AMD's latest RX 9060 XT GPUs continue the saga of bifurcating mainstream options into different memory configurations for market segmentation. According to AMD's Frank Azor, the 8GB flavor of the RX 9060 XT is designed to cater to the needs of the majority of gamers, who play at 1080p.
Gamers and developers have long bemoaned constrained memory capacities with modern GPUs. Even at 1080p, many demanding AAA titles can overwhelm 8GB GPUs, as confirmed by professional testing with cards like the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB. Despite sufficient raw horsepower, the constrained framebuffer often forces you to compromise on graphical fidelity or even resolution for a playable framerate. Nvidia's RTX 5060 GPUs have been at the epicenter of this criticism, to the point where an older RTX 3060 12GB can outperform them in certain scenarios.
There were rumors that AMD might scrap the 8GB model, following the backlash faced by Nvidia. This proved to be inaccurate, as the product was likely too far in the pipeline to be axed. While the GPUs are still almost two weeks away from launch, enthusiasts have already begun raising concerns about the viability of the 8GB model. AMD's Chief Architect of Gaming Solutions and Gaming Marketing, Frank Azor, stepped in to justify their rationale, stating these GPUs target the "majority of gamers," who play at 1080p.
Majority of gamers are still playing at 1080p and have no use for more than 8GB of memory. Most played games WW are mostly esports games. We wouldn't build it if there wasn't a market for it. If 8GB isn't right for you then there's 16GB. Same GPU, no compromise, just memory…May 22, 2025
Based on the Steam Hardware Survey, this statement is largely accurate, as 1080p dominates with 55.27% of the market, followed by 1440p at 19.90%. Some would question: Does AMD's product segmentation actively restrict more users to 1080p? Do you buy an 8GB GPU to play at 1080p, or do you play at 1080p because you have an 8GB GPU? The RTX 3070 Ti perfectly illustrates how a small framebuffer can handicap an otherwise capable GPU. The GB206 core powering the RTX 5060 Ti is, in fact, faster than the 3070 Ti, but how much of that potential power will never be realized due to insufficient memory allocation?
It wouldn't surprise me if most of these models are earmarked for gaming cafes, where esports dominate and VRAM demands are low. However, the RX 9060 XT 8GB is quite awkwardly positioned as its raw power likely outstrips its VRAM capacity. An RX 9060 non-XT / RX 9050 8GB positioned in the $200-$250 range would've been a more suitable offering as an esports-only card. After all, the RX 9060 8GB is believed to be the successor to the RX 7600 8GB, which cost $269 at launch.
It will be interesting to see if AMD and board partners can manage to keep these GPUs at MSRP. The RX 9070 family hasn't been the best indicator in this regard. We'll have to wait until June 5th next month to find out.
Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
