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- Newer gaming titles demand at least 10-12 GB of GDDR7 VRAM to swiftly and stably render frames to drive high refresh rates in 1080p and 1440p.
- New 8 GB GPU releases like the RTX 5050 have flopped disastrously, getting significantly outperformed by an older budget GPU like the RTX 3060 12 GB.
- Sales data from a German retailer (MindFactory) puts this in perspective by showing that the 16 GB RTX 5060 Ti is outselling the 8 GB spec by more than 1600% while AMD’s 16 GB RX 9070 XT is cannibalising its 8 GB sibling’s sales by over 3000%.
Let’s cut to the chase—8 GB of VRAM (Video Random Access Memory) in 2025 is a joke. If you’re still buying a GPU with only 8 gigs of video memory, you’re either uninformed, desperate, or being scammed.
The numbers don’t lie: According to one of Germany’s biggest retailers, i.e., MindFactory, the 16 GB RTX 5060 Ti outsold its 8 GB counterpart by 16x, while AMD’s 16 GB RX 9070 XT outsold the 8 GB model by over 30x.
Gamers are voting with their wallets, and the message is clear: 8 GB GPUs are dead.
But why? Because modern games demand more. Between ray tracing, high-res textures, and advanced anti-aliasing features, 8 GB GPUs are choking at 1440p and above.
And the worst part? GPU makers know it—they just don’t care.
The Death Of 8 GB GPUs: What The Numbers Say
Let’s start with the cold, hard sales data:
- Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB outsold the 8 GB model 16:1 (105x 8 GB RTX 5060 Ti units sold versus 1675x 16 GB RTX 5060 Ti units, courtesy of MindFactory’s publicly available sales data).
- AMD’s RX 9070 XT 16 GB outsold the 8 GB version by over 30x.
This isn’t just preference—it’s survival. Games like:
- “Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora” (12+ GB VRAM at 1440p Ultra)
- “Star Wars Outlaws” (10+ GB recommended for 1440p)
- “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6” (12 GB VRAM for max settings)
…are literally unplayable at high settings on 8 GB cards without severe stuttering, texture pop-in, or outright crashes.
Why 8 GB GPUs Are A Scam In 2025
Ray Tracing & High-Res Textures Eat VRAM Alive
Modern ray tracing doesn’t just tank FPS – it devours VRAM.
Nvidia’s DLSS 4 tech helps as will the upcoming ‘Redstone’ update for AMD’s FSR suite, but neither of these utilities are known for magically freeing up memory.
Simply said, once your VRAM fills up, performance tanks.
GPU Makers Are Sabotaging 8 GB Models On Purpose
Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB launch was a farce:
- They withheld 8 GB review samples from major outlets.
- Nvidia only allowed handpicked reviewers to test the 16 GB variant in specific games at optimized (read: lowered) settings.
- Slower memory bus (128-bit vs. 192-bit on the 16 GB model), bottlenecking the performance even further.
This wasn’t an accident—it was damage control.
The Future: 8 GB GPUs Will Be Phased Out By 2026-2027
Mark my words: New 8 GB GPUs won’t exist in two years. Here’s why:
- Console ports are targeting 12+ GB VRAM. The PS5 and Xbox Series X have 16 GB shared memory—PC ports follow suit.
- AI upscaling (DLSS/FSR) needs VRAM headroom. The more VRAM, the better the upscaling quality.
- GDDR7 is pushing minimums higher. Next-gen games will assume 12 GB baseline.
8 GB GPUs In 2025: Why Do Manufacturers Continue To Defend Themselves?
It’s pretty evident that AMD and Nvidia are trying to milk as much money as they can with these paltry 8 GB variants.
What’s shocking is their insistence and confidence with regards to backing up their money-making moves.
For example, Frank Azor from AMD claimed that their market analysis showed that a majority of the gamers just want to keep gaming at 1080p, which is why the RX 9060 XT 8 GB exists at an MSRP of $300.
Understandably, this tweet did not go down well with us gamers, which is why AMD received a lot of backlash, akin to the flak inflicted on Nvidia, for pricing a 8 GB GPU at $300.
Interestingly, Steam’s Hardware Survey for the month of June 2025 shows that 54.54% of gamers do still play in 1080p with 1440p usage trailing down to just 19.86%, which means Frank isn’t entirely wrong here.
Nevertheless, this does not mean that it’s okay to ludicrously charge upwards of $300 for a 8 GB GPU in 2025.
If the 8 GB RX 9060 XT had been priced at $200 to $250, it would’ve decimated the 8 GB RTX 5050 and received a lot of praise for its value-for-money aspect, but alas, GPU manufacturers always seem to focus on high profit margins with low sales volumes rather than the vice versa.
What Should You Buy Instead?
Budget (Under $300):
- Used RTX 3060 12 GB (still better than a new Blackwell 8 GB card)
- Intel Arc A770 16 GB (if you can handle driver quirks)
Mid-Range ($350-$600):
- RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB ($430 MSRP, real-world pricing hovering between $500 to $600 depending upon the vendor)
- RX 9060 XT 16 GB (much better price-to-performance ratio with a $350 MSRP and real-time pricing of around $400, give or take $20-30)
Final Verdict: Stop Buying 8 GB GPUs
If you buy an 8 GB GPU in 2025, you’re:
- ❌ Wasting money on a product that’s already obsolete
- ❌ Signing up for stuttering, crashes, and lowered settings
- ❌ Supporting GPU makers’ anti-consumer practices
The market has spoken. 8 GB is dead. Stop pretending otherwise.
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[Wiki Editor]
Ali Rashid Khan is an avid gamer, hardware enthusiast, photographer, and devoted litterateur with a period of experience spanning more than 14 years. Sporting a specialization with regards to the latest tech in flagship phones, gaming laptops, and top-of-the-line PCs, Ali is known for consistently presenting the most detailed objective perspective on all types of gaming products, ranging from the Best Motherboards, CPU Coolers, RAM kits, GPUs, and PSUs amongst numerous other peripherals. When he’s not busy writing, you’ll find Ali meddling with mechanical keyboards, indulging in vehicular racing, or professionally competing worldwide with fellow mind-sport athletes in Scrabble at an international level. Currently speaking, Ali has completed his A-Level GCEs with plans to go into either Allopathic Medicine or Business Studies, or who knows, perhaps a full-time dedicated technological journalist.
Get In Touch: alirashid@tech4gamers.com
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