- AMD’s RX 9060 XT is supposedly set to launch in May
- That’s the word from Chiphell, and other sources have pointed to Computex (May 20) before, too
- With Nvidia’s RTX 5060 also debuting in May, another head-to-head clash – like the RX 9070 vs RTX 5070 models – is in the offing
AMD’s RX 9060 XT graphics card, seemingly the next in line from the RDNA 4 range, could be out in May, or that’s the fresh claim from the grapevine.
As flagged by Harukaze5719 on X (via VideoCardz), a regular when it comes to pointing out hardware rumors, an editor at Chiphell has put forward the idea of a May launch, without mentioning any specific date (or even a timeframe range) in the month.
Chiphell is a forum over in China, and info dropped from there needs to be taken with some caution, especially as this is a vague assertion. But in theor,y it indicates that the RX 9060 XT models could turn up in just over two weeks (though it’ll likely be later in the month, and I’ll come back to that point shortly).
Recent spec rumors have the RX 9060 XT as being equipped with 16GB and 8GB of video RAM, as with the just-revealed RTX 5060 Ti from Nvidia, except AMD is sticking with older GDDR6 memory, rather than following Team Green’s upgrade path to (faster) GDDR7.
The 9060 XT is said to have half the graphics cores of the RX 9070 XT, and indeed half the memory bandwidth too. It supposedly has a somewhat faster boost speed, though, so guesswork currently has the performance of the RX 9060 XT pitched at just over half (around 60%) of the 9070 XT (add seasoning now, and don’t be shy with it). Elsewhere, we’ve heard that the incoming GPU is likely to sit just below the frame rates delivered by the RX 7700 XT.
Analysis: May feels right for 9060 XT launch – let’s hope the price is right, too
Officially, AMD has only said that RX 9060 models are coming in Q2, which could be any time up until the end of June – and Team Red has gone pretty quiet on these next-in-line RDNA 4 GPUs otherwise.
Does May seem a realistic prospect for an RX 9060 XT launch? Well, it’s a middling bet – literally bang in the middle of Q2 – and of course, AMD won’t want to be seen to be lagging behind Nvidia. Team Green has just unleashed the RTX 5060 Ti (it goes on sale today) and the RTX 5060 is due in May (with an attractive sounding $299 MSRP).
As VideoCardz further observes, other rumors from Nvidia’s graphics card making partners have suggested a Computex launch for the 9060 XT models, which is later in May (the show kicks off on May 20, in fact). So, the rumors appear to be aligning around a timeframe that makes sense, but as ever, get carried away at your own risk.
With Nvidia dropping pricing on its RTX 5060 models compared to Lovelace, this will hopefully force AMD to look at more affordable price tags for the RX 9060 XT. Chiphell rumors suggest pricing could land equivalent to the RTX 5060, with perhaps a $299 asking price for the 16GB spin, and $249 for the 8GB model. Other rumors have hinted that this is overly optimistic, and we could be looking at 10% to 20% or so more.
Real-world pricing and availability, rather than MSRPs, are set to be a key factor in this lower-mid-range battle, though – and the fear is very much that Nvidia is going to come out poorly in this regard. Still, we shouldn’t judge beforehand (though it’s difficult not to in Team Green’s case), and with all the chaos around tariffs and potential price hikes at the moment, the waters couldn’t be any thicker with mud, frankly.
It’s also worth noting that 8GB graphics cards are not going down well these days – for obvious reasons, as this VRAM loadout is looking very shaky for any kind of future-proofing – so it doesn’t seem wise for AMD to follow in Nvidia’s unpopular footsteps in this respect with that 8GB version of the 9060 XT, especially as AMD has avoided going too lean with the RX 9070 models, which all have 16GB (whereas the Nvidia RTX 5070 stuck with a distinctly wobbly looking 12GB).
Still, the theory is that this lower-end RX 9060 XT 8GB is being launched in lieu of the vanilla RX 9060 (which the grapevine remains silent on, perhaps tellingly).
Video RAM aside, there’s some disappointment more broadly with the overall spec of the RX 9060 XT as rumored, with it feeling a bit weak. But as mentioned, pricing will be crucial here, and if the base 9060 XT (8GB) does end up at $250 (or a whisper over), that could make it a pleasantly compelling budget GPU.
