NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5050 vs AMD - Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB
Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5050 | AMD - Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Ray tracing cores | 20 | 32 |
| TDP | 130 W | 160 W |
| Boost clock | 2470 MHz | 3130 MHz |
| 3DMark Time Spy | 9800 | 12400 |
| CUDA / Stream cores | 2560 | 2048 |
Between the GeForce RTX 5050 and Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB, the GeForce RTX 5050 comes out ahead in tdp / cuda / stream cores, while the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB wins on vram / ray tracing cores. Overall, the GeForce RTX 5050 scores 56.8 and the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB scores 64.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB edges ahead on the Mars Score (56.8 vs 64.3), but the 7.5-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the GeForce RTX 5050 if you care most about tdp / cuda / stream cores. The biggest gaps in its favor are tdp, cuda / stream cores, dlss. The single most decisive one: TDP — 30.00 W less. 130 vs 160.
Pick the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. Its strongest claims are vram, ray tracing cores, boost clock, among others. The single most decisive one: VRAM — 100.00% more. 16 GB vs 8 GB.
Both ship with comparable memory bus, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Which should you buy: NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5050 or AMD - Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB?
AMD - Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB leads the current Mars Score by 7.5 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare vram, cuda / stream cores, boost clock, tdp against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5050 if…
NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5050 has the measurable edge on tdp w, cuda cores, has dlss.
Choose AMD - Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB if…
AMD - Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB has the measurable edge on vram gb, ray tracing cores, boost clock mhz.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5050 wins
- ▲TDP — 30.00 W less. 130 vs 160.
- ▲CUDA / Stream cores — 25.00% more. 2560 vs 2048.
- ▲Has DLSS.
Why AMD - Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB wins
- ▲VRAM — 100.00% more. 16 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Ray tracing cores — 60.00% more. 32 vs 20.
- ▲Boost clock — 26.72% more. 3130 MHz vs 2470 MHz.
- ▲3DMark Time Spy — 26.53% more. 12400 vs 9800.
Spec comparison
Core
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5050 | AMD - Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | GB207 | Navi 44 |
| Base clockⓘ | 2300 MHz | 2620 MHzlead |
| Boost clockⓘ | 2470 MHz | 3130 MHzlead |
| CUDA / Stream coresⓘ | 2560lead | 2048 |
| Ray tracing coresⓘ | 20 | 32lead |
Memory
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5050 | AMD - Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB |
|---|---|---|
| VRAMⓘ | 8 GB | 16 GBlead |
| VRAM typeⓘ | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |
| Memory busⓘ | 128 bit | 128 bit |
Power & Form
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5050 | AMD - Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB |
|---|---|---|
| TDPⓘ | 130 Wlead | 160 W |
| Recommended PSUⓘ | 550 W | 550 W |
| Length | 240 mm | 240 mm |
| Slot size | 2-slot | 2-slot |
Benchmarks
| Spec | NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5050 | AMD - Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB |
|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spyⓘ | 9800 | 12400lead |
| DLSSⓘ | truelead | false |
| FSRⓘ | false | truelead |
Frequently asked
Which has more VRAM, GeForce RTX 5050 or Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB?+
Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB ships with 16GB GDDR6 vs 8GB.
Which scores higher in 3DMark Time Spy, GeForce RTX 5050 or Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB?+
Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB scores 12400 vs 9800.
Which draws less power, GeForce RTX 5050 or Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB?+
GeForce RTX 5050 draws 130W TDP vs 160W.