Nvidia RTX 5060 Outperforms Previous Generations by Up to 25% in Controlled Preview Tests

Nvidia has taken an unconventional approach to introducing the upcoming RTX 5060 graphics card, a mid-range offering from its new Blackwell lineup. Despite withholding pre-release drivers from most reviewers, the company has provided select outlets, like GameStar Tech and Ascii.jp, with early access to the GPU and a set of strict guidelines for creating "preview" articles. These guidelines restrict the benchmarks to specific older GeForce x060-class GPUs, a limited list of games, and particular settings, including 1080p resolution, ultra image quality, DLSS in quality mode, and ray tracing. Benchmarks and Performance Ascii.jp, a Japanese tech outlet, conducted benchmarks for the RTX 5060 in Doom: The Dark Ages, Cyberpunk 2077, and Marvel Rivals. The tests focused on frame generation, a technique where the GPU generates frames to enhance performance, which adds a layer of complexity to direct comparisons but still provides valuable insights. Doom: The Dark Ages: Using 2x DLSS frame generation, the RTX 5060 delivered an average of 150.56 FPS and 126.40 FPS for 1% lows. It outperformed the RTX 4060 by 17%, the RTX 3060 by 35%, and was over three times faster than the RTX 2060. Compared to the RTX 5060 Ti (both 8GB and 16GB variants), the performance was 15% lower. Cyberpunk 2077: The RTX 5060 achieved an average of 83.77 FPS and 56.07 FPS for 1% lows. It was 25% faster than the RTX 4060, 81% faster than the RTX 3060, and nearly four times faster than the RTX 2060. Again, the RTX 5060 Ti (8GB variant) was 15% faster, and the 16GB variant was 17% faster than the RTX 5060. Marvel Rivals: The RTX 5060 scored an average of 178.33 FPS and 127.01 FPS for 1% lows. It was 16% faster than the RTX 4060, 48% faster than the RTX 3060, and 85% faster than the RTX 2060. The RTX 5060 Ti 8GB variant outperformed the RTX 5060 by 14%, while the 16GB variant showed slightly lower performance due to a margin of error. Comparison Techniques The tests involved different frame generation and upscaling technologies tailored to the capabilities of each GPU. For instance, the RTX 3060 and RTX 2060 used FSR 3 frame generation, while the newer models utilized DLSS. This highlights the evolution in Nvidia's upscaling and frame generation technologies, which have significantly improved performance across generations. Industry Reactions and Company Profile Industry insiders have mixed opinions about Nvidia's approach. Some praise the company for its innovative technologies, such as DLSS 4 and the new transformer model, which offer substantial performance boosts even in demanding titles. Others criticize the restrictive nature of the previews, arguing that it limits comprehensive testing and might lead to incomplete or biased evaluations. Nvidia has a history of leading the charge in GPU technology, consistently pushing boundaries with advanced features like ray tracing and deep learning super sampling (DLSS). The introduction of the RTX 5060, despite the controlled preview environment, demonstrates the company's commitment to maintaining its market leadership. However, the decision to limit access and control the narrative through these previews may raise concerns among consumers and tech reviewers alike, potentially impacting transparency and trust in future product evaluations.