GPU Market Distortion – RTX 5060 Ti 16GB Now Costs Nearly as Much as an RTX 5070

The graphics card market continues to defy traditional logic. The latest pricing data from Europe reveals a striking anomaly: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti with 16GB of memory is now being sold at prices that nearly match those of the more powerful RTX 5070. This convergence erases the typical price-performance hierarchy, leaving consumers to question the value of what should be a clear step-up in performance.

GPU Market Distortion - RTX 5060 Ti 16GB Now Costs Nearly as Much as an RTX 5070
GPU Market Distortion – RTX 5060 Ti 16GB Now Costs Nearly as Much as an RTX 5070

According to tracking by ComputerBase, the daily median price for new RTX 5060 Ti 16GB listings has repeatedly crossed the €700 mark, placing it directly alongside many RTX 5070 listings. While the lowest observed prices still show a gap (around €550 vs. €650), the trend indicates that the cards are competing in the same price tier at many retailers.


The Mechanics of a Pricing Squeeze

This unusual situation is not necessarily due to the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB suddenly becoming more desirable, but rather a combination of constrained supply and shifting manufacturer allocation. NVIDIA’s confirmed prioritization scheme focuses on the 8GB variants of cards like the RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti. This means production of the 16GB version of the RTX 5060 Ti is deprioritized, limiting its availability in the channel.

With lower shipment volumes, any sustained demand allows retailers to price the remaining stock higher. Meanwhile, the RTX 5070, while also affected by broader memory shortages, may have a slightly more stable supply, keeping its price from skyrocketing at the same rate. The result is two cards from different performance tiers meeting at a similar price point.

NVIDIA GPUs


What This Means for PC Builders

For someone trying to build or upgrade a PC, this creates a frustrating and illogical choice:

  1. The Value Question: Why pay €700 for an RTX 5060 Ti 16GB when, for a similar amount, you might find an RTX 5070 that offers better performance (albeit with 12GB of VRAM)?
  2. The Hunt for Value: The best strategy becomes a relentless hunt for the few remaining cards at the lowest observed prices, which sell out quickly.
  3. Performance vs. VRAM: The decision becomes a confusing trade-off between the RTX 5070’s superior GPU performance and the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB’s larger frame buffer for future-proofing.

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The Bigger Picture: A Market Unmoored from MSRP

This pricing squeeze on the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB is a microcosm of the entire RTX 50 series market. NVIDIA’s official prioritization, designed to manage scarce memory chips, has the side effect of completely distorting retail pricing and product positioning. The RTX 5090, as noted, is approaching double its MSRP, confirming that no segment is immune.

In this environment, a card’s label (“60 Ti” or “70”) becomes less important than its street price and immediate availability. For consumers, it underscores the importance of shopping based on specific price-per-performance at the moment of purchase, rather than relying on traditional product hierarchy, which the current market has temporarily suspended.

Source: computerbase, pcpartpicker

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