NVIDIA RTX 5060 Emerges as the Fastest Growing RTX 50 GPU in Steam’s August Survey

The latest Steam Hardware Survey for August 2025 has brought new insights into the shifting GPU landscape, and once again it highlights how slowly gamers are moving to NVIDIA’s new generation of graphics cards. While the GeForce RTX 5070 continues to be the most widely adopted Blackwell-based card, the real surprise is the RTX 5060, which saw the sharpest jump in share among all RTX 50 series GPUs.

This sudden surge has sparked discussion about whether the budget-tier card is quietly becoming the hidden star of the lineup.

According to the data, the GeForce RTX 5070 climbed to a 1.57% market share, placing it at 19th overall on the Steam charts. It not only leads the RTX 50 family in terms of presence but has also gained popularity on retail platforms like Amazon, where it remains one of the best-selling graphics cards. Its balanced performance-to-price ratio has clearly resonated with many gamers looking for next-gen performance without venturing into premium pricing territory.

But if we look closely at the growth rate, the RTX 5060 is stealing the spotlight. In June 2025, its share stood at a modest 0.34%, but by August it had jumped to 1.01%, marking a 0.41% increase in just two months. That is the single largest leap among all RTX 50 series GPUs within the survey period, even outpacing the RTX 5070’s steady 0.25% climb

. Considering the card’s entry-level $300 price tag, its appeal becomes obvious: it delivers respectable performance boosts over older mainstream GPUs like the RTX 3060 and RTX 4060 while staying in an affordable bracket.

Performance isn’t the only factor working in the RTX 5060’s favor. The survey also shows that 8 GB of VRAM remains the most popular configuration among gamers, commanding a significant 35.03% share of the market. That’s far above the adoption of 12 GB cards at 19.30% and the much more niche 16 GB cards at 6.80%. The RTX 5060 aligns perfectly with this demand, offering the exact capacity most gamers appear to prefer. While enthusiasts often argue for higher VRAM in anticipation of future titles, the data suggests that the majority of players are sticking to what’s affordable and “good enough” for today’s gaming needs.

Other GPUs in the lineup are also climbing, albeit more modestly. The RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5080 both sit at 0.75% and 0.74% share respectively, while the RTX 5060 Ti, despite being a logical step-up from the 5060, lags behind at the same 0.74%. At the premium end, the RTX 5090 holds just 0.26%, reflecting its limited audience due to the steep price tag and the niche demographic it caters to.

What’s notable is what isn’t on the list. Once again, AMD’s RDNA 4-based Radeon RX 9000 series is missing entirely, despite the fact that cards like the RX 9070 XT and RX 9060 XT 16 GB edition have found success at retail. Their absence doesn’t necessarily imply a lack of adoption – it could simply be quirks in how Valve’s survey collects and filters data – but it highlights NVIDIA’s continued visibility advantage within the PC gaming market. For gamers browsing Steam stats, it looks like NVIDIA owns the spotlight.

The overall GPU adoption trend indicates that most gamers are still sticking with older cards. The RTX 4060 remains the dominant entry, and even cards from the RTX 30 generation and Turing series retain massive shares. Upgrades are happening gradually, and for many, price-to-performance still trumps cutting-edge specs. It will likely take another year or two before the RTX 50 series can meaningfully disrupt the top 10 chart positions.

Looking beyond graphics cards, the CPU landscape also paints a clear picture of gamer preferences. Six-core processors dominate with 30.64% of the market, striking a balance between affordability and gaming capability. They are followed closely by eight-core and quad-core CPUs, both of which still serve as strong mainstream choices. On the software side, Windows 11 continues to grow its presence, now commanding 63.18% of Steam users after a 0.28% bump in August.

Ultimately, the survey reflects a familiar reality: gamers are pragmatic. The RTX 5060’s rise proves that most players don’t need the bleeding edge of technology – they need a GPU that handles today’s most popular titles at an acceptable price. As older generations slowly fade from shelves and sales, it’s likely the RTX 50 series will continue to climb, but the pace of adoption will remain steady rather than explosive. For now, the RTX 5060 may not be the most powerful option, but it’s becoming the card of choice for the masses.