It's AMD's turn. After months of $2,000+ GPUs and long discussions of DLSS, we're finally on the red team's turf. AMD's strength historically lies at the budget end of the spectrum, where the majority of gamers are playing at 1080p, and spending $1,000 or less for their entire system.
Even though we really recommend splurging on a GPU, that's just not the reality for most folks. An $800 GPU needs $1,200 in other parts, and at that point most people who aren't into PC gaming will start shopping for an Xbox.
For under $400, the Radeon RX 9060 XT manages to trade blows with the similarly priced RTX 5060 at 1080p, and pushes ahead in 1440p performance. If you're looking at both on the shelf, this card has a longer life ahead of it, and better performance in demanding games and at higher resolutions.
Form Factor and Power
Photograph: Brad BourqueI know folks want to get right into performance, so I don’t want to spend forever on the physical aspects of the card. This Gigabyte Windforce OC model is somewhat premium, with a full metal backplate that has a nice cut-out for cooling, and three full-sized fans. If you have the room, the extra fan will keep your system quieter and reduce the risk of thermal issues.
