Cost Per Frame MSRP
So, how do things stack up in the all-important cost per frame? Well, this is where things get interesting, as the RTX 5060 actually comes in as the better buy at $1.81 per frame, though this is not much different from the 9060 XT, which comes in at 5 cents more expensive per frame but gives a 13% increase in overall framerate.
When it comes to 1440p, which I honestly think people buying this would be looking to play at, it is definitely good news, as the 9060 XT comes in as the second-best value GPU you can buy right now at just $2.61 per frame. Sadly, this comes with a pretty major sticking point in that a lot of GPUs still are not available at their MSRP prices, though it is getting better, and AMD generally does come out better than NVIDIA in this department. What is going to be a thorn in AMD’s side, however, is the RTX 5060, which comes in as the better buy and performs just 9% worse, though the big drawback there is the all-important VRAM, which is where AMD has the edge when thinking about future-proofing.
What is clear to see is that AMD does offer good value when it comes to cards with 16GB of VRAM, and that is something that NVIDIA cannot really compete with at the moment, as its best value 16GB card is the RTX 5060 Ti at $3.03 per frame and, again, $80 more in total.
Cost Per Frame Selling Price
When it comes to real-world selling prices, the 5060 still does well, as it is actually available at its MSRP of $299. This puts the RX 9060 XT into the same position as well, just behind by 5 cents per frame, like we saw at MSRP, though this is assuming that the new RDNA 4 card will be available at that price. Our retail sources suggest that stock will be strong and, therefore, it should be. What we do find is that cards like the 7700 XT and 5060 Ti now drop down slightly to be put into a better light. However, if you were eyeing up a 7700 XT for 1080p gaming, then the 9060 XT is the better choice, given its similar performance, more VRAM, and newer technologies and architecture.
At 1440p, which again is more realistic for this card, the 9060 XT still sits as the best-buy card in its segment if we are talking 16GB of VRAM minimum, with the next closest card being an older AMD 6000 series. Again, if you want the best efficiency, performance per watt, latest tech like FSR 4, and so on, then it is a bit of a no-brainer for this one. Even when compared to the RTX 5060, at 1440p, it really starts to show that it is a bit of a let-down; even though it is cheaper than the RDNA 4 card we have looked at today, it is packing less performance and will not have the same level of longevity.
