The RTX 4060 isn’t the card it launched as. It launched at $299 in 2023. In June 2026 it’s sitting at around $300-$400new on Amazon — more expensive than the card that replaced it. The RTX 5060 launched in May 2026 at the same $299 MSRP with a faster architecture, faster memory, and exclusive DLSS 4 support.
At identical current pricing, this is not a difficult comparison. But there are situations where the 4060 still makes sense, and this guide covers exactly what they are.
Specs — What Actually Changed
Both cards share the same 128-bit memory bus and 8GB VRAM. Those shared specs matter. But the differences underneath them are significant.
| Spec | RTX 4060 | RTX 5060 |
| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | Blackwell GB206 |
| CUDA Cores | 3,072 | 3,840 |
| VRAM | 8GB GDDR6 | 8GB GDDR7 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 272 GB/s | 448 GB/s |
| Memory Bus | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| TDP | 115W | 145W |
| PCIe | 4.0 x8 | 5.0 x8 |
| DLSS | DLSS 3 (Frame Gen) | DLSS 4 (Multi-Frame Gen) |
| Current Price (Amazon) | ~$299-$400 | ~$289-$389 |
| Used / eBay | ~$200–250 | ~$300 |
| MSRP at Launch | $299 | $299 |
The bandwidth jump is the most important number in that table. 448 GB/s vs 272 GB/s is a 65% increase — on the same bus width. GDDR7 gets it done. The 5060 also adds DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Generation, which creates three frames for every one rendered. In supported titles, that’s the bigger performance story than raw rasterization gains alone.
Performance — Real-World Numbers at 1080p
Rasterization gains average 22–28% across modern titles. Ray tracing is bigger — roughly 30–35% faster. The asterisk on the path tracing row below matters:
| Game / Workload (1080p) | RTX 4060 avg fps | RTX 5060 avg fps | Gain |
| Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra, RT off) | 61 fps | 76 fps | +25% |
| Call of Duty: Warzone | 138 fps | 168 fps | +22% |
| Black Myth: Wukong (High) | 54 fps | 69 fps | +28% |
| Microsoft Flight Sim 2024 | 48 fps | 60 fps | +25% |
| Cyberpunk (Path Tracing + DLSS) | 42 fps | 98 fps* | +133%* |
| CS2 (Competitive, High) | 310 fps | 370 fps | +19% |
*The path tracing gain is driven almost entirely by DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Generation, which is exclusive to RTX 50-series. The RTX 4060 supports DLSS 3 Frame Gen — one generated frame per rendered frame. The 5060’s MFG generates three. That’s the real performance gap in ray tracing workloads, and it only widens as more games support DLSS 4.
DLSS 4 — The Exclusive That Matters
DLSS 3 Frame Generation, which the 4060 supports, creates one additional frame per real rendered frame. DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Generation creates three. In games that support it, the 5060 doesn’t just feel faster — it feels like a different class of card.
The list of supported titles is growing. Cyberpunk 2077, Alan Wake 2, Hogwarts Legacy, and Black Myth: Wukong already support DLSS 4 MFG. 2026 releases are launching with it natively. If you’re buying a card to hold for three years, DLSS 4 compatibility is increasingly the dividing line between feeling current and feeling last-gen.
The 8GB Problem — Both Cards Have It
Neither card escapes the 8GB VRAM ceiling. At 1080p in most current titles, 8GB is still enough. At 1440p ultra settings in the most demanding 2026 games, it isn’t — and the failure mode isn’t a gradual slowdown. It’s stuttering.
The 5060’s GDDR7 handles pressure better than the 4060’s GDDR6 when VRAM is near capacity — faster bandwidth means the system can offload and retrieve data more quickly. But it doesn’t solve the ceiling. If you’re gaming at 1440p and want longevity, the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB at $379 MSRP is the better answer. The extra $80 over the 5060 buys you 16GB of GDDR7 and removes the VRAM problem entirely.
Who Should Buy What — The Decision Guide
| Your Situation | Buy This | Why |
| Buying new at current Amazon pricing ($each) | RTX 5060 | Same price, meaningfully better card |
| Found a used RTX 4060 under $200 | RTX 4060 | Acceptable at that price only |
| Upgrading from RTX 4060 you already own | Neither | Not worth the cost — sell and go 5060 Ti or higher |
| Coming from GTX 1660 Super / RTX 2060 | RTX 5060 | Transformative upgrade at $289-$389 |
| Gaming at 1440p, want longevity | RTX 5060 Ti 16GB | 8GB VRAM ceiling matters at 1440p in 2026 |
| Pure esports — CS2, Valorant only | Either | Gap shrinks at high fps. 4060 at $300 wins on value |
One scenario worth spelling out: if you own a 4060 and you’re thinking about upgrading to a 5060, don’t. The performance delta — roughly 22% at 1080p — doesn’t justify the net cost of selling and rebuying. If your 4060 isn’t cutting it, the problem is either the resolution you’re targeting or the VRAM ceiling. The answer is the 5060 Ti 16GB, not a lateral move within the same VRAM bracket.
What About AMD?
The RX 9060 XT 16GB deserves mention here. It launched at $399 current prices $359-$500with 16GB of GDDR7 — double the VRAM of either Nvidia card at a $60–100 premium. For buyers who game at 1440p, prioritise future-proofing over DLSS, or care more about raw raster performance than frame generation, it’s the smarter buy at that price.
The RX 9060 (non-XT) at $269 is also worth considering if you’re purely playing esports titles at 1080p. It undercuts the 5060 by $30 and the gap in competitive gaming is minimal.
The Intel Arc B580 at ~$300 with 12GB GDDR6 is the VRAM-per-dollar winner in this price bracket. The driver maturity situation has improved significantly in 2026. It’s not plug-and-play on older game libraries, but for current titles and anything built on modern APIs, it’s genuinely competitive.
The Verdict
The RTX 5060 is the correct new card at this price point. At $300-$389 on Amazon — the same price as the 4060 — there’s no scenario where buying the older card new makes sense. Better architecture, faster memory, exclusive DLSS 4 support. The choice writes itself.
The RTX 4060 has one remaining use case: used, under $200, for buyers who mostly play older titles or esports games and want the lowest possible entry point. At that price it’s an acceptable budget pick. At $339 new it is simply not competitive with its own successor.
Bottom line: buy the RTX 5060 at MSRP. If you need more than 8GB of VRAM — and at 1440p in 2026, you probably do — buy the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB instead.