A Closer Look
So straight off the bat, for a 5060 Ti, you’ll notice that triple-fan cooler design which is important, because at $499 it’s one of the better price cards available right now, though that does still put it $70 more expensive than MSRP with some AIB cards also matching the price, but for a dual fan version, so things are off to a good start, especially when you factor in added RGB and a slight factory boosted overclock, now pushing 2692MHz, so you could argue the extra cost has gone into a multitude of areas.
This is also the 16GB model, which accounts for something, as while they do have an 8GB SKU featuring the same cooler, as per some of our previous content, we’re always going to steer you away from that in favour of getting a card with double the VRAM, making it the perfect card for 1440p gaming.
When it comes to design, I think it’s fair to say that PNY has kept things pretty reserved. Of course, that’s not uncommon for a card of this calibre, and adding an unnecessarily thick heatsink, and more gimmicky features would see that price increase, and at that point, you’re venturing into RTX 5070 territory, and I feel that’s not what this card is about.
The cooler is definitely one of the key features of this card and that’s because underneath, this uses the same PCB and clock speeds as the dual-fan version, and the reason that’s important, is because if the dual fan version can handle things well, then the triple fan model should easily be able to deal with heat and noise levels as a result.
Though it is a triple fan version, measuring in at 299mm long, 106mm tall and just 37mm thick, it means that there shouldn’t be any major issues with fitting it in most mid-tower PC cases, and even some smaller form factor builds without any issues.
It’s also a pretty light card, coming in at just 1020 grams, which is quite deceiving, given its length.
The three large fans also give a little headroom for overclocking the card, with it coming with a slight boost from the factory. It can hit up to a 2692 MHz boost speed, compared to the 2572 MHz of the non-OC variant or any other base model on the market right now and while a 120 MHz difference may not sound like a lot, but it’s enough to squeeze more performance out over the competition, and the price difference is pretty minimal too.
The card is predominantly made from plastic, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing given its price point, and PNY have given it a unique ARGB twist too, with a layout that forms the shape of an infinity symbol which passes through the middle fan, and circling the fans at either end. Being honest, this card isn’t the most attractive GPU I’ve seen, but with a mixture of glossy black and matte black plastics, it’s presentable and reasonably understated, and the RGB will distract you from the plastics when in use anyway.
What I do like is the little details that join the fans together, with some curved lines and angles in the shroud to keep it looking interesting and even though the shroud is made entirely from plastic, it feels durable, and again, it keeps costs more reasonable.
There’s a good amount of ventilation down the side of the card, though I’m sure this isn’t from an engineering standpoint, and just happened due to the design instead, and being a 5060 Ti, it’s not the hottest GPU on the planet anyway, so everything comes across as suitable given the tier of card it’s made to cater for, especially as mentioned, the fact that a dual fan version is available too.
One design choice that seems a bit odd to me is the single 8-pin power connector. Yes, it doesn’t use the latest 12V-2×6 connector, though other AIB cards are the same, but it’s more about the location. It’s pushed quite far back to the rear I/O and unless you have a grommet directly below your motherboard’s HD Audio header, this could end up looking quite unsightly, but given the size of the PCB, I can see to a degree why it’s positioned there.
There’s also a splash of more RGB along the top, illuminating that PNY logo if mounting the card horizontally in your case and definitely adds to the gamer aesthetic, which I think this card is firmly aiming at.
One welcome feature is the good quality backplate, which not only protects the PCB but also dresses it up a little, too, giving us a more attractive look overall, and being made from metal, especially at this price point is nice to see. It’s a pretty simple design, and I feel it’s more about substance in terms of cooling, which we’ll find out soon enough. There’s also a good amount of ventilation towards the back, allowing air to pass through the card, which again should help with cooling and for a little more lighting, the cut-out features a big arrow shape with RGB running around the edges of it.
The card being only 37mm thick means that it’s a two-slot design, with a shroud that actually sits lower than the I/O bracket and there’s some additional ventilation, but also a selection of four display connectors and while the card does have multi-monitor support, this isn’t RTX 5090, so multi-monitor gaming likely isn’t the goal, but makes it perfect for productivity if that’s what you’re after.
