I. Introduction
Generally speaking, for the same NVIDIA graphics card model, the desktop version tends to be significantly more powerful than the mobile version. However, there are exceptions—particularly with mid-range models. Whether it’s the RTX 3060 series or the RTX 4060 series, the performance gap between the desktop and mobile versions of these two generations is quite small.
This article compares the gaming performance of the GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile and the GeForce RTX 5060 Desktop editions to determine whether the latest generation of mid-range models continues this trend. How big is the difference, really? This serves as a reference for those interested.
II. Specification Comparison
The GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile was released on May 20, 2025, using the GB206 GPU based on the Blackwell architecture and manufactured with TSMC’s 4nm process. It features 3,328 CUDA cores, 104 texture units, 48 ROPs, 26 SMs, 104 tensor cores, 26 RT cores, and 32MB of L2 cache.
Its base clock speed is 952 MHz, with a boost clock up to 1455 MHz. It comes with 8GB of GDDR7 video memory running at 24 Gbps, with a 128-bit memory bus and a bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. Power consumption ranges from 45W to 100W, configurable by manufacturers.
The GeForce RTX 5060 Desktop was released on May 19, 2025, also using the GB206 GPU, based on the Blackwell architecture and manufactured with TSMC’s 4nm process. It features 3,840 CUDA cores, 120 texture units, 48 ROPs, 30 SMs, 120 tensor cores, 30 RT cores, and 32MB of L2 cache.
Its base clock is 2280 MHz, with a boost clock up to 2497 MHz. It also comes with 8GB of GDDR7 video memory running at 28 Gbps, with a 128-bit memory bus and a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its FP32 performance reaches 19.18 TFLOPS, with a power consumption of 145W and a suggested retail price of $299.
III. Test Platform Configuration
Main configurations are as follows:
For the system equipped with the GeForce RTX 5060 Desktop version:
The processor is a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, the motherboard is an MSI MPG X670E CARBON, memory is 96GB DDR5-6600, storage is a Samsung 9100 Pro 4TB SSD, and the operating system is Windows 11.
The system equipped with the GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile version is an MSI Stealth A16, with a Ryzen AI 7 350 processor.
IV. Game Testing (RTX 5060 Laptop vs Desktop)
Seven games were tested below, all at 1080P resolution. In the image sets, the left represents the GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile platform, and the right represents the GeForce RTX 5060 Desktop platform.
Game 1: God of War
- RTX 5060 Mobile: Avg FPS 90, Min FPS 82, Frame Time 12.8ms, CPU Usage 49%, CPU Power 31W, CPU Temp 66°C, RAM Usage 11.8GB, GPU Usage 98%, VRAM Usage 6.9GB, GPU Power 91W, GPU Temp 61°C
- RTX 5060 Desktop: Avg FPS 98, Min FPS 88, Frame Time 10.6ms, CPU Usage 42%, CPU Power 64W, CPU Temp 65°C, RAM Usage 11.7GB, GPU Usage 99%, VRAM Usage 6.4GB, GPU Power 120W, GPU Temp 64°C
The desktop version had 8 FPS higher average, 6 FPS higher minimum, 2ms lower frame time. CPU usage was 7% lower, memory and GPU usage were similar. VRAM usage was 0.5GB lower, power 29W higher, and temperature 3°C higher.
Game 2: Cyberpunk 2077
- RTX 5060 Mobile: Avg FPS 78, Min FPS 69, Frame Time 13.2ms, CPU Usage 46%, CPU Power 31W, CPU Temp 65°C, RAM Usage 11.7GB, GPU Usage 97%, VRAM Usage 6.8GB, GPU Power 92W, GPU Temp 61°C
- RTX 5060 Desktop: Avg FPS 81, Min FPS 70, Frame Time 12.5ms, CPU Usage 49%, CPU Power 61W, CPU Temp 66°C, RAM Usage 11.3GB, GPU Usage 97%, VRAM Usage 6.1GB, GPU Power 121W, GPU Temp 65°C
Desktop version had 3 FPS higher average, 1 FPS higher minimum, and about 1ms lower frame time. CPU usage was 3% higher, RAM 0.4GB lower, VRAM 0.7GB lower. Power consumption was 29W higher, and temperature 4°C higher. The difference was minimal.
Game 3: A Plague Tale: Requiem
- RTX 5060 Mobile: Avg FPS 75, Min FPS 66, Frame Time 15.2ms, CPU Usage 47%, CPU Power 31W, CPU Temp 65°C, RAM Usage 11.6GB, GPU Usage 97%, VRAM Usage 6.8GB, GPU Power 93W, GPU Temp 61°C
- RTX 5060 Desktop: Avg FPS 82, Min FPS 70, Frame Time 14.9ms, CPU Usage 35%, CPU Power 65W, CPU Temp 65°C, RAM Usage 11.3GB, GPU Usage 97%, VRAM Usage 6.2GB, GPU Power 125W, GPU Temp 64°C
Desktop version had 7 FPS higher average, 4 FPS higher minimum, frame time nearly equal. CPU usage was 12% lower, RAM 0.3GB lower, VRAM 0.6GB lower. Power was 32W higher, temp 3°C higher.
Game 4: Horizon Zero Dawn
- RTX 5060 Mobile: Avg FPS 80, Min FPS 70, Frame Time 12.6ms, CPU Usage 43%, CPU Power 35W, CPU Temp 65°C, RAM Usage 11.5GB, GPU Usage 99%, VRAM Usage 6.7GB, GPU Power 94W, GPU Temp 61°C
- RTX 5060 Desktop: Avg FPS 81, Min FPS 70, Frame Time 12.7ms, CPU Usage 49%, CPU Power 62W, CPU Temp 65°C, RAM Usage 12.1GB, GPU Usage 98%, VRAM Usage 6.8GB, GPU Power 125W, GPU Temp 64°C
Desktop version had only 1 FPS advantage, same minimum FPS and nearly identical frame time. CPU usage 6% higher, RAM 0.6GB higher. Power consumption 31W higher, temp 3°C higher. Overall a draw.
Game 5: Forza Horizon 5
- RTX 5060 Mobile: Avg FPS 117, Min FPS 108, Frame Time 8.0ms, CPU Usage 44%, CPU Power 34W, CPU Temp 65°C, RAM Usage 11.6GB, GPU Usage 99%, VRAM Usage 6.9GB, GPU Power 96W, GPU Temp 62°C
- RTX 5060 Desktop: Avg FPS 123, Min FPS 111, Frame Time 7.4ms, CPU Usage 46%, CPU Power 61W, CPU Temp 65°C, RAM Usage 11.7GB, GPU Usage 99%, VRAM Usage 6.2GB, GPU Power 122W, GPU Temp 64°C
Desktop version led by 6 FPS average, 3 FPS minimum, 0.6ms lower frame time. CPU usage up 2%, RAM nearly equal, VRAM 0.7GB lower. Power 26W higher, temperature 2°C higher. Slight performance lead.
Game 6: Hogwarts Legacy
- RTX 5060 Mobile: Avg FPS 77, Min FPS 66, Frame Time 15.3ms, CPU Usage 45%, CPU Power 35W, CPU Temp 65°C, RAM Usage 17.8GB, GPU Usage 99%, VRAM Usage 7.8GB, GPU Power 95W, GPU Temp 61°C
- RTX 5060 Desktop: Avg FPS 99, Min FPS 88, Frame Time 11.4ms, CPU Usage 49%, CPU Power 61W, CPU Temp 66°C, RAM Usage 17.3GB, GPU Usage 99%, VRAM Usage 6.9GB, GPU Power 121W, GPU Temp 65°C
Desktop version led significantly: +22 FPS average and minimum, 4ms lower frame time. CPU usage up 4%, RAM 0.5GB lower, VRAM 0.9GB lower. Power 26W higher, temp 4°C higher.
Game 7: The Last of Us Part II
- RTX 5060 Mobile: Avg FPS 68, Min FPS 59, Frame Time 14.5ms, CPU Usage 44%, CPU Power 34W, CPU Temp 65°C, RAM Usage 18.5GB, GPU Usage 98%, VRAM Usage 7.9GB, GPU Power 96W, GPU Temp 62°C
- RTX 5060 Desktop: Avg FPS 77, Min FPS 66, Frame Time 13.4ms, CPU Usage 49%, CPU Power 61W, CPU Temp 66°C, RAM Usage 17.0GB, GPU Usage 98%, VRAM Usage 6.9GB, GPU Power 121W, GPU Temp 65°C
Desktop version had 9 FPS higher average, 7 FPS higher minimum, 1.1ms lower frame time. CPU usage 5% higher, RAM 1.5GB lower, VRAM 1GB lower. Power 25W higher, temp 3°C higher. Modest lead.
V. Comparison Conclusion
The actual comparison results are largely consistent with the previous two generations: the GeForce RTX 5060 desktop version does indeed offer slightly better gaming performance than the GeForce RTX 5060 mobile version, but the performance gap is very small—extremely close.
Of course, a single comparison is not enough to reach an objective and fair conclusion. In the next test, the difficulty will be increased. A comparison between the GeForce RTX 5060 mobile and desktop versions at 1440P resolution will be arranged. Stay tuned.
Disclaimer: This article is created by the original author. The content of the article represents their personal opinions. Our reposting is only for sharing and discussion purposes and does not imply our endorsement or agreement. If you have any objections, please get in touch with us through the provided channels.