NVIDIA board partners are shipping GeForce RTX 5060 graphics cards with a larger silicon die than the standard specification requires. This finding matters to PC builders because it confirms that NVIDIA uses surplus high-end chips to fill mid-range demand, a practice that could affect supply stability. Buyers should know that the performance difference is negligible, but the hardware composition is different from what the model name implies.
ASUS model contains GB205 die used in RTX 5070
The specific model identified in this report is the ASUS DUAL GeForce RTX 5060 OC D7 8GB. Korean outlet Quasar Zone opened this unit and discovered a GB205-200-KB-A1 die inside the package. This same silicon typically powers the higher-end RTX 5070 and various mobile Blackwell processors. NVIDIA has also used this larger die in previous RTX 5060 units from MSI, Yeston, and Maxsun.
Specifications
- GPU Die: GB205-200-KB-A1
- CUDA Cores: 3,840
- TMUs: 120
- ROPs: 48
- Memory: 8GB GDDR7
Despite the different die, the card maintains identical technical specifications to the standard RTX 5060 configuration. The GPU features 3,840 CUDA cores, 120 Texture Mapping Units, and 48 Raster Operation Units. It connects to 8GB of GDDR7 memory via a 128-bit bus. These specs match the expected GB206-based version exactly, indicating that NVIDIA simply repurposed the larger chip without altering the core architecture.
Performance testing shows that the GB205-based RTX 5060 performs similarly to the standard GB206-based model. Quasar Zone's testing showed the GB205 card performing similarly to a regular RTX 5060, with a few results running slightly ahead. These minor gains appear to stem from factory overclocks rather than the die itself. NVIDIA uses this binning practice to route surplus GB205 dies that do not meet RTX 5070 parametric targets into the RTX 5060 tier.
This hardware variation is a known manufacturing strategy rather than a defect or error. Third-party partners continue to receive and assemble these mixed-die cards for the consumer market. The RTX 5060 remains a viable option for users seeking 1080p gaming performance, regardless of whether the unit contains a GB205 or GB206 chip.
Source: TweakTown
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