Key Takeaways
1. The release of next-gen RX 9000 and RTX 50 series GPUs was exciting, but stock issues and limitations on VRAM dampened enthusiasm.
2. The RTX 5050, with only 8 GB of VRAM and low specifications, performed poorly compared to older models like the RTX 4060.
3. Despite its lower price, the RTX 5050 is not the best choice for performance, with better alternatives available just above its price range.
4. GPUs like the RTX 5060 Ti and RX 9060 XT also suffer from performance issues due to their limited 8 GB of VRAM, especially in demanding games.
5. A positive trend shows consumers moving away from 8 GB VRAM GPUs, as evidenced by their absence in the top-selling GPU lists.
As we reflect on the year 2025 from the viewpoint of PC gamers, it has been a mix of joy and disappointment. The release of the next-gen RX 9000 and RTX 50 series GPUs from AMD and Nvidia was thrilling. However, this excitement was quickly dampened by the unfortunate stock issues surrounding the RX 9070 series launch in March 2025, along with both companies’ commitment to launching desktop GPUs that only have 8 GB of VRAM.
The Worst GPUs of 2025
Hardware Unboxed has shared its list of the least favorable GPUs from 2025, and it’s no surprise that it mainly features GPUs with 8 GB of VRAM. According to HU, the bottom of the barrel for GPUs this year includes:
Launched quietly in June 2025, the RTX 5050 lacks appealing features. It is equipped with just 2,560 CUDA cores, 8 GB of VRAM, and a memory bandwidth of 320 GB/s. Furthermore, it has only x8 PCIe lanes, which could hinder performance for users with PCIe 3.0 motherboards. Unsurprisingly, these specifications result in subpar performance for the RTX 5050. Even the benchmarks released by Nvidia show the GPU trailing the RTX 4060, which debuted back in 2023.
Pricing and Performance
The one redeeming quality of the RTX 5050 is its MSRP of $249. Currently, it can be found for approximately $220 on Amazon. This price is reasonable for gamers looking for a card suitable for 1080p gaming at low to medium settings. Nevertheless, if you can stretch your budget a little more, the RTX 5060 is a far superior alternative, still under $300 on Amazon.
While the 8 GB VRAM might make sense for the RTX 5050 given its low cost, there’s no justification for the RX 9060 XT and the RTX 5060 Ti to only have 8 GB of VRAM while being priced above $300. Hardware Unboxed has been critical of 8 GB VRAM GPUs throughout 2025, and it’s no wonder the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB and RX 9060 XT 8 GB are branded as two of the worst releases this year.
Performance Issues
Both the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB and RX 9060 XT 8 GB can perform decently in games that don’t require more than 8 GB of VRAM, but their performance drops significantly when the VRAM limit is exceeded. HU has repeatedly shown this issue across various games.
To add to this list, the RTX 5080 also finds its way into HU’s dishonorable mention. HU refers to the RTX 5080 as the worst RTX 80-class GPU to date. The reasons behind this include its meager VRAM when compared to the RTX 5090, its scarcity at the $1,000 MSRP, and its sluggish performance relative to the RTX 5090. Testing indicates that the RTX 5080 is even 15% slower than the previous generation RTX 4090.
Fortunately, there’s a glimmer of hope: Consumers appear to be shifting away from 8 GB VRAM GPUs. For example, not a single desktop GPU with 8 GB of VRAM is listed in Newegg’s top 20 best-selling desktop GPU list.
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