The Best GPU for Budget PCs: CPU/GPU Scaling Tested
A faster GPU isn't always a better upgrade for an older PC. We test the RTX 5060, RTX 5070, and RX 9060 XT across four CPUs to see how processor limitations can turn GPU rankings upside down. Read Entire Article
When considering upgrading the graphics card in an older or budget PC, it may not always be the case that a faster GPU will result in better gaming performance. In fact, our testing has shown that a Radeon RX 9060 XT can outperform a more powerful GeForce RTX 5070 when paired with a slower processor. This counterintuitive finding is due to recent investigations into Nvidia's CPU driver overhead issue, which continues to affect GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs.
To test this further, we have examined more modest hardware configurations, focusing on the GeForce RTX 5060 and Radeon RX 9060 XT. We have also included the RTX 5070 to observe how a more powerful GPU scales with slower processors. Budget CPUs such as the Ryzen 5 5500, which retails around $90, are popular choices among consumers, and we felt it was essential to include them in our testing.
We concentrated primarily on 1080p testing to highlight CPU limitations, as these GPUs are generally considered 1080p products. The testing included War Thunder, Marvel's Rivals, and Space Marine 2, among others.
In War Thunder, the RTX 5070 was significantly faster than the RX 9060 XT with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, but the performance gap narrowed when paired with the Ryzen 5 7600 and 5500. In Marvel's Rivals, the RTX 5070 was substantially faster than the RX 9060 XT with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, but the Radeon GPU still managed to outperform the RTX 5060 by a slim margin and the RTX 5070 when using the Ryzen 5 5600 and 5500.
The RX 9060 XT showed significant performance improvements when paired with the slower Ryzen 5 5500, beating the RTX 5060 by 8% and even the RTX 5070 by 5%.
The results in Space Marine 2 highlight Nvidia's CPU overhead issue even more clearly. With the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, the RTX 5070 was the fastest GPU, but the RX 9060 XT overtook it with the Ryzen 5 7600 and 5600, becoming 15% faster than the RTX 5060 and 25% faster with the Ryzen 5 5500. The Hitman World of Assassination benchmark also showcased the RX 9060 XT's CPU-dependent performance advantages, with the Radeon GPU outperforming the RTX 5060 and even the RTX 5070 when paired with slower processors.
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