Reports from multiple independent reviewers and publications suggest that Nvidia is barring access to pre-release drivers for the upcoming budget-oriented RTX 5060. Apparently, Nvidia is dropping drivers for RTX 5060 GPUs with the retail embargo. Igor’s Lab, HardwareLuxx, and Hardware Unboxed have all posted about the issue on their websites or on social media.
Without the drivers, proper day-one reviews from tech publications will be impossible, and the drivers will drop as many reviewers travel to Computex in Taipei.
Nvidia typically optimized pre-release drivers as part of the review kit. Nvidia typically releases the public-facing enablement drivers for a new GPU on the day of its retail launch. If proper drivers aren’t installed, the system may either fail to detect the GPU or the results obtained from benchmarking the card will be unreliable at best.
Nvidia didn’t send RTX 5060 Ti 8GB models to reviewers, leading them to acquire retail units at their own expense. As expected, that GPU struggles at 4K, at 1440p, and even at 1080p in a handful of titles compared to its 16GB sibling. The RTX 5060 and its 8GB may face similar woes, but that’s at least somewhat counteracted by its cheaper price point. It’s conceivable that internal software issues may be causing driver delays, if you want to give Nvidia the benefit of the doubt.
The RTX 5060 is set to hit shelves on May 19th, exactly one day before Computex kicks off. This leaves reviewers with virtually no time for independent testing, so day-one impressions will largely be based on Nvidia’s first-party metrics and the few reviewers who aren’t traveling.
Ironically, potential RTX 5060 supply constraints at launch might be a blessing in disguise this time around, giving buyers just enough time to see independent reviews before jumping the gun.