An ongoing debate among gamers is whether 8GB of VRAM is sufficient for a quality gaming experience. This topic was recently reignited by Edward Crisler, PR Manager of Sapphire NA, during a discussion about the 9060 XT 8GB graphics card. Critics have often labeled this card as lacking due to its limited VRAM, yet Crisler defends its capability for 1080p gaming.
The 9060 XT 8GB card, despite its limitations, is a competent option for most 1080p games, according to Crisler. I’ve been using this card since August and have some insights around its performance, especially when factoring in its cost-effectiveness at just $225.
Test Setup
- i7 13700K
- MSI Z790MPower
- 2x16GB DDR5 8000C32 Patriot Xtreme5
- Sapphire 9060 XT 8GB Pulse
- Arctic Liquid Freezer II 420mm
- 1TB SN850X PCIE 4.0 SSD
- Seasonic Focus V3-GX1000 80+ Gold
Gaming Performance Highlights
Let’s delve into the 9060 XT’s performance across a variety of popular titles. In Cyberpunk 2077, the card performs admirably initially, maintaining close to 60 FPS at 1440P with FSR4 quality and medium RT settings. However, its 8GB VRAM becomes a bottleneck in more demanding sections, affecting performance significantly.
In other games like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and A Plague Tale: Requiem, the card struggles with texture culling and performance dips when RT is enabled. These issues suggest the card’s limitations when pushing for higher graphical fidelity.
Conclusion
So, is the Sapphire 9060 XT 8GB card viable for most games? At 1080p, it mainly performs well, especially when RT isn’t a priority. This card may not handle every game at the highest settings without compromise, but with some tweaking, it offers satisfactory performance in many scenarios. While it may not redefine graphics, its cost-effectiveness makes it an attractive option for budget-conscious gamers.