1. Preface
For the new generation of entry-level graphics cards, both NVIDIA and AMD have coincidentally adopted the same strategy: downplaying the 8GB VRAM versions while heavily promoting the 16GB ones. Specifically, this currently refers to the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB and the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB.
Logically speaking, at this point in 2025, 8GB of VRAM is starting to struggle. Many 1080p games can easily consume at least 5GB to 6GB of VRAM or more, and if the graphics settings are increased to 1440p, the situation becomes even more demanding.
However, there’s another viewpoint: that 8GB VRAM is still sufficient in 2025. For example, not long ago, AMD executive Frank Azor defended 8GB graphics cards — see the image above.
When running the same game, AMD cards often consume more VRAM than NVIDIA cards, so AMD users generally experience more VRAM anxiety. In light of this, this article will compare the gaming performance of the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB and the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB, allowing you to evaluate how big the overall experience gap is — for those who are more interested, feel free to refer to the results.
2. Specifications Overview
The Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB was released on June 4, 2025. It uses the Navi 44 GPU, built on TSMC’s 4nm process and based on the RDNA 4 architecture. It features 2,048 shaders, 128 texture units, 64 raster units, 32 compute units, and 32 ray tracing units.
The L2 cache is 4MB, and the L3 cache is 32MB. It has a base clock of 1700MHz and a boost clock of up to 3130MHz. The memory interface is 128-bit, paired with either 8GB or 16GB of GDDR6 memory. Memory speed is 20.1Gbps, bandwidth is 322.3GB/s, power consumption is 160W. The 8GB version is priced at $299, while the 16GB version is $349.
3. Test Platform Configuration
The main setup is as follows:
The processor is a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, motherboard is ASRock X670E PG Lightning, memory is 32GB DDR5 6000MHz, graphics cards are the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB and Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB, storage consists of two Samsung 970 SSDs, and the operating system is Windows 11.
4. Game Testing (RX 9060 XT 8GB vs 16GB)
Seven games were tested, all at 1440p resolution to better reveal the differences, as 8GB VRAM typically handles 1080p without issue. In the image series, the left side represents the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB platform, and the right side represents the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB platform.
Game 1: God of War
- 8GB Version: Avg FPS: 86, Min FPS: 74, Frame Time: 12.0ms, CPU Usage: 12%, Power: 49W, Temp: 50°C, RAM: 13.4GB, GPU Usage: 99%, VRAM: 7.1GB, GPU Power: 152W, GPU Temp: 59°C
- 16GB Version: Avg FPS: 90, Min FPS: 78, Frame Time: 11.5ms, CPU Usage: 12%, Power: 52W, Temp: 49°C, RAM: 13.0GB, GPU Usage: 98%, VRAM: 7.1GB, GPU Power: 191W, GPU Temp: 51°C
Result: Minor advantage for 16GB version (+4 FPS avg, +4 FPS min), same VRAM use, higher GPU power consumption, slightly lower temps.
Game 2: Ghostwire: Tokyo
- 8GB: Avg FPS: 57, Min: 52, Frame Time: 17.5ms, CPU: 8%, Power: 47W, Temp: 46°C, RAM: 12.9GB, GPU: 98%, VRAM: 7.1GB, GPU Power: 153W, GPU Temp: 61°C
- 16GB: Avg FPS: 60, Min: 54, Frame Time: 16.9ms, CPU: 8%, Power: 49W, Temp: 49°C, RAM: 11.0GB, GPU: 100%, VRAM: 6.9GB, GPU Power: 177W, GPU Temp: 54°C
Result: Slight advantage for 16GB (+3 FPS avg), lower RAM and GPU temps, slightly better efficiency.
Game 3: Cyberpunk 2077
- 8GB: Avg FPS: 40, Min: 20, Frame Time: 24.6ms, CPU: 24%, Power: 62W, Temp: 52°C, RAM: 14.3GB, GPU: 91%, VRAM: 7.5GB, GPU Power: 129W, GPU Temp: 62°C
- 16GB: Avg FPS: 55, Min: 45, Frame Time: 20.0ms, CPU: 25%, Power: 67W, Temp: 55°C, RAM: 12.1GB, GPU: 92%, VRAM: 9.6GB, GPU Power: 160W, GPU Temp: 51°C
Result: Significant lead for 16GB (+15 FPS avg, +25 FPS min), smoother frame time, more VRAM used, much better playability.
Game 4: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- 8GB: Avg FPS: 44, Min: 31, Frame Time: 26.7ms, CPU: 34%, Power: 64W, Temp: 51°C, RAM: 15.8GB, GPU: 100%, VRAM: 7.8GB, GPU Power: 136W, GPU Temp: 62°C
- 16GB: Avg FPS: 49, Min: 37, Frame Time: 19.7ms, CPU: 29%, Power: 57W, Temp: 50°C, RAM: 13.9GB, GPU: 100%, VRAM: 10.2GB, GPU Power: 169W, GPU Temp: 46°C
Result: Notable edge for 16GB version (+5 FPS avg), 8GB is hitting VRAM limit, 16GB runs cooler and smoother.
Game 5: Horizon Forbidden West
- 8GB: Avg FPS: 63, Min: 57, Frame Time: 16.3ms, CPU: 35%, Power: 82W, Temp: 63°C, RAM: 14.7GB, GPU: 99%, VRAM: 7.0GB, GPU Power: 142W, GPU Temp: 61°C
- 16GB: Avg FPS: 73, Min: 68, Frame Time: 13.6ms, CPU: 35%, Power: 83W, Temp: 65°C, RAM: 15.3GB, GPU: 98%, VRAM: 8.8GB, GPU Power: 169W, GPU Temp: 49°C
Result: 16GB version leads by 10 FPS avg and 11 FPS min, better frame pacing, higher VRAM use, lower GPU temp.
Game 6: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remake
- 8GB: Avg FPS: 32, Min: 17, Frame Time: 50.1ms, CPU: 16%, Power: 57W, Temp: 48°C, RAM: 17.4GB, GPU: 98%, VRAM: 7.8GB, GPU Power: 154W, GPU Temp: 60°C
- 16GB: Avg FPS: 45, Min: 29, Frame Time: 21.7ms, CPU: 18%, Power: 61W, Temp: 52°C, RAM: 16.5GB, GPU: 99%, VRAM: 9.8GB, GPU Power: 153W, GPU Temp: 49°C
Result: 8GB cannot run the game smoothly; 16GB version outperforms by 13 FPS avg, much smoother and cooler, clearly benefits from additional VRAM.
Game 7: The Last of Us Part II
- 8GB: Avg FPS: 52, Min: 42, Frame Time: 18.8ms, CPU: 21%, Power: 55W, Temp: 49°C, RAM: 17.0GB, GPU: 99%, VRAM: 6.8GB, GPU Power: 154W, GPU Temp: 62°C
- 16GB: Avg FPS: 56, Min: 45, Frame Time: 17.2ms, CPU: 43%, Power: 88W, Temp: 66°C, RAM: 15.7GB, GPU: 98%, VRAM: 10.4GB, GPU Power: 165W, GPU Temp: 49°C
Result: Small gain for 16GB version (+4 FPS avg), higher VRAM use, cooler GPU despite higher power draw, higher CPU load.
5. Comparative Conclusion
As is well known, VRAM functions similarly to system RAM — if a game (or application) doesn’t heavily utilize it, then the performance between a graphics card with less VRAM and one with more will be nearly identical. Only in VRAM-intensive scenarios does the capacity difference significantly impact performance.
Therefore, based on the above comparison tests, it’s difficult to definitively state that the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB is significantly more powerful than the 8GB version in every case. However, even when final performance is close, the 16GB version offers a better overall experience, such as lower system RAM consumption and lower GPU temperatures.
Overall, for running 1080p games, the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB will be sufficient for the next one to two years. Beyond that, it may start to struggle. Given this, the $50 price difference is worthwhile — it’s recommended to prioritize the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB.
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