AMD's Radeon RX 9060 XT launch will see the 16 GB models in the retail markets far more than the 8 GB counterpart, as Team Red wants to follow in NVIDIA's footsteps.
AMD's Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB Model Likely To See a Confined Launch Compared To The 16 GB Counterpart
The launch of AMD's Radeon RX 9060 XT is approaching, and with that, there were rumors ignited that the firm is canceling the 8 GB variant, likely due to the low VRAM capacity and how NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB proved to be a flawed launch. However, according to a new report by Benchlife, it is revealed that AMD won't cancel the 8 GB configuration in the Radeon RX 9060 XT lineup, and that it will be launched alongside the 16 GB counterpart, but the key difference would lie in retail availability.
For those unaware, NVIDIA's RTX 5060 Ti launch also included the 8GB/16GB approach, but Team Green was hesitant to show the model's performance with the lower VRAM, given that most of the reviewers received the 16 GB variant. Those who did manage to get their hands on the 8 GB model didn't see it as a worthwhile release, given that less VRAM onboard significantly deteriorated the performance, to the point where the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB was said to be 30%-40% slower than its 16 GB counterpart.
This made it clear that the room for GPUs with lower VRAMs isn't there in the market, which is why it is claimed that AMD and their AIB partners would likely prioritize selling the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB model in retail channels. And, given that mass production of GPUs is done way before the actual launch, Team Red cannot cancel the 8 GB variant at the last moment so that it will be available in the markets as well, but likely, the model won't get much shelf life. For now, it all depends on how AMD wants to position the GPU launch, since it has the cards to play out.
In terms of pricing, the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti was released at $379/$429; we expected AMD to increase the competition by potentially dropping the RX 9060 XT models at lower pricing. For now, the anticipated showcase is at Computex 2025.
About the author: Muhammad Zuhair is a hardware and technology reporter for Wccftech, specializing in the semiconductor industry and the complex interplay between technology, manufacturing, and geopolitics. His coverage focuses on the corporate strategies and technological roadmaps of industry giants like TSMC, NVIDIA, Samsung, and Intel. Zuhair's expertise lies in deconstructing complex topics such as fabrication nodes (e.g., 2nm process), the economic impact of policies like the CHIPS Act, and the strategic development of AI infrastructure from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
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