AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB Review: Performance and Value Analysis

We evaluate ray tracing performance on the 9060 XT 16GB across multiple demanding titles with high-quality upscaling settings.

Hardware by Katmin on Aug 27, 2025

Radeon RX 9060 XT series comes with 8GB and 16GB of RAM. We only consider the 16GB variant for this assessment because it provides better performance and future-proofing for contemporary gaming. RX 9060 XT is based on the RDNA4 architecture and brings several improvements over the previous 7600 XT generation.

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Specifications and Overview

RX 9060 XT 16GB comes with an MSRP of $350, nearly 20% lower than 16GB RTX 5060 Ti, despite a 10% larger die size. AMD has retained GDDR6 memory, which is cost-efficient, while the cores now operate at 14% higher clock speeds.

The memory is rated at 20 Gbits, increasing bandwidth by 11% to 320 GB/s. The PCIe interface is updated to 5.0 with full 16 lanes. However, this does not provide significant benefits for the 16GB version under typical usage.

Test System and Setup

We tested the ASRock Steel Legend version of RX 9060 XT inside our standard benchmark system. However, ASUS Prime and Sapphire Nitro Plus models were also evaluated for comparison. We ran a range of modern titles at 1440p and 1080p to assess performance, using ultra and high presets depending on the game.

Gaming Performance

At 1440p, RX 9060 XT was 5% slower than the 5060 Ti in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. RX 9060 XT was 11% quicker than the 5060 Ti in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, achieving an average frame rate of 41 fps at extreme settings.

At 1440p, Delta Force operated at 105 fps, 10% less than 5060 Ti. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 maintained playable frame rates at 1440p, though upscaling is recommended to achieve 60 fps.

With 33 fps, RX 9060 XT was 17% slower than the 5060 Ti in competitive games like Counter-Strike 2. In comparison to 5060 Ti, the performance of Space Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was 13% and 8% worse, respectively.

Alternatively, RX 9060 XT outperformed the 5060 Ti by 32% and the 7700 XT by 10% in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

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Performance differences of only 2–6% were observed in other recent games, including Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Starfield, and A Plague Tale: Requiem, suggesting that the RX 9060 XT and 5060 Ti were nearly equal.

With an average of 101 fps at 1440p, God of War Ragnarok performed marginally better than the 5060 Ti.

Due to an 18% performance penalty caused by the default DirectX11, Dying Light 2 Stay Human demonstrated that switching to DirectX12 is required for maximum performance.

Star Wars Outlaws, Hogwarts Legacy, The Last of Us Part I, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered all further emphasized the near performance parity.

At 1080p, the RX 9060 XT was 6% slower overall compared to 5060 Ti, making it comparable to a 7700 XT but with better RT performance, FSR4 support, and more VRAM. The 1440p results are slightly more favorable, with RX 9060 XT trailing the 5060 Ti by only a frame or 1% in most cases.

Ray Tracing Performance

Ray tracing performance is limited at this tier. The RX 9060 XT was 14% slower than the 5060 Ti in Alan Wake II, averaging 31 fps at 1080p resolution with upscaling.

5060 Ti averaged just 49 fps at 1440p, whereas Cyberpunk 2077 achieved 64 fps at an upscaled 1080p resolution. Spider-Man Remastered delivered a remarkable 123 fps, with 1440p scores of 90 fps for the 5060 Ti and 88 fps for the RX 9060 XT.

Other RT titles, such as Dying Light 2, Black Myth Wukong, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Metro Exodus Enhanced, showed variable performance.

The RX 9060 XT was 20% slower on average across all ray tracing tests, achieving around 65 fps. While ray tracing at this tier isn't transformative, older titles with RT can still run smoothly.

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Power Consumption and Thermals

RX 9060 XT consumes slightly more power than the 7600 XT and around 10% more than the 5060 Ti, with a 26W increase under combined CPU and GPU load. In Star Wars Outlaws, power draw increased by 27W, while in Space Marine 2, it was 21W higher, representing an 8–11% increase.

Partner GPUs, including ASRock Steel Legend, Sapphire Nitro Plus, ASUS Prime, and XFX Swift, were evaluated in a one-hour load test conducted in an enclosed ATX case at 21°C. GPU hotspot temperatures varied from 69° to 79°, and fan speeds ranged from 1,000 to 1,550 RPM.

Memory temperatures peaked between 80° and 85°, while VRM temps varied between 62° and 75°. Under typical operating conditions, all models remained silent.

Cost Per Frame and Value

The RX 9060 XT 16GB is the least expensive current-generation GPU with 16GB of VRAM, making it a good value at its MSRP. It is a good choice for anyone looking for high VRAM and reliable performance, as it costs only $5 per frame, which is marginally more than Intel's Arc B580.

For just $50 more than RTX 5060, RX 9060 XT offers 30% greater performance with twice the VRAM. Even if real-world pricing rises to $390 or $430, RX 9060 XT maintains competitive value against 5060 Ti 16GB.

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Final Thoughts

AMD's claims about 9060 XT performance being similar to the 5060 Ti are accurate at 1440p. RX 9060 XT 16GB delivers 7700 XT-like performance with 16GB of VRAM, FSR4 support, and improved ray tracing, although RT is limited at this tier.

Across 18 tested games, the average FPS at 1440p was 70 FPS, representing a 43% improvement over 7600 XT for a slight price increase.

We recommend the 16GB model as the base choice, as 8GB GPUs are rapidly becoming obsolete and depreciate faster. Saving $50 by choosing the 8GB variant is not a good investment, and AMD could have offered 16GB as standard for $300. While real-world pricing remains uncertain, RX 9060 XT 16GB is positioned to be the ultimate budget-friendly GPU.

Be cautious when shopping online to avoid accidentally buying the 8GB version, as performance is significantly lower. Assuming AMD can supply enough units to meet demand, the RX 9060 XT 16GB will be the ideal option in the current GPU market.

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