RTX 4060 vs RX 7600: Which Cheap GPU is Best?

The current GPU generation certainly offers much in the way of impressive performance, but for quite some time there’s been nothing affordable for the average PC gamer. Now, however, with the RTX 4060 and RX 7600, we have a couple of budget GPU options.

Both AMD and NVIDIA now offer relatively cheap graphics cards in their Radeon RX 7000-series and GeForce RTX 40-series lineups. Sure, nothing is cheap compared to yesteryear, but the 4060 and 7600 are much more affordable than higher-end options like the RTX 4080 or RX 7900 XTX.

For PC gamers using an old GPU, or for those yet to build their first gaming PC, a 7600 or 4060 could be the perfect entry point for PC gaming in 2023 and beyond.

Comparing the RTX 4060 vs RX 7600, therefore, will be crucial for many PC gamers today. So, let’s take a closer look at the two graphics cards’ features, specifications, and real-world gaming performances, and see which cheap GPU is best.

What is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060?

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 launched in June 2023, and is based on NVIDIA’s Ada Lovelace GPU architecture.

The RTX 4060 is the cheapest current-gen NVIDIA GPU on the market and is targeted at 1080p gaming. It features all the latest graphics technologies, such as DLSS 3 capabilities, but also delivers enough raw performance (rasterization performance) to make for a great budget GPU.

While it’s not great for 1440p gaming compared to high-end options, the RTX 4060 can handle gaming at 1440p, especially if DLSS is enabled or settings are lowered down from max.

What is the AMD Radeon RX 7600?

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 launched in May 2023, and is based on AMD’s RDNA 3 GPU architecture.

The RX 7600 is the cheapest current-gen AMD GPU and, like the RTX 4060, is targeted at 1080p gaming. It’s a little cheaper than the 4060, but for this saving you’re sacrificing some ray tracing performance and NVIDIA-specific features and capabilities such as DLSS and GSync.

Again, like the RTX 4060, while the RX 7600 isn’t great for 1440p gaming, it can handle newer games at this resolution just fine providing settings are lowered a little or FSR upscaling is enabled.

NVIDIA vs AMD Features

Both the RTX 4060 and RX 7600 have some of the latest graphics technologies, which might be reason to opt for them instead of lower-end NVIDIA 30-series or AMD 6000-series GPUs. But the NVIDIA GPU’s and AMD GPU’s features are not the same.

While both graphics cards offer new improvements over previous-gen GPUs, such as AV1 encoding support and improved AI and ray tracing cores, there are differences in upscaling, VRR, and input lag technologies.

The most clear-cut difference is that the NVIDIA graphics card supports the GSync technology in GSync monitors, while the AMD graphics card only supports FreeSync tech on GSync Compatible or FreeSync monitors. However, a decent FreeSync monitor should do Adaptive Sync just as well as a GSync monitor, these days, so this difference isn’t so important.

Previously, current-gen NVIDIA GPUs had a definite advantage when it came to upscaling and input lag reduction technologies. AMD had no match for the frame generation of NVIDIA’s DLSS 3 or the input lag reduction of NVIDIA Reflex.

Now, however, AMD has an answer to both technologies. AMD Anti-Lag+ should work similarly to NVIDIA Reflex, although it’s currently only supported in about a dozen games. And AMD has announced FSR 3, which should launch in September 2023 and boast AMD’s “Fluid Motion Frames” tech, AMD’s answer to DLSS 3’s frame generation/interpolation. We’ll have to wait and see just how well it performs compared to DLSS 3, though.

Read More:

• What is Input Lag & How Can You Fix/Test It?
• G-Sync vs FreeSync: Which Adaptive Sync Tech is Better?
• Is G-Sync Worth It?
• G-Sync vs G-Sync Compatible: What’s the Difference?

RX 7600 vs RTX 4060: Price Comparison

At MSRP, the NVIDIA RTX 4060 costs $30 (11%) more than the AMD RX 7600. In practice, RTX 4060s can often be found retailing for a little less than the $299 MSRP, making the price difference between the two GPUs even slimmer.

Alternative GPUs

If you’re looking for a graphics card under $350, thankfully there are plenty of options. Apart from the RX 7600 and RTX 4060, probably the best alternatives are the RX 6700 XT, RX 6650 XT, and RTX 3060 Ti.

You can pick up a new AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT for about $320. This graphics card performs better than both the 4060 and 7600, averaging framerates that sit not too far behind the $399 RTX 4060 Ti. It also comes with 4GB more VRAM than both these GPUs. Because of this, it’s probably the best budget GPU on the market right now. However, its ray tracing performance isn’t as good, especially compared to the RTX 4060.

For about $330, you could instead pick up an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. This GPU performs almost identically to the RX 6700 XT. The main difference is that the 3060 Ti supports DLSS and has better ray tracing performance. But it doesn’t support DLSS 3, and most gamers don’t enable ray tracing, so a 6700 XT might still be a better bet for most PC gamers.

If money isn’t as much of a concern, you might instead consider the $399 RTX 4060 Ti. For $100 more than the RTX 4060, with the 4060 Ti you’re getting a GPU that’s decidedly more “midrange”. It performs about 20-25% better than the 4060, and these frames can make all the difference at 1440p. And, unlike the RX 6700 XT—which it also performs about 10-15% better than—it handles ray tracing very well and can use DLSS upscaling.

If, however, you’re looking for a graphics card that’s a little cheaper, you could consider the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT. This GPU costs about $250 and performs only a couple of percentage points behind the RX 7600 across all resolutions. If you’re trying to save as much money as possible, this previous-gen AMD GPU is a brilliant choice.

Also Read:

• Best RX 6700 XT Graphics Cards 
• NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti Review: Still a Great GPU Upgrade Right Now

Graphics Card Specs

For most intents and purposes, the RTX 4060 and RX 7600 are very similar video cards.

Both GPUs have 8GB of GDDR6 RAM with a similar memory bandwidth, the RX 7600 having a slightly wider bandwidth thanks to its faster memory speed.

The two GPUs’ base and boost clock speeds, as well as the number of shader cores, AI cores, and ray tracing cores, can’t really be compared, because both graphics cards have completely different architectures.

It would be like comparing apples to oranges; only real-world benchmarks can give us an accurate representation of the performance difference between the 4060 and 7600.

Dimensions

There is no Founders Edition (FE) RTX 4060, meaning there are no standard dimensions for it.

However, on average (comparing 4060 AIBs to 7600 AIBs), both the RTX 4060 and RX 7600 are approximately the same size. Both should only take up two PCIe slots of space, and both should fit in most modern ATX-sized PC cases.

Power Draw and Thermal Performance

If there’s one thing that both GPUs’ specifications show us, it’s that the RTX 4060 is more power efficient. Its 40W lower TDP seems to bear out in online power consumption benchmarks. However, both AMD and NVIDIA recommend a 550W for each respective GPU.

Also Read: The Best Power Supplies

Thermally, and as we might expect given the difference in power consumption, the RTX 4060 stays cooler than the RX 7600. Of course, there’s no 4060 FE for a true apples-to-apples comparison, but multiple different temperature tests found online testify to the higher temperature of the 7600 compared to most 4060 AIBs.

This being said, actual temperature differences will depend on the cooling setup of the particular AIB in question.

RTX 4060 vs RX 7600: Gaming Performance

To accurately compare the 4060 vs 7600, we’ve combed through several online reviews, such as those from TechSpot, TomsHardware, and TechPowerUp, looking at benchmark data for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions.

Also Read: 1080p vs. 1440p vs. 4K: Which Resolution Is Best for Gaming?

We’ve averaged these framerate differences and presented them as graphs below. We’ve also worked out average performance differences for each resolution as percentages, worked out in such a way to reduce the impact of any games with unusually high framerate data.

1080p Benchmarks

Framerates averaged from multiple online benchmarks.

On average, the RTX 4060 performs about 3% better than the RX 7600 at 1080p.

At 1080p resolution, we can see that there’s little difference between the RTX 4060 and RX 7600, at least in terms of raw rasterization performance.

Both GPUs should average about 85-90fps across a suite of modern games on ultra settings. In other words, both graphics cards should achieve much higher than 60fps in modern games on ultra settings. In fact, both should achieve over 100fps in slightly less demanding modern titles like Watch Dogs: Legion.

The reason both GPUs should be more than enough for most 1080p gamers is twofold. First, as we have seen, they can play almost any title on ultra settings at above 60fps. Second, even competitive gamers looking to game at high refresh rates should be happy, because these GPUs should play competitive games (which are usually less demanding) at very high framerates—especially if you lower settings down from max to, say, high or medium-high.

In other words, then, while there’s no meaningful distinction between the two cards’ performances at 1080p, both are perfect for 1080p gaming. Because of this, unless you specifically want DLSS capabilities or better ray tracing performance, for 1080p gaming it probably makes sense to opt for whichever of the two GPUs you can find the best deal for online.

1440p Benchmarks

Framerates averaged from multiple online benchmarks.

On average, the RTX 4060 performs about 3% better than the RX 7600 at 1440p.

Just like at 1080p, at 1440p there’s little meaningful difference between the performance of the RTX 4060 and RX 7600. A 3% framerate difference is, for all intents and purposes, unnoticeable.

Sure, there are some games where there might be more than a 3% difference, but, looking across several GPU reviews, there are few games where there’s a significant difference between the two GPUs’ framerates.

Also Read: Is 1440P Worth it for Gaming?

At 1440p, then, both GPUs are essentially interchangeable as far as raw performance goes. Both achieve an average of roughly 60fps in modern games on ultra settings, though they will struggle to hit this in some titles. Hogwarts Legacy, for example, will probably see both GPUs churning out about 50fps rather than 60fps. And these are only averages—1% lows, during particularly graphically intensive game scenes, can be much lower.

Also Read: Best 1440P 144Hz Monitors (G-Sync & Freesync)

What does this mean for the 1440p gamer, then? Well, either card will suit you fine, providing you don’t care specifically about DLSS or ray tracing performance. But neither will serve you well, unless you’re happy lowering your settings a little and settling with 60fps. Some less demanding games will make good use of a 120Hz or 144Hz monitors, but most games won’t.

4K Benchmarks

Framerates averaged from multiple online benchmarks.

On average, the RTX 4060 performs about 10% better than the RX 7600 at 4K.

At 4K resolution, the difference between the 4060 and 7600 becomes more pronounced. A 10% difference is noticeable, especially when framerates are already so low.

Unfortunately, however, neither GPU is amazing for gaming at this resolution. If you’re wanting to play the latest games on ultra or max settings, expect much lower than 60fps in most cases.

Also Read: Is 4K Worth it for Gaming? Why Most Gamers Don’t Need a 4K Monitor

If you’re happy gaming at 30fps or lowering your graphics settings to push closer to 60fps, then either of these GPUs should be fine, but the 4060 will serve you better. In some games—F1 23, for example—the 4060 should have you at 50fps or above while the 7600 will average closer to 40fps.

If you’re considering making 4K your primary gaming resolution, however, you’d be wise to consider a better GPU than either of these. Something like an RTX 4060 Ti or RX 6700 XT is a reasonable minimum for 4K, with an RTX 4070, 4070 Ti, or RX 7900 XT being even better.

If you just want to dabble in 4K occasionally, however—perhaps in better-optimized games like DOOM Eternal, or older games—then an RTX 4060 will be worth its slight extra cost over the RX 7600.

Ray Tracing and Upscaling

Score taken from PCGamer’s testing (system performance chart).

Based on PCGamer’s testing, the RTX 4060 does ray tracing about 10.8% better than the RX 7600.

For ray tracing, it’s no surprise that the NVIDIA GPU does a little better than the AMD GPU. This is true across pretty much the entire NVIDIA vs AMD GPU lineups. If you want to enable ray tracing, an RTX 4060 will probably serve you better than an RX 7600.

However, ray tracing isn’t really a selling point for either of these graphics cards, unless you’re planning on using it with upscaling at 1080p. At 1440p and 4K, enabling ray tracing will make framerates so low as to be unplayable most of the time. And it will make games a little choppy even at 1080p, making upscaling necessary.

Traditionally, NVIDIA has had the upper hand when it comes to upscaling, but this might be starting to change. The RTX 4060 can use NVIDIA’s DLSS 3, including its frame generation, in supported games, to double or even 2.5x framerates.

However, AMD has recently announced FSR 3, which includes “Fluid Motion Frames” (FMF), AMD’s answer to DLSS 3’s frame generation. This should launch sometime in September 2023, and could (though isn’t certain to) be just as good at DLSS 3.

A final spanner in the works, however, is that NVIDIA has now announced DLSS 3.5, which includes a new means for improving ray tracing performance and fidelity, by using AI to reconstruct rays instead of using GPU hardware to “de-noise” the image. In other words, then, if you’re considering enabling ray tracing, a 4060 might still be a better shout than a 7600 even if FSR 3 FMF ends up competing with DLSS 3 frame generation.

Overall, because of this, and because the 4060 does ray tracing better to begin with, and because we don’t know how well FSR 3 will perform in all games compared to DLSS 3, the RTX 4060 is still a better option than the RX 7600 for ray tracing and upscaling.

Game Performance Summary

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 performs about 3% better than the AMD Radeon RX 7600 at 1080p, about 3% better at 1440p, and about 10% better at 4K.

For 1080p and 1440p gaming, there’s little difference between the two GPUs, and unless you care about ray tracing or upscaling, it probably makes sense to opt for whichever GPU you can find the best price for online (which will probably be the RX 7600, given its cheaper MSRP).

Both GPUs should perform well at 1080p, even making good use of 120Hz or 144Hz monitors in some modern games. And at 1440p, both should handle games at above 60fps, providing you lower some settings in some more demanding titles.

Neither GPU is great for 4K gaming, but the 4060 is decidedly better. In more demanding games, the 4060 should get you a few frames closer to 60fps than the RX 7600.

Finally, while the RX 7600 should soon benefit from FSR 3 upscaling, DLSS 3 is a known performer and has been around for longer, making the 4060 a safer bet for upscaling and frame interpolation. It also ray traces about 10.8% better than the RX 7600.

Verdict: Is the RTX 4060 or RX 7600 Better on a Budget?

It might seem strange to call circa-$300 graphics cards budget GPUs, but the RTX 4060 and RX 7600 are as cheap as we can get in the current GPU generation. The question is, which one’s better on a budget?

Despite its $30 extra cost, the RTX 4060 seems to be the better GPU on a budget. Sure, it doesn’t make up for its extra cost in raw performance at 1080p and 1440p, but it makes up for it in a couple of other ways.

First, it’s more power- and temperature-efficient. If two GPUs cost and perform roughly the same, it makes sense to opt for the one that consumes 40W less power and stays cooler while under a gaming load.

Second, the RTX 4060 offers tried-and-tested, quality upscaling and frame generation performance thanks to DLSS 3. Even after FSR 3 releases, it will be some time before we’ll know just how it stacks up against DLSS 3, and during that time NVIDIA can get to work improving its own upscaling tech to keep ahead of the competition.

Not to mention, the 4060 ray traces significantly better than the 7600, and this performance gap should only increase further as DLSS 3.5 enters the mix.

Is the 4060 worth an upgrade, then? For many gamers, the answer will be yes. The latest Steam hardware survey shows that many gamers still use graphics cards like the GTX 1650, GTX 1060, and RTX 2060. For such gamers, an RTX 4060 is a great upgrade.

This being said, however, if you don’t care too much for DLSS or ray tracing, there are better budget GPUs from the previous generation. The 6700 XT, for example, should outperform both the RTX 4060 and RX 7600. And the next card down, the 6650 XT, costs less than all these GPUs and almost keeps up with the RX 7600 in raw performance.

In all cases, however, the RX 7600 isn’t very appealing. If you want next-gen capabilities such as frame generation and decent ray tracing performance, you’ll want to opt for an RTX 4060 or perhaps RTX 4060 Ti. And if you don’t care about any of that, nor about power consumption or temperatures, you’ll probably want to opt for a previous-gen AMD GPU instead.