With the recent releases in the graphics card market and even in games’ system requirements, there have been some rumblings about what will be featured in the next generation. Considering the RTX 50 series release date rumors are set for the beginning of 2025, we won’t have to wait too long to find out what it has in stock.
But with the competition getting stronger and targeting the lower tiers, there’s plenty of demand for it. The new Intel Arc B580 sold out immediately after receiving rave reviews on its release. But in comparison, the likes of the RTX 4060, which we gave 3.5 stars in our review, don’t offer amazing value for money, especially for a card targeting 1080p. So, what can NVIDIA do to succeed in the $300 market?
1. Move on from 8GB of VRAM
One of the big sticking points of the current Nvidia GPUs is the amount of video memory they fit on their cards. Notably, the entry-level sticking to 8GB of capacity, and much like in terms of system RAM, it’s just no longer cutting it. Considering the new B580 competition comes with more than that for a lower price than the 4060, the RTX 5060 must have more than 8GB, or it would not be very reassuring. At the very least, it would be disappointing.
Especially if games will keep pushing the limits and requirements of graphics, such as the recent release of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, 8GB just isn’t enough. The card’s performance is shocking, even at 1080p, and it cannot reach 60 FPS with the top graphics settings. So you have to knock down the quality (texture settings in particular) to get better performance, and that’s just at the HD resolution.
2. Provide a cheaper entry card
To have a good chance of being bought at that price point, Nvidia needs to offer a cheaper card with some value. We’ve got just the RTX 4060 with an MSRP of $299; it didn’t even release a 4050-level card as a successor to the 3050. Maybe it doesn’t want to stoop that low again, as the 30 series might have been released due to the popularity in the shortage it lived through.
The RTX xx60 cards are popular, as they take up the top spot in the Steam Hardware survey. With the 3060, 4060 laptops, and 4060 taking the whole podium, there’s a good market for those cards, and Nvidia wouldn’t want to lose out to competition from AMD and now Intel. That’s perhaps the reason why there seems to be some interest in an RTX 5050, though this SKU is far from being confirmed.
We’ve seen AMD be flexible with pricing, such as the 7900 XT pricing dropping hundreds from the MSRP. This means that, with Intel challenging them in the lower end, it will react and offer more appealing pricing, such as the RX 7600, a more interesting $269 cost at release. With that, NVIDIA needs to drop its pricing to reach a similar pricing level and more customers.
3. More graphics improvements and features
Another thing to include and improve is the graphics and features it provides. Of course, with each generation, we expect better graphics with processes improving and getting newer, like the fabrication node in use and the number of transistors being used. But it’s not just the raw performance that can improve.
NVIDIA also has plenty of features to show off on its card, such as the DLSS 3 and frame generation it added to the RTX 40 series. Although it was a very hardware-limited option, it is a great addition to utilize and get a boost in framerate. With innovative additions and using AI to extrapolate new frames, it’s a great feature that best benefits those lower-end cards as they can boost beyond what their hardware can provide.
In that case, another edition of something like DLSS 4, or a more open one accessible to more cards like AMD’s FSR, would make it much more appealing. According to Inno3D teases, there looks to be something in line for RTX 50 series cards that might improve graphics processing and display.
Final word
Overall, it’s good to see the Intel B580 sparking the conversation of entry-level graphics cards. Providing a good value option that achieves so much, it would be good to see it also come from the market leader. But with NVIDIA’s market share and its AI sector leading so much, it might mean our hopes are unlikely to come to fruition.
