Nvidia’s upcoming RTX 5060 launch has all the transparency of a poker player wearing sunglasses indoors. With the buzz still fresh from the RTX 5070 Ti flying off shelves on launch day, the company is withholding pre-release drivers until the May 19 launch day, effectively preventing any day-one independent reviews.
Many industry sources confirm they’re blocked from testing the card before it hits shelves. You know how it feels when someone won’t let you try before you buy? Multiply that by $299.
The Computex Curtain
The May 19 launch date isn’t a random chance. It falls exactly one day before Computex 2025 kicks off in Taipei. Most tech reviewers will be mid-flight or prepping coverage for the industry’s biggest trade show.
“We will not be able to test the RTX 5060 on May 19th, because almost the whole team will be at Computex,” explains Andreas Schilling of Hardwareluxx. “Not only bad for us, but above all for consumers.”
Without proper drivers, attempting to benchmark a new GPU is like trying to cook a soufflé with half the recipe torn off. The results would collapse under scrutiny. This departure from decades of standard practice has the tech world raising collective eyebrows.
The 8GB Memory Problem
Remember the RTX 5060 Ti situation? Nvidia only sent reviewers the 16GB variant. When publications finally tested the retail 8GB model, Hardware Unboxed labeled it “instantly obsolete.”
The soon-to-launch RTX 5060 sticks with 8GB of VRAM – a questionable choice in 2025 when games are as memory-hungry as a teenager raiding the fridge at midnight. Modern titles at decent settings simply need more headroom.
The Specs and Suspicions
On paper, the RTX 5060 has promise – 3,840 CUDA cores (25% more than its predecessor), 2.5GHz boost clock, and advanced AI features for $299. But specs sheets and real-world performance often have a relationship status of “it’s complicated.”
Igor Wallossek of Igor’s Lab sums up the situation: “I will not (be able to) publish a review of the GeForce RTX 5060 here at the official launch. Not because the sample is missing – it’s already on the table – but because NVIDIA has decided not to provide any press drivers until the launch.”
While some suggest legitimate technical issues might be causing the delay, the timing has most tech journalists skeptical. The pattern of withholding access to potentially underwhelming products has raised eyebrows across the industry.
What This Means For You
For anyone eyeing a GPU upgrade, the message is clear: patience might save both money and regret. The xx60 series typically becomes the most popular card in each generation, making independent testing crucial.
Meanwhile, AMD is expected to launch its competing RX 9060 XT around the same time, with rumors pointing to a May 18 release according to industry reports. This timing could potentially offer reviewers a chance to publish thorough tests before Computex begins.
For those eyeing a GPU upgrade, considering independent reviews after they become available might be wiser than making day-one purchases. Post-Computex coverage should reveal whether Nvidia’s secretive approach to the RTX 5060 was justified or simply a way to manage expectations.
