I attempted the web’s most infamous graphics card, and it captured me off guard

Nature

Released Sep 11, 2026, 2:30 PM EDT

Suman is a Computer Science graduate with an enthusiasm for video gaming and innovation. His love for innovation began when he initially got his hands on an NES. A devoted player and PC lover at heart, Suman began his composing journey back in 2023.

While video gaming uses up the majority of his leisure time, Suman likewise meddles playing with PC develops and consoles.

The GeForce RTX 4060 is quickly among Nvidia’s many dissentious GPU releases. On paper, the 4060 isn’t a bad card, however it definitely seems like an unbiased downgrade compared to its instant predecessor– the RTX 3060– specifically in the VRAM department. Over the last year and a half, the 4060 has actually been my main GPU for all my video gaming and efficiency requirements, and its raw video gaming efficiency simply captured me by surprise.

My RTX 4060 test bench and video games

For the RTX 4060 test bench, I selected the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, a good AM4 CPU, coupled with 16GB of DDR4 memory. I kept the CPU in its stock setup and paired it with a single PCIe Gen3 M. 2 NVMe drive to finish my AM4 setup.

This basically makes this test bench a best happy medium in between the Xbox Series S and the Xbox Series X/PS5. While it’s not a “4K gaming” system by any metric, the 4060 and Ryzen 5 5600X PC is completely efficient in playing video games at 1080p native and 1440p (upscaled).

When it comes to the video games, I selected titles I review most and likewise included a couple of brand-new releases to press the 4060 to its limitations. I checked many of the video games at 1080p and 1440p. In all fairness, the 4060 is finest fit for 1080p video gaming, and that’s what I stuck with, for the a lot of part.

The video games I evaluated were:

• Beast Hunter Wilds (2025)

• Elden Ring Nightreign (2025)

• Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced (2026)

• Forza Horizon 6 (2026)

• Crimson Desert (2026)

• Alan Wake 2 (2023)

• Last Fantasy 7 Rebirth (2024)

• Quiet Hill 2 (2024)

I was anticipating typical to mediocre efficiency in the majority of the video games I evaluated. I was happily shocked with the frame rates I got, specifically in some of the more current releases.

Remarkably proficient efficiency with some cautions

The RTX 4060 provides rather remarkable frame rates, however the VRAM is a restricting aspect

Credit: Suman Biswas/MUO

The 4060’s 8GB of VRAM was constantly going to be a restricting element, I was still amazed by how well it carried out throughout the titles I evaluated. It did have a hard time a bit in specific GPU-heavy titles, such as Alan Wake 2 and Crimson Desert. With a couple of tweaks to the in-game settings and DLSS black magic, I got playable frame rates with very little visual destruction.

<div>

<tr>








<p>Video game</p>    












<p>Settings(Preset)</p>    












<p>Typical FPS(1080p)</p>    












<p>1%Lows(1080p)</p>    












<p>Typical FPS(1440p)</p>    












<p>1%Lows( 1440p)</p>    












<p>Power Consumed(Max)</p>    



        </tr>

<tr>


<td>


<p>Beast Hunter Wilds</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>Medium (Textures and Mesh Quality at High)</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>58 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>42 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>44 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>29 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>114 W</p>    

</td>

        </tr>



<tr>


<td>


<p>Elden Ring Nightreign</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>High</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>60 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>54 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>60 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>48 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>90 W</p>    

</td>

        </tr>



<tr>


<td>


<p>Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>High(Standard RT)</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>62 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>47 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>53 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>31 FPS(Stutters represented)</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>115.7 W</p>    

</td>

        </tr>



<tr>


<td>


<p>Forza Horizon 6</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>Really High</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>78 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>64 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>65 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>53 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>117.2 W</p>    

</td>

        </tr>



<tr>


<td>


<p>Crimson Desert</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>High(GI set to Medium)</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>54 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>40 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>46 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>28 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>113.5 W</p>    

</td>

        </tr>



<tr>


<td>


<p>Alan Wake 2</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>Low</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>46 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>27 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>32 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>24 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>114.7 W</p>    

</td>

        </tr>



<tr>


<td>


<p>Last Fantasy 7 Rebirth</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>High (Textures at Medium)</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>60 FPS(In-game frame rate lock used)</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>43 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>44 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>38 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>114 W</p>    

</td>

        </tr>



<tr>


<td>


<p>Quiet Hill 2</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>High (Textures at Medium)</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>57 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>48 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>40 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>32 FPS</p>    

</td>



<td>


<p>110 W</p>    

</td>

        </tr>

        </div>

Unsurprisingly, the greatest efficiency effect normally boils down to the VRAM limitation, particularly at 1440p. At 1080p, the 4060 carries out rather well, with 1%lows that are well within the VRR bracket. The only video game where the card had a hard time is Alan Wake 2which utilizes designer Remedy Entertainment’s exclusive Northlight engine.

<p>The Northlight engine is understood to be rather heavy on VRAM, so I anticipated it to carry out the worst. I ought to likewise discuss that these tests were all made with DLSS set to the Quality pre-programmed.</p>    




        <p>The RTX 4060 left me speechless with its Monster Hunter Wilds efficiency.


<p>What actually amazed me here was the type of efficiency I was getting in Monster Hunter Wilds. With some tweaks to the video game's settings, I was easily sitting at near 60 FPS usually, with 1 % Lows dipping to the upper 40 FPS variety.</p>    <p>Matching the 4060 with a G-Sync display screen suggested I never ever truly felt that the video games were "lagging" or unplayable. The GPU even enabled me headroom to allow ray-tracing in video games like Silent Hill 2 and Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced. RT did take a toll on the efficiency, however the 4060 still preserved frame rates well within the VRR variety.</p>    The most remarkable function of the RTX 4060 isn't its efficiency

It’s a remarkably power-efficient GPU

                                                                                        <figure><picture><source media="(max-width: 480px)" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/media.pmnsports.co.uk/2026/09/localimages/rtx-4060-test-bench-2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=500&dpr=2"> <img width="1650" height="1100" loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="The RTX 4060 test bench used for testing the games" src="https://i0.wp.com/media.pmnsports.co.uk/2026/09/localimages/rtx-4060-test-bench-2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2" previous-src="https://i0.wp.com/media.pmnsports.co.uk/2026/09/localimages/rtx-4060-test-bench-2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2">
    </source></picture><small>Credit: Suman Biswas/MUO</small></figure>

Efficiency aside, what actually captured me off guard was the RTX 4060’s power effectiveness. The GPU has a 120-watt power draw. Based on the video games I evaluated, the 4060 balanced 111.1 watts. For the efficiency I was getting, the lower power draw was extremely excellent.

<p>For context, my previous GPU-- the RTX 2080ti-- taken in approximately 280 watts while video gaming at comparable resolution targets. The 4060's predecessor, the RTX 3060 (12GB), has a TDP ranking of 170 watts. The reality that the RTX 4060 can provide efficiency that goes beyond the 3060 while taking in substantially less power is interesting and excellent to me.</p>    <p>The very little power draw makes the 4060 an exceptional option for little type element PCs or perhaps older rigs that simply require a GPU upgrade. I even checked the GPU on my old 450-watt Corsair PSU, and it worked perfectly.</p>    <p>This is among the couple of elements of the 4060 that I never ever see anybody speaking about. I concur the VRAM cuts were uncalled for, particularly because the initial RTX 3060 delivered with 12GB of video memory.</p>    

I do not believe the lowered VRAM harms the GPU much, offered its efficiency and resolution targets.

At the end of the day, the 4060 is a 1080p card, and a rather terrific one at that. For 1080p video gaming, the RTX 4060 is an outstanding option

                                                                                        <figure><picture>
    </picture><small>Credit: Suman Biswas/MUO</small></figure>

From my rough screening and a year with the 4060, I need to confess carried out better than the web had me think. The 8GB of VRAM is definitely a restricting element. As long as you’re mindful with the video game’s settings and your output resolution targets, the 4060 is a relatively performant GPU that’s likewise extremely power effective.

<p>The card stands out at 1080p video gaming and, with some DLSS hoax, can provide spectacular visuals with more-than-playable frame rates in many modern-day video games. And considering that it's a 40-Series card, you likewise have the alternative for DLSS Frame Generation on the 4060.</p>    <p>With that stated, can I advise the RTX 4060 to anybody who is trying to find a spending plan GPU in today's economy? Yes, I can, however just if you can discover it at MSRP or a great pre-owned offer.</p>    <p>That stated, you need to just choose this card if you're all right with playing video games at 1080p. Yes, the 4060 can technically play video games at 1440p, however just with heavy upscaling. At that point, you're basically rendering the video game at sub-720p, or perhaps lower.</p>    <br>Find out more