After weeks of anticipation following the release of the RTX 5060 Ti, Nvidia has finally confirmed the official launch date for its more affordable Blackwell architecture GPU. The GeForce RTX 5060 is set to hit shelves worldwide on May 19, 2025, with both desktop and laptop variants becoming available simultaneously.
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| Introducing the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, set to launch on May 19, 2025 |
Launch Timing Coincides with Computex 2025
The May 19 release date aligns perfectly with the opening of Computex 2025 in Taiwan, where Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will deliver his keynote address. This strategic timing suggests that Nvidia may have additional announcements planned for the event, potentially using the platform to showcase the capabilities of their newest budget-friendly GPU offering. The launch is scheduled for 9 AM Pacific Time (12 PM Eastern, 5 PM UK, 6 PM Central Europe) on May 19.
Specifications Show Significant Improvements Over RTX 4060
The RTX 5060 represents a substantial upgrade over its predecessor, featuring 3,840 CUDA cores compared to the RTX 4060's 3,072 – a 25% increase. While maintaining the same 8GB memory capacity, the shift to GDDR7 memory technology delivers a significant bandwidth improvement, jumping from 272 GB/s on the RTX 4060 to approximately 448 GB/s on the new model. This represents a 64% increase in memory bandwidth, which should translate to noticeable performance improvements.
Clock Speeds and Power Requirements
According to the PNY listing on Best Buy, their RTX 5060 OC edition will feature base and boost clocks of 2.28 GHz and 2.54 GHz respectively. The GPU's total board power (TBP) is rated at 145W, which is 35W higher than the RTX 4060. This moderate increase in power consumption is expected to deliver approximately 25% better raster performance over the previous generation, according to Nvidia's claims.
Pricing Strategy and Market Positioning
Nvidia has maintained its previously announced MSRP of $299 for the RTX 5060, as confirmed by PNY's Best Buy listing. However, based on patterns observed with previous RTX 50-series launches, actual retail prices may increase shortly after release. Premium partner models could potentially approach $400, significantly higher than the base MSRP. This pricing positions the RTX 5060 as a direct competitor to AMD's rumored RX 9060 8GB model.
Potential VRAM Limitations
The decision to stick with 8GB of VRAM has raised some concerns among the tech community, especially following the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB's performance limitations that appeared to be directly related to its memory capacity. Despite the faster GDDR7 memory, some demanding modern titles may still push against this constraint. How Nvidia addresses these concerns remains to be seen, but the company may be counting on the significant bandwidth improvements to offset some of these limitations.
Widespread Availability Planned
Nvidia has announced that both desktop graphics cards and pre-built systems featuring the RTX 5060 will be available from partners and retailers worldwide on launch day. Additionally, laptop models featuring the mobile variant of the RTX 5060 will also be released simultaneously, marking a coordinated product launch across multiple form factors. This approach differs from the staggered release schedule seen with some previous RTX 50-series products, where laptop availability lagged behind desktop components.