In most games the RX 9060 XT 16GB is at most 8 percent faster than the 8GB card, since they are the same chip at the same clocks. When a game needs more than 8GB, the gap gets big: 16 percent in Alan Wake 2 at 1440p, and with Ultra ray tracing in Cyberpunk 2077, 24.8 fps on the 16GB card against 11.1 on the 8GB one.

At launch the difference was $50: $349 against $299.

RX 9060 XT 8GB and RX 9060 XT 16GB

RX 9060 XT 8GBRX 9060 XT 16GB
Price$299launch price (AMD); board-partner cards only$349launch price (AMD); board-partner cards only
GPUNavi 44Navi 44
ArchitectureRDNA 4RDNA 4
Shaders20482048
Boost clock3130 MHz3130 MHz
Cyberpunk 20771080p Ultra, fps76.879.2
Cyberpunk 20771440p Ultra, fps43.947.2
Cyberpunk 20774K Ultra, fps18.720
Cyberpunk 20771440p Ultra + Ultra RT, fps11.124.8
Alan Wake 21440p Ultra, fps32.237.2
Black Myth: Wukong1440p Very High, fps35.137.1
BuyCheck price on AmazonCheck price at Best BuyCheck price on AmazonCheck price at Best Buy

Figures as published by Tom's Hardware (Jun 2, 2026), Tom's Hardware (Jun 2, 2026). The best figure is marked where a row is all one source.

Compare every benchmark side by side

The figures, one lab per row

Tom's Hardware and TechSpot each ran both cards on one system.

RX 9060 XT 8GB vs RX 9060 XT 16GB, same test, same lab

9 rows
Test and settingRX 9060 XT 8GBRX 9060 XT 16GBAheadLab
Cyberpunk 2077, 1080p, Ultra (fps)76.879.2RX 9060 XT 16GB by 3%Tom's Hardware
Cyberpunk 2077, 1440p, High (fps)7580RX 9060 XT 16GB by 7%TechSpot (Hardware Unboxed)
Cyberpunk 2077, 1440p, Ultra (fps)43.947.2RX 9060 XT 16GB by 8%Tom's Hardware
Cyberpunk 2077, 1440p, Ultra + Ultra RT (fps)11.124.8RX 9060 XT 16GB by 123%Tom's Hardware
Cyberpunk 2077, 4k, Ultra (fps)18.720RX 9060 XT 16GB by 7%Tom's Hardware
Alan Wake 2, 1440p, Ultra (fps)32.237.2RX 9060 XT 16GB by 16%Tom's Hardware
Black Myth: Wukong, 1440p, Very High (fps)35.137.1RX 9060 XT 16GB by 6%Tom's Hardware
Counter-Strike 2, 1440p, High (fps)240.1238.9levelTom's Hardware
Fortnite, 1440p, High (Lumen + Nanite High) (fps)71.572.3levelTom's Hardware

A row is here only when the same publication ran the same test on both. Launch prices are the makers' suggested prices; check the shop for today's.

Free to reuse with credit and a link to this page (CC BY 4.0).

Where 8GB is enough

Counter-Strike 2 (240 against 239 fps), Fortnite (71.5 against 72.3) and Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p Ultra (76.8 against 79.2) barely notice the difference. In these games the extra memory does nothing, because the game never fills 8GB.

Where it isn't

Alan Wake 2 at 1440p Ultra (32.2 against 37.2 fps) and anything with ray tracing on fill 8GB. With Ultra ray tracing in Cyberpunk at 1440p the 8GB card more than halves its frame rate. Averages also hide the stutter when textures are swapped in and out of system memory. Each year more new games need more than 8GB, not fewer.

Which one to buy

Buy the 16GB. For $50 more you get a card that won't hit a memory wall in the games of the next three years. Buy the 8GB only for esports games at 1080p and a fixed budget.

Questions

In most games by 0 to 8 percent; in games that need more than 8GB, by 16 percent or more, and more than twice as fast with ray tracing at 1440p.

Yes: Navi 44 with 2,048 shaders at a 3,130 MHz boost on a 128-bit bus. Only the memory differs.