Nvidia continues to conceal its poor-performing graphics cards, and this poses an issue.

      Nvidia's antics regarding its RTX 50-series graphics cards appear to be endless. In addition to driver problems, absent ROPs, overheating power cables, and supply challenges, the company seems determined to obscure the graphics cards that many expect to disappoint. It chose not to distribute review samples for the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB and is now preventing reviewers from testing the upcoming RTX 5060 by withholding compatible drivers until launch day.

      Nvidia's handling of the entire RTX 50 series has been questionable, and the situation seems to be escalating.

      Visible yet Hidden

      When the RTX 5060 Ti was launched, the 16GB variant received largely favorable reviews. It was a solid card for a reasonable price, equipped with sufficient VRAM to meet gamers' needs for the latest titles at 1080p and 1440p. With support for DLSS upscaling and frame generation, it could even manage some light 4K gaming, a notable achievement for an XX60-series GPU from Nvidia.

      The RTX 5060 Ti 16GB is an excellent option for small form factor builds, but the 8GB version is quite lackluster. Kunal Khullar / Digital Trends

      However, the 8GB model significantly lagged behind due to inadequate VRAM and performance problems linked to the PCIe generation of the slot it was installed in. This resulted in poor performance at higher resolutions and made it noticeably weaker than the 16GB version even at 1080p, despite their similar specs. You wouldn’t have learned that before the cards launched since Nvidia didn’t provide any 8GB samples for review.

      Now it is repeating this strategy with the RTX 5060, this time restricting reviewers from testing it by not releasing drivers. Nvidia expects reviewers to unbox the card and discuss it—even noting that they can't test it. While this creates negative publicity for a card likely to underperform, it still generates buzz.

      Nvidia: "We're not hiding the RTX 5060; we’re incredibly proud of it and gamers will adore it"... also Nvidia: "We’re launching the RTX 5060 on May 19th during Computex, and even though reviewers have cards now, we won’t release the driver until they're available for purchase." pic.twitter.com/Cw0mJnSgUp— Hardware Unboxed (@HardwareUnboxed) May 8, 2025

      Additionally, launching the RTX 5060 during Computex, when many other tech stories will be circulating, could help diminish any negative coverage on launch day.

      Gamers will find an affordable RTX 50-series card in stores and likely purchase it. They better hope to, as stock has been so limited that just having the option is a stroke of luck. This places them in a position to make a poorly informed choice, resulting in possible buyer's remorse at best or unplayable games at worst.

      Concealing Reality

      This pattern has characterized the entire RTX 50 series saga. Nvidia may be seriously downplaying the performance of its new 8GB graphics cards in 2025, but it has not been transparent about the performance or abilities of any graphics cards in this generation.

      These don’t represent the actual situation. Nvidia

      At CES in January, Jensen Huang claimed that the RTX 5090 was double the speed of the RTX 4090 and that the RTX 5070 could match the RTX 4090's performance. Neither statement held true, as the 5090 was only about 30% faster than the 4090, and the 5070 performed more like a 4070 Super than a 4090. While the new cards could exceed their predecessors in some games with frame generation, overall they did not perform better across a wide range of games or settings. Jensen was aware of the inaccuracies in his statements yet made them regardless.

      Nvidia's Awareness

      What’s particularly frustrating is that Nvidia understands its actions. The company knows that the 8GB versions of the 5060 Ti and 5060 will likely fall short, but rather than marketing them in a way that acknowledges their limitations while still emphasizing their strengths, it chooses to obscure them. Nvidia does not merely overlook the issue; it actively tries to conceal it from gamers who may feel disappointed after purchasing and discovering that their desired games do not run as expected.

      It was aware that the performance improvements of the higher-end RTX 50-series cards would not be remarkable either. Instead of emphasizing the genuine strengths and setting realistic expectations, it overpromised while underdelivering, knowing that by the time expectations were not met, the cards would already be sold out. It shows little concern.

      Nvidia has made it clear in recent years that its main focus lies in AI and datacenters, with gaming merely serving as a means to rehabilitate its declining reputation. Jensen is not impressive, his cards are not remarkable, and Nvidia continues to behave increasingly poorly in how