Rumors about NVIDIA’s next-generation RTX 50-series laptop GPUs have been swirling for months, but new benchmarks now offer the first concrete glimpse at what Team Green might be cooking up. The unannounced GeForce RTX 5060 laptop GPU recently surfaced on Geekbench’s Vulkan benchmark database, showcasing a notable performance leap over its predecessor, the RTX 4060.
According to the Geekbench listing (linked here), the RTX 5060 scored 113,450 points in the Vulkan test. For comparison, the RTX 4060 laptop GPU typically averages around 95,000–100,000 points in the same benchmark, as seen in older entries like this result. If these numbers hold, the RTX 5060 could deliver a 15–20% performance boost in compute workloads—a healthy generational upgrade for mid-range gamers and creators.
The Leak Trail: Twitter Buzz and Speculation
The benchmark first caught attention when hardware leaker @Olrak29_ highlighted it on X (formerly Twitter), noting the GPU’s device ID and driver details (see post here). While NVIDIA has yet to confirm the RTX 5060’s existence, the Geekbench entry aligns with rumors of a late 2024 or early 2025 launch for the RTX 50-series.
Speculation about the GPU’s architecture remains divided. Some insiders suggest the RTX 5060 could leverage a refined version of NVIDIA’s Ada Lovelace design, while others speculate it might debut a new chiplet-based architecture codenamed “Blackwell.” Either way, the leaked scores hint at efficiency improvements, with the RTX 5060 reportedly running at similar power limits to the RTX 4060 (100–120W).
What Does This Mean for Gamers?
If the performance uplift translates to real-world gaming, the RTX 5060 could become a sweet spot for 1080p and 1440p gaming. Current-gen titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Alan Wake 2 often push the RTX 4060 to its limits with ray tracing enabled, but the RTX 5060’s improved compute power might enable smoother frame rates with DLSS 3.5 or FSR 3.1 upscaling.
The leak also raises questions about NVIDIA’s pricing strategy. The RTX 4060 launched at a controversial 1,499 price range for laptops, but competition from AMD’s Radeon RX 7000-series and Intel’s Arc Battlemage GPUs could force NVIDIA to keep the RTX 5060’s pricing aggressive.
Mini-PCs Join the Party?
Notably, the timing of this leak coincides with fresh rumors about compact gaming systems adopting next-gen GPUs. Minisforum, a popular mini-PC manufacturer, recently teased its upcoming G1 Gaming Mini-PC series (details here), which promises desktop-grade performance in a small form factor. While the G1 series currently features RTX 4060 options, future iterations could leverage the RTX 5060 to appeal to space-conscious gamers.
Caveats and Considerations
As with all pre-release benchmarks, caution is warranted. Early driver optimizations, thermal constraints, and final clock speeds could impact the RTX 5060’s real-world performance. Additionally, NVIDIA’s focus on AI-driven features like DLSS Frame Generation might mean raw compute gains tell only part of the story.
The Road Ahead
With Computex 2024 just weeks away, NVIDIA could formally unveil its RTX 50-series roadmap soon. Until then, leaks like this Geekbench entry offer a tantalizing preview of what’s next for mobile gaming. Whether you’re eyeing a sleek gaming laptop or a powerful mini-PC, the RTX 5060 is shaping up to be a compelling option—if it lives up to the hype.
Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops.
