The graphics card market is heating up with AMD’s latest release: the Radeon RX 9060 XT. It comes in two flavors: an 8GB version priced at $299 and a 16GB version at $349. On the surface, the 16GB model seems like the better deal for those looking for future-proofing. But the 8GB version raises an old question: do gamers still need cards with that much memory in 2025?
AMD’s Defense
Frank Azor, a top exec at AMD’s gaming division, says yes. Most gamers still play at 1080p, and they don’t need more than 8GB, he claims. Azor points to market data to back up this decision. But not everyone is convinced.
The main issue isn’t just the memory; it’s that both versions have the same name: RX 9060 XT. This confuses buyers and makes it hard to compare the two models. It’s similar to the criticism NVIDIA faced with its RTX 5060 Ti, which also has 8GB and 16GB versions with the same name.
Avoiding Controversy
AMD has avoided some of the pitfalls of its competitor, though. The RX 9060 XT doesn’t have the same bandwidth limitations as NVIDIA’s model, which was released with only eight PCIe 5.0 lanes. This impacted performance in demanding scenarios.
Despite AMD’s justifications, the current situation raises doubts about the benefits of the 8GB version. And given the company’s history of unfulfilled promises – like the failed MSRP rollout after the RX 9070 launch – skepticism is warranted.
The market will have its say after the June 5 launch. Until then, the question remains: do 8GB graphics cards still have a place in a world of increasingly demanding games?
