLED gaming monitor — and it’s actually a game changer for my productivity
• I ditched my laptop for a pocketable mini PC and a pair of AR glasses — here’s what happened

Darragh is Tom’s Guide’s Computing Editor and is fascinated by all things bizarre in tech. His work can be seen in Laptop Mag, Mashable, Android Police, Shortlist Dubai, Proton, theBit.nz, ReviewsFire and more. When he’s not checking out the latest devices and all things computing, he can be found going for dreaded long runs, watching terrible shark movies and trying to find time to game