The 8GB model of GeForce RTX 5060 Ti has faced heavy criticism. Nvidia reportedly even tried to prevent reviews. Tests eventually confirmed that while 8GB is still sufficient for many tasks, an increasing number of games and scenarios now demand more, limiting the GPU’s usability. That’s when reports surfaced that AMD might have reconsidered its plans and possibly cancelled the upcoming Radeon RX 9060 XT model with 8GB memory.
This claim was made by the YouTube channel Moore’s Law is Dead a week ago—more precisely, Moore’s Law is Dead stated that according to their sources, AMD was at least considering scrapping the 8GB version of the card. Reportedly, several of its sources said that “AMD representatives” had told them this. According to those reports, production or preparations for the 8GB cards had allegedly been paused. Alternatively, the card might still launch officially, but production could be minimal or discontinued soon after. In practice, this would mean only the 16GB version would largely be available.
The issue with this claim is that allegations of merely “considering” something cannot be disproven—even if the 8GB graphics card is eventually released. It would be impossible to prove that AMD never considered such a move. This raises suspicions that such rumors might be fabricated—perhaps even to explain why the RX 9060 XT didn’t launch in April, a release timeframe MLID previously talked about.
No, the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB version will launch…
In any case, the Benchlife website – known for a relatively strong reputation and seemingly credible internal sources – published an article yesterday directly refuting any reports about the planned or even considered cancellation of the 8GB card. According to Benchlife, reliable sources confirmed that the 8GB Radeon RX 9060 XT is indeed going to be released. The site reports that “there are no plans to cancel or halt the supply” of the 8GB variant.
Benchlife’s sources reportedly stated outright that the aforementioned YouTube rumor was likely just speculation, or something based on someone else’s speculative reasoning being shared with MLID. In other words, it was likely just a theory about how AMD might react to the media’s reception of the 8GB GeForce RTX 5060 Ti, without any direct correlation to actual decisions that may or may not have been considered made inside AMD.
- Tip: Asus TUF GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB OC Review: Great, but Pricey
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According to Benchlife, production of the card is likely already underway, making cancellation an unrealistic option at this point. The 8GB card may also i fact be in real demand from prebuilt manufacturers, due to its lower cost (and it would be similar in the case of the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB). In any case, the site says both versions of the card will be released, although the 16GB model will probably make up the bulk of production.
Does it matter?
While it may seem like splitting hairs, the cancellation of the 8GB version and offering only the 16GB model could have certain advantages for consumers. Without the cheaper 8GB version, AMD might have to slightly reduce the price of the 16GB model to maintain competitiveness. A single GPU offered in two memory configurations allows AMD to address a broader part of the market by covering two price points. This is likely the reasoning behind AMD’s dual-version strategy. If only the 16GB version were offered, there would likely be pressure to price it lower, to at least partially cover the lower price bracket vacated by a scrapped 8GB version (similarly, Nvidia might have priced the RTX 5060 Ti at 399 USD if it were available only as the 16GB variant).
As for the exact pricing of the Radeon RX 9060 XT – or rather, the prices, if both versions do launch – that remains unknown. It’s expected that the card will perform slightly below Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5060 Ti, so prices could be correspondingly lower than the competition’s 379 USD for the 8GB version and 429 USD for the 16GB. We should get definitive answers in just under three weeks at Computex, where AMD is reportedly set to unveil the cards on May 21 during its keynote.
- Read more: Radeon RX 9060 XT specs leaked: GPU clock up to 3,3 GHz
- Read more: Radeon RX 9060 XT to come out later, will hit the stores in June?
Sources: Benchlife, Moore’s Law is Dead
English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš
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