NVIDIA has reportedly barred its partners from sending out the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB version to journalists and influencers for testing. Instead, reviewers will only have access to the 16GB variant of the card. This revelation comes from the team at Hardware Unboxed, who stated that they were explicitly told to look for the 8GB model but were unable to secure one from any manufacturer. The reason remains unclearā€”whether itā€™s due to a direct ban from NVIDIA or simply the absence of ready-to-ship units.

Both versions of the RTX 5060 Ti are officially set to launch simultaneously. However, according to Hardware Unboxed, the 8GB model will hit retail shelves about a week later than the 16GB version. Despite this discrepancy, NVIDIA has not publicly separated the release dates nor explained why thereā€™s no dedicated review program for the 8GB variant.

The situation with the standard RTX 5060 (non-Ti) is even more perplexing. Scheduled for release in May, the embargo on reviews for this card has already been lifted, coinciding with the RTX 5060 Ti launch. This means there wonā€™t be a coordinated wave of reviews for the RTX 5060ā€”if someone manages to get their hands on the card early, they can publish benchmarks without restriction.

By withholding the 8GB version from reviewers and failing to organize a structured press rollout for the RTX 5060, NVIDIA appears to be deliberately launching products without transparent media support. The decision to hide the 8GB model raises suspicionsā€”could there be concerns about its performance or how it fits into NVIDIAā€™s product lineup?

The lack of clarity surrounding these releases has sparked speculation. One possibility is that the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB may struggle to compete effectively against other GPUs in its price range, potentially leading to unfavorable comparisons during reviews. Alternatively, NVIDIA might be managing supply constraints, prioritizing the higher-margin 16GB model for initial shipments.

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