Welcome to the 1.118 release of Visual Studio Code.
Happy Coding!
April 23, 2026
Adopt the Copilot CLI SDK session-title APIs as the source of truth for session names. #311535
Add keybindings such as Ctrl+1 and Ctrl+2 to quickly switch between sessions in the Agents app. #310992
Add auto model support to the Copilot CLI agent. #311299
April 22, 2026
Add descriptions to the chat customization creator menu, helping users understand which skill location to use for each type of customization. #295151
Let users opt in to testing the TypeScript 7.0 nightlies. #311966
Copilot CLI responses in the chat panel show a model badge indicating which model handled the request. #303960
Add support for auto model selection in Copilot CLI. #311779
April 21, 2026
The Copilot CLI SDK resolves node-pty from VS Code via hostRequire, eliminating the need to copy node-pty binaries into the SDK’s prebuilds folder at build time or runtime. #307746
We really appreciate people trying our new features as soon as they are ready, so check back here often and learn what’s new.
Cross the local bureaucratic comedy of Parks and Recreation with the small-town strangeness of Twin Peaks, and you’ll get a sense of the singular tone of Apple TV‘s new genre gem Widow’s Bay.
Created by Katie Dippold, herself a writer for Parks and Recreation, the seriesartfully blends horror and comedy to create an enthralling portrait of a town you’ll want to get lost in… even if some of its locals would advise you to run the hell away.
What’s Widow’s Bay about?
Matthew Rhys in “Widow’s Bay.” Credit: Apple TV
A charming island 40 miles off the coast of New England, Widow’s Bay has a lot going for it. It boasts picturesque coastal views, invigorating ocean breezes, and atmospheric fog banks that have absolutely nothing hiding in them, do you hear me?
At least, that’s what Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) has to say. He’s trying to turn Widow’s Bay into the next Martha’s Vineyard, a quest that locals like former fisherman Wyck (Stephen Root) threaten to derail with their claims that Widow’s Bay is cursed.
Tom initially brushes Wyck and his allies off in favor of bringing in tourists. It’s a page straight from the playbook of Mayor Vaughn from Jaws, which Widow’s Bay pays loving homage to throughout. However, when haunts start knocking at his door, Tom has to face the truth: There’s something truly sinister at work on the island, and it’s only getting worse.
Widow’s Bay is a wonderfully frightening watch.
Matthew Rhys and Stephen Root in “Widow’s Bay.” Credit: Apple TV
To pull off its many scares, Widow’s Bay draws inspiration from a wide range of horror iconography. Stephen King‘s influence hangs over the series like the town’s unshakeable mist, present in everything from the New England setting to the show’s title font, a clear nod to the style of his earlier covers.
The aforementioned Jaws plays a huge role, too, and not just because of Tom’s role as a skeptical, tourism-hungry mayor. (To Tom’s credit, he’s far less willing to put people in danger for the sake of money than Mayor Vaughn.) Root’s salty veteran sailor Wyck bears shades of Jaws‘ Quint, and an episode devoted to a cursed ocean outing recalls Jaws’ third act. But the biggest lesson Widow’s Bay takes from Stephen Spielberg’s horror classic is the fear of the unknown. Just as Jaws generates suspense by holding off on showing us its biggest threat until later in the runtime, so too does Widow’s Bay keep its viewers in the dark about its many frights.
And what darkness it is! Visually, Widow’s Bay thrives in rich, inky black tones where you can crucially still make out every little detail, a rarity in TV nowadays and a testament to the show’s production team and crew. Series directors Hiro Murai (Atlanta), Sam Donovan (Severance), Andrew DeYoung (Friendship), and Ti West (the X trilogy) weaponize this darkness — along with fog and ocean depths — to its fullest obscuring extent. That expert build-up of tension made the subsequent reveals hit all the harder, to the point that I couldn’t get through an episode without screaming or cackling. (Or, most often, some mix of both.)
Widow’s Bay nails the balance between scares and laughs.
Kate O’Flynn in “Widow’s Bay.” Credit: Apple TV
Widow’s Bay‘s scares pull from sailor superstitions, classic slashers, and more, but they never feel cheap. That’s because the series roots them firmly in its characters’ anxieties, like Tom’s worries about tourism, or town hall staffer Patricia’s (Kate O’Flynn) desperate need to be liked. (She’s so desperate, in fact, that she may have falsely claimed to be the sole survivor of a serial killer who murdered some of her high school classmates.)
The latter produces a series highlight, an episode where a frantic Patricia attempts to host the perfect party. The social isolation she faces from her disdainful former classmates is just as wince-worthy as the uncanny events surrounding the event, resulting in a one-two punch of cringe comedy and horror.
Widow’s Bay oftenoperates in that sweet spot between horror and comedy, which tends more toward the dry and bizarre than Dippold’s previous work on sitcoms like Parks and Recreation or comedy films like Ghostbusters (2016). Instead of cracking jokes at a mile per minute, Widow’s Bay finds the funny in the eerie. Think historical wax figures, a cursed party game called “Teeth,” and sight gags about cannibalism.
Widow’s Bay‘s central trio of Rhys, Root, and O’Flynn play these occurrences as straight as they can, adding further to the show’s brand of offbeat strangeness. Rhys and Root are tremendous foils as a skeptic and believer forced to work together. And O’Flynn proves an absolute scene stealer as Patricia, marrying her hilarious scorn for others with the genuine pain of being scorned right back.
The rest of Widow’s Bay‘s ensemble, which includes Somebody Somewhere‘s Emmy-winning Jeff Hiller, Dale Dickey, and several surprising guest stars, further builds out the town of Widow’s Bay. Their efforts, as well as the weatherbeaten production design by Steve Arnold (Midnight Mass, another superb cursed island series), turn Widow’s Bay into a real town. You can almost taste the salt air (or hear the screams of cursed souls in the distance) just by watching.
In the end, the town of Widow’s Bay is as deliciously odd as the show itself. What begins with a bit of a haunt-of-the-week structure soon evolves into a deeper unraveling of Widow’s Bay’s darkest secrets, as well as the choices that kept them in place. While I’d love for the show to return to its haunt-of-the-week mode occasionally, I also adore what it became. That it can pull off this transformation is proof of its sheer uniqueness. Forget being the next Martha’s Vineyard: Widow’s Bay sets a new, wonderfully weird course all by itself.
I’ve spent the past few weeks testing the pants off of several graphics cards. Such is the life of a hardware writer. Alongside my 8 GB vs 16 GB VRAM testing, I’ve also reviewed the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB and the RX 9060 XT 8 GB, and found them to deliver reasonable gaming performance on average—although the Nvidia card definitely wins the day. And yes, the 16 GB versions are faster overall.
One question has been nagging at the back of my mind, though. While I’ve proven that the 8 GB variants of these semi-budget GPUs are often slower on average compared to their 16 GB equivalents, can overclocking even the odds?
To find out, I’ve tweaked the twangers out of my 8 GB graphics card samples, and then run them across our GPU benchmarking suite. I’ve then compared that data with both the stock performance and the overclocked performance of the RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB and RX 9060 XT 16 GB.
It’s been a big old showdown, and I’ve come up with some interesting results. Yes, overclocking an 8 GB graphics card can often even the odds with its more-expensive 16 GB variant in the benchmarks. But, in some games, there’s simply no replacement for VRAM—and the tests don’t always tell the whole story.
Overclocking methodology
(Image credit: Future)
I’ve kept things real simple in regards to overclocking, as you can easily get into the weeds chasing tiny percentage gains and fighting stability issues as a result.
Essentially, it’s been a process of upping the core clock and memory speeds, then running demanding benchmarks over and over again until the GPUs crash, before backing things down to a state where each can complete all of our tests. This differs for each GPU, so your mileage may vary here.
Article continues below
Some of my tested cards have hard power limits, so for the most part the power levels have been kept stock for comparison purposes. The RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB, for example, couldn’t get past +350 MHz core speeds and a +500 MHz memory clock without a power boost, something its stock BIOS doesn’t allow—so that’s where I’ve stopped.
The exception to this has been the RX 9060 XT 8 GB. I had no luck undervolting my 16 GB sample to allow for higher clockspeeds, as it crashed almost immediately as soon as I dropped the voltage by a small amount, even with a higher power limit overall. Still, it accepted a reasonable +300 MHz core, 300 MHz memory overclock at stock power levels nonetheless.
My 8 GB Asus sample, however, needs an undervolt to accept any clockspeed tweaks without crashing, so I went for a stable -100 Mv. This will differ from card to card, but it did allow me to push the core clock to +300 MHz, and the memory to +200 MHz.
Our Jacob provided the figures for the Palit Infinity 3 RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB. As you’ll see from the results, a +400 MHz core overclock alone still gains some considerable performance from the Nvidia GPU. It’s also worth mentioning that all my tested cards kept within temperature limits at these speeds, which is something to keep an eye on if you do it for yourself.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Take these results as they’re intended—a demonstration of what basic overclocking techniques can potentially do to 8 GB graphics card performance, not any kind of guarantee over what you will gain from your own cards. If you’d like to buy one and break out the liquid nitrogen, be my guest. Me? I value my fingers too much, and I’d only end up spilling it everywhere anyway.
Overclocked 8 GB graphics cards
(Image credit: Future)
Let’s kick things off by looking at the performance gains you can get out of an overclocked 8 GB graphics card. At 1080p, we can see that all of our 8 GB samples show average frame rate improvements over the stock GPUs.
No great surprises there. However, while the gains are often small, there is the odd exception. The Talos Principle 2, is one such example, with the otherwise-unimpressive RX 9060 XT 8 GB gaining a whole 10 frames over the stock version. That allows it to soar from the bottom of my results to the very top.
Overclocked 8 GB GPUs – 1080p gaming benchmarks
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
Black Myth Wukong (1080p High) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
71 Avg FPS, 58 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
75 Avg FPS, 67 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
74 Avg FPS, 62 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
80 Avg FPS, 69 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p RT Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
41 Avg FPS, 26 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
47 Avg FPS, 30 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
52 Avg FPS, 35 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
56 Avg FPS, 36 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
F1 24 (1080p Ultra high) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
82 Avg FPS, 66 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
94 Avg FPS, 74 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
90 Avg FPS, 73 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
92 Avg FPS, 75 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
Homeworld 3 (1080p Epic) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
111 Avg FPS, 63 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
115 Avg FPS, 60 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
108 Avg FPS, 32 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
121 Avg FPS, 55 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition (1080p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
93 Avg FPS, 64 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
99 Avg FPS, 67 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
101 Avg FPS, 65 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
108 Avg FPS, 71 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
The Talos Principle 2 (1080p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
66 Avg FPS, 35 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
76 Avg FPS, 49 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
69 Avg FPS, 37 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
70 Avg FPS, 38 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
Total War: Warhammer 3 (1080p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
90 Avg FPS, 42 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
96 Avg FPS, 58 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
81 Avg FPS, 59 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
85 Avg FPS, 62 1% Low FPS
In F1 24, the same 8 GB card miraculously gains 12 frames on average. This is a game that already seems to favour AMD GPUs, but the improvement is impressive nonetheless.
Overall, though, the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB beats out its AMD competition when comparing stock to stock, and overclocked to overclocked. Adding a dose of enhanced speed to the little AMD GPU does allow it to jump ahead of the stock Nvidia card, though, which suggests it’s worth doing if you’ve decided to save some cash with the former.
Overclocked 8 GB GPUs – 1440p gaming benchmarks
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
Black Myth Wukong (1440p High) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
48 Avg FPS, 43 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
51 Avg FPS, 46 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
50 Avg FPS, 43 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
54 Avg FPS, 47 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
Cyberpunk 2077 (1440p RT Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
26 Avg FPS, 17 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
26 Avg FPS, 19 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
33 Avg FPS, 25 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
34 Avg FPS, 26 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
F1 24 (1440p Ultra High) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
51 Avg FPS, 41 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
57 Avg FPS, 47 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
59 Avg FPS, 47 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
60 Avg FPS, 47 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
Homeworld 3 (1440p Epic) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
75 Avg FPS, 58 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
81 Avg FPS, 49 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
87 Avg FPS, 42 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
94 Avg FPS, 37 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition (1440p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
68 Avg FPS, 49 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
69 Avg FPS, 48 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
75 Avg FPS, 53 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
80 Avg FPS, 56 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
The Talos Principle 2 (1440p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
47 Avg FPS, 27 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
51 Avg FPS, 36 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
44 Avg FPS, 30 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
46 Avg FPS, 32 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
Total War: Warhammer 3 (1440p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
60 Avg FPS, 44 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime | +300 MHz | +200 Mem | -100 mV
64 Avg FPS, 46 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
57 Avg FPS, 40 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
60 Avg FPS, 44 1% Low FPS
Switch things up to 1440p, and the gains become smaller. Again, no great surprise. Still, the little AMD card does benefit considerably from the extra speed, although Cyberpunk 2077 once again proves to be its downfall.
The average frame rate remains exactly the same for the RX 9060 XT 8 GB, whether overclocked or stock, although the 1% lows do improve by two frames. This is a pretty crunchy result overall, although I’m testing all of our games here without upscaling or frame generation, in order to represent the raw rendered fps difference underneath the hood.
The RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB, meanwhile, offers a solid set of improvements once overclocked, although it’s nothing mind-blowing. Still, extra frames are extra frames, and while its advantage is eaten into slightly by the RX 9060 XT’s overclocked gains, it’s still the top performer at 1440p on average.
Overclocked 16 GB graphics cards
(Image credit: Future)
So, what do the 16 GB cards have to offer by comparison? Well, higher frame rates overall, for a start. However, the gains from overclocking aren’t quite so impressive, with the odd exception.
Check out the eight extra frames gained by the RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p. That’s with purely a core overclock, too. Given just how demanding Cyberpunk can be with the ray tracing turned up, I’d happily overclock this card for the extra smoothness here alone.
Overclocked 16 GB GPUs – 1080p gaming benchmarks
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
Black Myth Wukong (1080p High) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX
73 Avg FPS, 63 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
75 Avg FPS, 66 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
75 Avg FPS, 65 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
81 Avg FPS, 31 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p RT Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX
49 Avg FPS, 39 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
49 Avg FPS, 40 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
51 Avg FPS, 41 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
59 Avg FPS, 42 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
F1 24 (1080p Ultra high) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX
95 Avg FPS, 61 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
97 Avg FPS, 75 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
90 Avg FPS, 71 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
94 Avg FPS, 77 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
Homeworld 3 (1080p Epic) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX
106 Avg FPS, 65 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
123 Avg FPS, 74 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
117 Avg FPS, 65 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
123 Avg FPS, 68 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition (1080p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX
96 Avg FPS, 42 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
100 Avg FPS, 69 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
98 Avg FPS, 42 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
102 Avg FPS, 42 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
The Talos Principle 2 (1080p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX
73 Avg FPS, 37 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
77 Avg FPS, 53 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
75 Avg FPS, 41 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
80 Avg FPS, 47 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
Total War: Warhammer 3 (1080p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX
94 Avg FPS, 72 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
97 Avg FPS, 72 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
83 Avg FPS, 54 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
89 Avg FPS, 56 1% Low FPS
And yes, the RX 9060 XT 16 GB doesn’t seem to benefit as much from overclocking as the rest of my cards. I’d wager that’s down to lower sustained clock speeds without an undervolt, but again, this XFX sample refuses to play ball once you start fiddling with the power levels.
Still, an extra 4 fps in Metro Exodus Enhanced edition is good to see, and with a massive 27 fps improvement in the 1% lows, too.
In fact, improved 1% lows might be reason enough to overclock this card, even if the averages don’t budge by significant amounts. Homeworld 3, F1 24, The Talos Principle 2—a couple of simple slider adjustments in AMD Adrenaline appears to be all it takes.
Overclocked 16 GB GPUs – 1440p gaming benchmarks
RX 9060 XT 16 XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
Black Myth Wukong (1440p High) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX
48 Avg FPS, 44 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
50 Avg FPS, 45 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
51 Avg FPS, 45 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
56 Avg FPS, 41 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
Cyberpunk 2077 (1440p RT Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX
30 Avg FPS, 24 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
30 Avg FPS, 25 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
32 Avg FPS, 26 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
35 Avg FPS, 29 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
F1 24 (1440p Ultra High) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX
60 Avg FPS, 46 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
61 Avg FPS, 46 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
56 Avg FPS, 45 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
62 Avg FPS, 50 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
Homeworld 3 (1440p Epic) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX
86 Avg FPS, 65 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
90 Avg FPS, 74 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
97 Avg FPS, 64 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
104 Avg FPS, 66 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition (1440p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX
71 Avg FPS, 34 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
74 Avg FPS, 43 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
72 Avg FPS, 34 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
73 Avg FPS, 31 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
The Talos Principle 2 (1440p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX
49 Avg FPS, 35 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
51 Avg FPS, 36 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
51 Avg FPS, 32 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
54 Avg FPS, 35 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
Total War: Warhammer 3 (1440p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RX 9060 XT 16 GB XFX
62 Avg FPS, 45 1% Low FPS
RX 9060 XT 16 XFX | +300 MHz | + 300 Mem
64 Avg FPS, 47 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
60 Avg FPS, 44 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3 | +400 MHz
65 Avg FPS, 48 1% Low FPS
At 1440p, it’s much the same story for the 16 GB GPUs as our 8 GB cards. There are gains to be made with a dose of overclocking, but it’s usually not by a whole lot.
Three fps here, four fps there—it’s about what I expected to see from both our 16 GB GPUs, if I’m honest. The 1% low advantage is curbed a little at this resolution, too, although the RX 9060 XT 16 GB proves the exception yet again, as it manages to gain a chonky nine frames in Metro Exodus.
Otherwise, though? There’s no huge gain in performance for any of our cards, although more frames are more frames.
8 GB vs 16 GB overclocked graphics cards
(Image credit: Future)
So, what happens when we combine this data together? Well, to prevent building a couple of massive, hard to read charts, I’ve broken up my findings into two main chunks.
First, let’s take a look at the difference between the RTX 9060 XT 8 GB and 16 GB, at both stock and overclocked speeds.
Here’s a pleasing result to see from the off. In Black Myth Wukong at 1080p High settings, the overclocked RX 9060 XT 8 GB manages to best its 16 GB bigger brother at stock speeds. And even with an overclock, the RX 9060 XT is a mere single frame ahead of it in the 1% lows. The averages? Exactly the same.
Before we all go jumping up and down at the thought of massive savings, though (the 8 GB card is often considerably cheaper than the 16 GB version), here comes Cyberpunk 2077 to ruin the 8 GB card’s day.
Yep, it’s time for an early preview of my One Big Caveat™—certain games will show the flaws of a tight VRAM limit. The overclocked 8 GB AMD card gets within 2 frames of the stock 16 GB GPU on average, but I’d ask you to give some serious consideration to those 1% lows.
(Image credit: Future)
It might not look much on paper, but having played Cyberpunk 2077 on this card while overclocked, I can tell you that it has a tendency to drop frames fairly often when faced with only 8 GB of VRAM. The RX 9060 XT 16 GB isn’t perfect in this regard, either, but it’s a much smoother-feeling experience.
Still, 1080p gains are definitely in evidence here, and sometimes the overclocked RX 9060 XT 8 GB can beat the stock 16 GB version on average. In Homeworld 3, it wins by a whole nine frames—although even the stock 8 GB GPU posted higher figures than the 16 GB version in my testing.
The Homeworld 3 benchmark can be a twitchy thing, after all. I re-ran the tests many, many times, but these are the averages I ended up with. Shrug your shoulders with me, and move on.
At 1440p, the overclocked RX 9060 XT 8 GB comes good once again in Black Myth Wukong and the Talos Principle 2, handily beating the stock 16 GB card in both averages and 1% lows. In fact, in the former, it even manages to best its overclocked score. It’s only by a single frame, though, which is well within benchmark variances.
And yep, here comes Cyberpunk 2077 again to give the AMD card trouble. The overclock allows for a couple more frames in the 1% lows, but the extra VRAM of the RX 9060 XT 16 GB allows it to pull significantly ahead.
Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti – 8 GB vs 16 GB overclocked
RTX 5060 Ti | 8 GB vs 16 GB | 1080p overclocked gaming benchmarks
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
Black Myth Wukong (1080p High) Data
Product
Value
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB
74 Avg FPS, 62 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
80 Avg FPS, 69 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB
75 Avg FPS, 65 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
81 Avg FPS, 31 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p RT Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB
52 Avg FPS, 35 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
56 Avg FPS, 36 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB
51 Avg FPS, 41 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
59 Avg FPS, 42 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
F1 24 (1080p Ultra high) Data
Product
Value
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB
90 Avg FPS, 73 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
92 Avg FPS, 75 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB
90 Avg FPS, 71 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
94 Avg FPS, 77 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
Homeworld 3 (1080p Epic) Data
Product
Value
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB
108 Avg FPS, 32 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
121 Avg FPS, 55 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB
117 Avg FPS, 65 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
123 Avg FPS, 68 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition (1080p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB
101 Avg FPS, 65 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
108 Avg FPS, 71 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB
98 Avg FPS, 42 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
102 Avg FPS, 42 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
The Talos Principle 2 (1080p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB
69 Avg FPS, 37 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
70 Avg FPS, 38 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB
75 Avg FPS, 41 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
80 Avg FPS, 47 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
Total War: Warhammer 3 (1080p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB
81 Avg FPS, 59 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
85 Avg FPS, 62 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB
83 Avg FPS, 54 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
89 Avg FPS, 56 1% Low FPS
But what about the RTX 5060 Ti, I hear you cry? Well, hold on to your hats, because the overclocked 8 GB card puts on quite an impressive showing in comparison to the stock 16 GB GPU.
In fact, it beats the stock RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB in all but one of my tests at 1080p, that outlier being The Talos Principle 2. Otherwise, the extra dose of speed allows the 8 GB card (which is fairly close in performance to its 16 GB variant to begin with at this resolution) to pull quite a few frames ahead on average, even occasionally beating the overclocked RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB.
RTX 5060 Ti | 8 GB vs 16 GB | 1440p overclocked gaming benchmarks
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
Black Myth Wukong (1440p High) Data
Product
Value
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB
50 Avg FPS, 43 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
54 Avg FPS, 47 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB
51 Avg FPS, 45 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
56 Avg FPS, 41 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
Cyberpunk 2077 (1440p RT Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB
33 Avg FPS, 25 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
34 Avg FPS, 26 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB
32 Avg FPS, 26 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
35 Avg FPS, 29 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
F1 24 (1440p Ultra High) Data
Product
Value
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB
59 Avg FPS, 47 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
60 Avg FPS, 47 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB
56 Avg FPS, 45 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
62 Avg FPS, 50 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
Homeworld 3 (1440p Epic) Data
Product
Value
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB
87 Avg FPS, 42 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
94 Avg FPS, 37 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB
97 Avg FPS, 64 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
104 Avg FPS, 66 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition (1440p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB
75 Avg FPS, 53 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
80 Avg FPS, 56 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB
72 Avg FPS, 34 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
73 Avg FPS, 31 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
The Talos Principle 2 (1440p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB
44 Avg FPS, 30 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
46 Avg FPS, 32 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB
51 Avg FPS, 32 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
54 Avg FPS, 35 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
Total War: Warhammer 3 (1440p Ultra) Data
Product
Value
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB
57 Avg FPS, 40 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | +350 MHz | +500 Mem
60 Avg FPS, 44 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB
60 Avg FPS, 44 1% Low FPS
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | +400 MHz
65 Avg FPS, 48 1% Low FPS
At 1440p, the Nvidia card continues its overclocked reign of terror. It beats the stock 16 GB card in Black Myth Wukong, Cyberpunk 2077, F1 24, and Metro Exodus, and matches its benches exactly in Total War: Warhammer 3.
The clear winner in most of my tests, however, is the mildly-overclocked RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB. It’s a surprising set of results, and furthers my assessment that the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB is the graphics card to buy if you can’t afford the higher-VRAM equivalent.
There is, however, a very large caveat to all of these figures. Follow me to the section below.
Analysis, and a very large caveat
(Image credit: Future)
So, what have we learned? Well, these results show that you can indeed overclock a cheaper 8 GB graphics card to bring its performance more in line with the 16 GB variant, and perhaps even exceed it—in the benchmarks. And that’s grand.
But before you put a substantial wad of cash back into your pocket and go running out into the streets to buy an 8 GB graphics card, we need to talk about something important—and that’s the real world.
In-game benchmark tools are useful ways of comparing the performance of graphics cards against each other. And each one of these GPUs has been tested using just such benchmarks. But I’d like to direct you towards my 8 GB vs 16 GB graphics card testing once more, and show you one last chart.
The Last of Us Part 1 – VRAM usage and performance
In-game testing, Ultra settings
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
The Last of Us Part 1 (1080p Ultra + Quality upscaling) Data
Product
Value
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
89 Avg FPS, 48 1% Low FPS, 6.92 Avg. VRAM
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
79 Avg FPS, 52 1% Low FPS, 6.61 Avg. VRAM
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
113 Avg FPS, 92 1% Low FPS, 9.84 Avg. VRAM
RX 9060XT 16 GB XFX
113 Avg FPS, 93 1% Low FPS, 11.47 Avg. VRAM
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
The Last of Us Part 1 (1440p Ultra + Quality upscaling) Data
Product
Value
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
79 Avg FPS, 44 1% Low FPS, 6.98 Avg. VRAM
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
60 Avg FPS, 42 1% Low FPS, 6.71 Avg. VRAM
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
92 Avg FPS, 73 1% Low FPS, 10.39 Avg. VRAM
RX 9060XT 16 GB XFX
89 Avg FPS, 72 1% Low FPS, 12.02 Avg. VRAM
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
The Last of Us Part 1 (1440p Ultra+ Quality upscaling + 2x FG) Data
Product
Value
RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB Palit Dual
132 Avg FPS, 61 1% Low FPS, 7.21 Avg. VRAM
RX 9060 XT 8 GB Asus Prime
112 Avg FPS, 61 1% Low FPS, 6.74 Avg. VRAM
RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Palit Infinity 3
147 Avg FPS, 78 1% Low FPS, 11.09 Avg. VRAM
RX 9060XT 16 GB XFX
149 Avg FPS, 104 1% Low FPS, 12.12 Avg. VRAM
This is my in-game VRAM testing of The Last of Us Part 1, using stock variants of all our tested graphics cards. These results were recorded in an actual level, where I ran around as if I was, y’know, playing video games for a living.
I’ve chosen to show it to you not because it shows overclocked figures (I simply don’t have time in the day to run the OC’d GPUs through all those particular tests too), but because it demonstrates the potential performance difference between the 8 GB and 16 GB GPUs when faced with a VRAM-swallowing game.
And yes, it’s a kinda ugly result. It’s not the only example, either. Resident Evil Requiem also demonstrates a similar performance delta at certain settings, among others.
Transposing the results I’m seeing here with the gains made from overclocking, I very much doubt that, in actual gameplay, the 8 GB cards can be overclocked to deliver the same performance as their 16 GB equivalents, at least in certain games. Benchmarks? It appears so. In-game? Perhaps not.
(Image credit: Sony)
Can overclocking make up some of the gap? Yes, it’s quite likely. But given the sometimes massive difference in performance in certain games at certain settings between the 8 GB cards and the 16 GB variants, I really doubt these overclocking gains will translate to parity when proper VRAM constraints come into play.
Benchmark tools are simply lighter on the VRAM than actual game worlds, and that’s likely what we’re seeing here.
I’ll have to do some more testing to find out for certain, so it’s back to the GPU mines for me. Still, if you own an 8 GB card, or are stretching your budget to afford one, I can confirm that there’s performance left on the table here—at least with the GPUs I have in front of me.
So overclock away, and enjoy those extra frames. It’s pretty simple to do, and there’s a possibility that you will get some extra performance for free. But can you force an 8 GB card to run games just as well as a 16 GB one, once in-game VRAM demands come into play? From what I’ve seen from all my testing, I’d say not.
In this third session of the Let’s Talk Knowledge Engineering series, Ben Taylor, Rainbird CTO and co-founder, is joined by Lucie Hunt, VP Enablement at Rainbird, to explore the practices that help knowledge engineering projects scale from early ideas into reliable production systems.
Together, they look at how strong knowledge architecture, clear graph design, disciplined testing, and structured change management help teams build models that are easier to reuse, maintain, and extend over time. The session focuses on what good looks like in practice, from setting knowledge boundaries and layering expertise through to designing graphs that stay clean and manageable as they grow.
You can register for the remaining sessions in the series here or watch past episodes.
What you’ll learn
Why knowledge architecture is a design discipline, and how setting the right boundaries helps graphs scale and remain maintainable.
How layering knowledge across foundational, domain, policy, and jurisdictional levels improves reuse and reduces duplication.
Why separating knowledge from data matters, and how it enables the same reasoning models to be applied across different systems and use cases.
What practical graph design best practices look like, including naming conventions, reusable concepts, rule design, and graph hygiene.
How testing, versioning, and structured change management help keep knowledge graphs reliable as requirements evolve.
Resources shared in the webinar
Rainbird Studio Community Edition: Experiment, model, and bring decisions to life, visit app.rainbird.ai
Rainbird Academy: Learn the foundations of explainable decision intelligence, visit academy.rainbird.ai
Rainbird Forum: Ask, discuss, and shape the conversation, visit forum.rainbird.ai
Diablo 4‘s second expansion, Lord of Hatred, is on the horizon, but not everything included will be immediately useful.
Aside from the new classes and questline, the Diablo 4 version of the Horadric Cube, first introduced in Diablo 2, is one of the big selling points of the Lord of Hatred DLC. If all goes well, it could shake up endgame itemization in a way that people have been asking for for years. For the uninitiated and in the simplest of terms (I go over it in more detail here), the Cube lets you use items you’d otherwise salvage to upgrade gear or create entirely new items, opening up an unprecedented level of gear customization and dramatically expanding the loot economy.
For the new issue of PC Gamer magazine, associate game director Zaven Haroutunian really hammered home how central the new Cube is to Lord of Hatred. The Diablo 4 iteration is such a big deal that Blizzard packed junk items into Lord of Hatred just to help players make better use of the Cube.
Article continues below
“I think players are going to shock us with what they’re going to do with it,” Haroutunian said, adding that those pesky item drops clogging up your inventory, wasting your precious clicking strength, and waiting to be salvaged will soon have a “second life” thanks to the Horadric Cube. “I will say that with Lord of Hatred, there’s at least one item we’re intentionally putting in there that’s basically useless because we know it’s going to be a target for the cube,” said Haroutunian.
The return of the Cube in Diablo 4 is accompanied by a separate and nearly as transformative loot change that’ll bring low-level loot back to the endgame with one huge caveat: it’ll drop with the chance to have a greater affix attached, yet another design tweak purposefully designed to feed into the Horadric Cube, as it means the chump change you pick up in dungeons will have the chance to become your new main weapon, chest piece, or shield. That should, in theory, make endgame runs a whole lot more interesting, which is presumably high up on Blizzard’s priority list as a lack of depth is one of the main pain points for high-level players. We’ll find out when Lord of Hatred launches on April 28.
The Department of Justice announced Thursday that it arrested Gannon Ken Van Dyke, an enlisted member of the US Army’s special forces, for allegedly using “classified, nonpublic” information about the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro to notch more than $400,000 in profits on Polymarket trades. A grand jury indicted him on five counts, including multiple violations of the Commodity Exchange Act.
Van Dyke is the first person to be charged with insider trading on a prediction market in the United States. Lawmakers have been voicing concerns for months about the high likelihood that politicians and public servants could use nonpublic information to profit from trades on leading industry platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi, which have exploded in popularity over the past year.
The arrest comes just weeks after Department of Justice prosecutors met with Polymarket about potential insider tradition violations. In February, Israeli authorities arrested two citizens, an army reservist and a civilian, for allegedly leaking classified information by making wagers on Polymarket related to military operations. Kalshi, Polymarket’s primary rival in the United States, recently fined three politicians for breaking its insider trading rules, but it did not flag the violations for further enforcement to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the federal agency that oversees prediction markets.
After Van Dyke’s arrest was made public, Polymarket posted a statement to social media noting that it had “identified a user trading on classified government information” and “referred the matter to the DOJ & cooperated with their investigation.” The company declined to comment further.
According to court documents, Van Dyke has been an active duty US soldier since September 2008 and rose to the level of master sergeant in 2023. At the time of the alleged trading activity, he was stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and assigned to the Army’s Special Operations Command Western Hemisphere Operations.
“I have been crystal clear that anyone who engages in fraud, manipulation, or insider trading in any of our markets will face the full force of the law,” CFTC chair Michael Selig said in a statement. “The defendant was entrusted with confidential information about US operations and yet took action that endangered US national security and put the lives of American service members in harm’s way.”
The complaint alleges that Van Dyke was involved in the planning and execution of Maduro’s arrest and that he was aware that he wasn’t authorized to share nonpublic information about US military operations. The complaint says that Van Dyke signed a nondisclosure agreement that forbade him from revealing sensitive or classified government information “by writing, word, conduct, or otherwise.” The complaint also alleges Van Dyke saved a screenshot to his Google account “displaying the results of an artificial intelligence query” outlining how the US Special Forces maintains many classified files including “operational details that are not available to the public.”
On December 26, Van Dyke allegedly opened an account on Polymarket and took out around $35,000 from his bank account before transferring it to a cryptocurrency exchange.
The following day, Van Dyke allegedly made his first Venezuela-related trade on Polymarket, putting a little less than $100 on a “YES” contract that US forces would be in Venezuela by January 31, 2026. Prosecutors accuse him of ultimately making 13 Venezuela-related transactions on the platform, seven of those—totaling hundreds of thousands of shares—on a “YES” contract for “Maduro out by … January 31, 2026.” In other words, Van Dyke allegedly stood to make an enormous profit if the Venezuelan leader wound up out of power by the end of the month.
Packaging design is more than just a box or bottle. It serves as the brand’s first contact with a customer. Brands combine style with art to look great and practical function to work well to really stand out on the shelf. Coming up with beautiful packaging requires a whole set of technical skills and precise design tools. That’s what CAD is for.
Finding professionals who are experts in the field of packaging design services is not easy. Not all designers can successfully execute functional and aesthetic packaging. This is how Cad Crowd helps brands. They connect retailers and manufacturers with talented freelance design professionals who focus on cosmetic packaging. Cad Crowd makes the search simple, easier, smoother, and enjoyable. Are you ready to showcase your brand’s packaging to the world?
1. Cad Crowd
For brands in search of suppliers of beautiful and functional packaging design, Cad Crowd is the ultimate candidate. It connects brands with experienced CAD designers from all over the world. Instead of deciding between different suppliers, you get the chance to hirean expert who can turn a rough idea into a precise, production-ready blueprint and design model. Whether it’s a simplebottle with a special cap or a vibrant shelf display that focuses on showcasing different product types, their designers focus on the structure just as much as the look. Cad Crowd makes sure the technical details are top-quality standards so the 3D model can proceed to manufacturing without any problem.
Zenpacklooks at a more overall approach to packaging. They see packaging not just as a container, but as part of the entire brand story. As a full-service agency, they handle everything from design and material selection to printing, production, and logistics. Their team is especially known for creating memorable unboxing experiences, which makes them a favorite for luxury and e-commerce brands. With a strong focus on a mix of materials, textures, and finishes, Zenpack helps products feel premium and something to look forward to experiencing.
STENG Packaging specializes in ready-to-use cosmetic and skincare containers. They offer a wide selection of glass bottles, jars, and tubes, giving their brand numerous packaging options. Brands can choose from their other services, like screen printing, UV coating, and hot stamping, to make the final look of the packaging look more elevated. STENG also offers features like airless pumps to keep products fresh and a production process that covers everything from start to finish. They make it easier for brands to launch the packaging directly to the market.
If you want your products ready for retail, Sutherland Packaging is the team that makes sure brands getnoticed. They’re experts at creating custom displays and strong, sturdy cartons that don’t just protect the product, but can actually attract the attention of shoppers in the store. They offer great options for high-impact colors, plus they promise a fast turnaround in production. Because they handle everything in-house, from the initial design concept to shipping the packaging out, customers feel less stressed about logistics.
IdeaHits is really where you go for that high-endluxury aesthetic. They’re a specialized agency that really focuses on how a product looks and feels in a customer’s hand. They offer 3D modeling design services to perfect every detail, whether the materialis made of glass, metal, or eco-friendly materials. They really listen to clients’ wants and spend a lot of time making sure the final design isn’t just pretty, but consistent with the brand’s visuals. For brands that want to enter the premium beauty or skincare industry, IdeaHits will help your brand look luxurious.
Selfnamed is a great option for startups and small independent brands that focus more on sustainable materials. They’ve built an easy-to-use digital studio where you can design your own look for any type of organic and natural skincare products. The clients are really part of the process. For those who want the product packaging to feel personal and professional, they offer a catalog that can be customized straight from any laptop. With their drop shipping and wholesale options, it’s now possible for small businesses to have professional-looking packaging without expensive initial costs that may be too much for a startup company.
Hicos world-renowned supplier for primary packaging for beauty and cosmetic products that cover everything from scents to eye makeup. They have facilities all over the world to support their massive production operations. They are the first choice for international brands that need to produce large-scale quantities, complex packaging options, and fast. Their biggest advantage is their trend analysis, where they are constantly looking ahead to see what the next trend in beauty is going to be. Also, with their focus on sustainability, their packaging designers develop new eco-friendly materials that are safe for the environment.
Design Womb focuses less on the packaging but more on the actual brand itself. They’re an award-winning agency that handles everything from naming and logo design to the final art direction. Their philosophy is simple, a design shouldn’t just look good but has to work and result in sales. They’re a great fit for anyone from young entrepreneurs to national retailers who need a cohesive look and identity that tells a story and builds a real connection with customers.
If you’re looking for high-end custom boxes, PakFactory specializes in luxury packaging. They offer a wide range of products that range from folding cartons to hard, heavy boxes used by designer brands. What’s cool about the company is how their engineers and designers work together to make sure the packaging doesn’t just look amazing with fancy finishes like gold foil, but that it’s also tough enough to survive the retail shelf. PakFactoryships globally, which makes them a good option for orders and shipments of large collections across different countries.
Freyr not only provides cosmetic packaging design but also handles the part of packaging that often gives business owners the most stress, which is regulatory compliance. Their main focus is high-volume artwork and labeling, making sure every ingredient list and legal disclaimer is 100% correct for whatever country the product is being distributed in. Since they work across over a hundred countries, they use AI and massive databases to track formula rules and labeling laws. Freyr is essentially the safety provider that ensures that a brand’s creative packaging meets the strict technical requirements of global manufacturing.
Seacliff Beauty is a leader in the cosmetic packaging design market that is also owned by a woman. They offer personalized packaging and all-in-one solutions. This means that they can handle almost every step of the production process from the initial formulation of the product to assembling the final packaging. The company has been around for over twenty years and really highlights sustainable innovation, like using ocean-bound plastic or refillable systems to replace single-use plastic packaging. For brands with a unique vision, Seacliff Beauty is a great partner that assists clients in navigating the whole process from lab to shelf.
For brands that need high-quality containers that have been tested by advanced engineering and CAD and CAM design support, the Packaging Company is the top choice. They have a huge inventory of glass and plastic bottles and jars, but their real secret weapon is their ability to make products in-house. Because they can create custom molds, they can help you design a bottle shape that nobody else has. They blend old-school craftsmanship with modern tech to make sure every pump and cap fits perfectly. They are a very reliable packaging concept design partner for your needs, whether you’re a small startup or an international brand.
Velocity Production and Packaging is a brand’s behind-the-scenes partner for manufacturing solutions including end-to-end services like delivery and shipment. They will help you develop formulas with expert chemists and even for the final assembly of the products. Since their scope includes logistics and the supply chain, brands can focus on the fun stuff like marketing and growing the brand to reach more potential customers. Plus, they are well known for quality testing, which allows brand owners to relax and feel stress-free because each and every product is safe and maintains high-quality standards.
For brands that have decided on choosing glass packaging, New High Glass is the veteran with over 40 years of experience. They know exactly how to take the initial rough sketch and turn it into a customized mold design that is ready for production. Their product packaging design team will work hard to help clients navigate manufacturing and factory processes to keep costs down. Services like digital engraving, frosting, and silk screening are all available in-house to make it easier and more convenient for clients. All in all, they are a solid choice for luxury brands that also want to explore operations that are ethical and environmentally friendly.
APC Packaging can be a very ideal partner for brands that want to experiment with eco-friendly and innovative packaging design. They work with everyone from big global companies to small independent startup businesses. The product line focuses on patented, eco-conscious solutions like refillable jars and easy-to-recycle materials. They’re very fast, using an ultra-lean approach that will help launch brands in the product quickly and smoothly. For high-tech printing, specialty coatings that provide protection, and an attractive design that makes customers want to reach for the product, APC Packaging has got clients covered.
Sun Nature is a one-stop shop for brands looking for beautiful, fashion-forward gift boxes and specialized packaging for specific skincare sets that are also realistic and practical. They have a massive research and product design team that keeps up to date on modern trends to ensure that artwork on packaging looks current and fashionable. They also offer all kinds of high-end finisheslike gold foil and intricate die-cutting. Plus, Sun Nature also manages the whole process from the first sample drawing to global shipping and warehousing.
To stay ahead of the trends, Cosmopak is the ultimate creative partner. They have a global network that specializes in eco-forward materials, like aluminum compacts that are actually recyclable and refillable. For custom packaging shapes and decorations, brands can also choose from different curated sample collections that fit their product. The company focuses heavily on sustainability, offering refillable and biodegradable options that look just as high-end as any traditional packaging in the market.
MSLK is more of a brand-building studio rather than just a manufacturing company. They help beauty and wellness brands find their unique voice and tell a cohesive origin story. For brands that feel a bit lost in a crowded market with so many competitors, they step in with high-level strategy and action plans to make sure your logo, packaging, and digital marketing all point in the same direction. They focus on the full service experience, ensuring your product doesn’t just look good on a shelf, but also performs well on social media and online shopping platforms.
If brands are looking for a partner in the U.S. that doesn’t demand a massive upfront commitment, CP Cosmetic Boxes is a top supplier. They’ve done away with minimum order requirements, which is a lifesaver for growing brands that cannot afford to buy large quantities of packaging. The company also specializes in durable, eco-friendly boxes for all types of products, including foundations and even high-end gift sets. Their team even offers free design help and quick turnaround times. This makes it a lot easier for brands to launch their personalized packaging and place them on store shelves without the usual stress.
CarePac, part of the Polyoak Packaging family, focuses on the how and why behind every packaging type making sure that any design always has a positive impact on the environment and community. They don’t just make containers but handle the whole process from R&D to making the mold according to precise and accurate specifications. When clients need a standard bottle or a completely custom shape for a new lotion or shampoo, they’ve got the tech to do it. What’s really unique is their technical support. Brands can be assured that CarePac will handle things like hygiene surveys and microbial testing to make sure the packaging works perfectly while also staying safe for your customers.
BV Packaging is a high-tech manufacturer that really maintains its objective of innovatingconstantly. They produce everything from airless pump bottles to sustainable containers made from wheat straw, of course while making sure that the manufacturing stations all have food-grade levels of cleanliness and hygiene. Their design team is great at helping brands nail down complex artwork, including cool finishes like holographic printing. Because they use advanced injection and blow molding, every piece fits together perfectly. They also do rigorous inspections throughout production to prevent delivery surprises.
Based in LA with a strong presence in Korea and China, RK Global Pack plays the role of middleman the best way possible. They handle the entire journey from a brand’s first product concept design to the final form that sits on a retail shelf. Services offered are from start to finish, beginning with creating and managing branding, formulation, up to the point of quality control. They are especially good at finding the best packaging options to fit a client’s specific budget and timeline. As a result, this helps brands avoid expensive mistakes. As a bonus, RK Global Pack can connect brands with major retailers.
When brands want that premiumunboxing experience, Print Rigid Boxes is the place to go. They specialize in those sturdy, high-end boxes with lids that are being usedby luxury designer names. Clients can get really creative with the different options for finishes like soft-touch coatings or foil stamping. This will definitely make the brand stand out. They offer free 3D mockups so clients can see exactly how the packaging looks before signing off to start production for the entire order. With no minimum orders and even fast turnarounds, Print Rigid Boxes is very agile 3D design partner for both online shops and physical boutiques.
APG is a major player in the beauty and cosmetics industry, producing over 600 million pieces a year for both global brands and private labels. They specialize in very detailed packaging that makes a product feel high-end. Some examples would be packaging with a combination of unique material choices or satisfying magnetic closures on lipsticks and compacts. Even with production reaching a very massive scale, the company stays mindful of its impact on the environment in the future, by offering plenty of eco-friendly and refillable options. For brands that want to scale up quickly in terms of production, APG has the infrastructure to fill these requirements while still maintaining a distinct luxury vibe.
For brands that want to keep production close to home, ICONS America is the ideal choice to keep top of mind. Based in North Carolina, they focus on domestic manufacturing for both masstigeand luxury brands. They are experts in sustainable injection-molded tubes and caps, using recycled resins and mono-materials that are easier on the planet. Their in-house engineering team uses 3D printing services to move from a concept to a final product fast. The company helps brands navigate the confusion and hassle of global supply chains and worldwide delivery by keeping things local and efficient.
Innovative Cosmetic Concepts offers what the industry calls a turnkey partner, where a brand’s rough idea or concept is worked on and shaped into a refined finished product that is ready for the shelf. It’s like turning a key and everything is ready to go. They have a huge library of existing formulas that clients can use, or better yet, they can help a client build something entirely custom-made, unlike any other. With factories in both the U.S. and Asia, they offer a lot of flexibility on pricing and order volumes. They also handle the complex paperwork like regulatory rules and quality checks, so brands can focus on all the fun, creative elements.
Based in California, PRECISE highlights its flexibility and personal service as its main strengths. They offer a huge range of glass bottles, jars, and compacts. One of the best things about this company is that they are especially friendly to growing brands because they offer low minimum order quantities. A team of product engineers works side-by-side with the client to customize containers, even other value-added services, including options for high-end finishes like silk screening or water transfer printing. On top of it all, they also handle the filling and assembly, which really simplifies the whole supply chain for the client.
99designs by Vista has a more collaborative, community-driven approach to design. Instead of acting like a traditional agency, they connect you with a global network of freelance product designers. You can either start a contest to see a bunch of different creative ideas for packaging or work one-on-one with a specific expert. It’s a great way to avoid generic-looking templates and find a design that actually has some personality. They also handle the copyrights and the technical briefs, which becomes an easy, professional, and budget-friendly way to get custom artwork that any brand can apply to their own products.
Packagly is a specialist in custom boxes that are built to look elegant and stay sturdy. Whether clients need perfume boxes, lotion cartons, or soap sleeves, all these packaging options are available to be upgraded with premium finishes like gold foil and matte lamination. It doesn’t matter if a business is a startup needing a small batch to begin with or a large retailer that needs industrial-scale production. They even have a 3D mockup tool and a dieline generator on their site, so clients can see exactly how the designs will look before they go to production.
Access Iconix is a great resource for brands that are at the very early stages of life. They use modern digital tools to help startups build a solid visual foundation by creating designs for the logos and even icons that end up on the packaging. They have a very clean, contemporary aesthetic that is made for today’s tech-savvy shoppers who are used to different retail platforms. Their goal is to make professional branding fast and accessible, giving brands the high-quality assets they need to move smoothly from a digital image to an actual, physical product.
HCP Packaging has global operations that can produce all types of makeup and skincare containers. They have an international network of factories that use high-end engineering for things like compacts, mascaras, and lipstick cases. Their new product development team uses 3D modeling to turn a quick sketch into a finished industrial product with very little lead time. They also keep a close eye on global trends while still focusing on sustainability, often leading the way with refillable and easy-to-recycle designs that have not been introduced by any other company in the cosmetic industry.
When it comes to being a one-stop shop for creative boxes, WeCustomBoxes is a strong candidate. They focus on helping brands connect with their audience through a huge variety of shapes, sizes, and textures in their packaging. Their design team is very hands-on, helping clients brainstorm from the very start to make sure the final layout matches the vision of the brand and the product. Whether brands need a big bulk order or just a limited supply enough to launch the product, the final packaging design is guaranteed to look sharp and precise thanks to their high-quality printing technology and 3D prototyping services. Their customer service is also unparalleled because of their team’s ability to provide instant quotes and transition from design to manufacturing in a short amount of time.
Runkbottle specializes in the high-performance side of packaging, covering innovative types like airless pump bottles and fine-mist sprayers. They focus on using eco-friendly materials like recycled plastics without sacrificing quality. While the company also offers a wide variety of shapes and sizes ready to go, clients can still avail of customization options like silk screening and UV coating to give the product a premium feel. Since they keep a large amount of inventory that is ready to ship anytime, Runkbottle proves that they are a great partner for clients who need to scale up quickly but want to keep the overall design and look of the packaging consistent.
Based in Los Angeles, Pixellent Design is an award-winning agency that markets itself as a brand development firm that looks at the entire picture. They have a very research-heavy approach, making sure every design choice actually helps the brand’s business hit its goals. The team handleseverything from logo creation to creating mockups for complex structural packaging that can be used by both startups and big corporations. Their team has a great track record of creating those memorable unboxingexperiences. A brand’s product is guaranteed to stand out the moment it’s taken out of the shipping box because of smart use of textures and images, elevating the look and feel of the box.
Wow Cosmetic Boxes upholds its commitment to customer experience by providing extra touches in the packaging that make a product feel expensive. They specialize in rigid paperboard and folding cartons with high-end finishes like holographic foiling, magnetic closures, and soft-touch lamination. The experienced 3D design team also provides detailed 3D mockups so clients can see exactly how the branding looks before production starts. With no minimum orders and fast delivery, Wow remains a very flexible partner for businesses of all sizes that need sturdy, beautiful packaging that can survive shipment and mail delivery without getting damaged.
The Visions Packaging focuses on tailored solutions that fit any client’s specific product profile. They’re great at finding that right balance between a luxury look that stays within a reasonable budget, especially for serum cartons and gift sets. Their design team works closely with the client to make sure the box actually reflects the quality of the formula inside. All the important product processes, starting from the initial layout of the design concept to distributing the final products to retail worldwide, Visions Packaging offers seamless and smooth services.
At the end of the day, cosmetic packaging is a mix of science, art, and clever marketing. It is never just the physical design that you see with your eyes. Whether the client is looking for a sleek lipstick tube, a custom jar, or a luxury gift box, it takes the right CAD service to turn a good concept into a product that actually wows customers.
If you’re looking for help from expert designers, Cad Crowd is a great place to find freelance professionals who specialize in exactly this kind of packaging design work. Browse the large network, check out detailed portfolios, and connect with pros who know how to bring your vision to life. Your next big product launch might just be in the hands of one freelancer who is the right fit for your vision. Get a free quote today!
MacKenzie Brown is the founder and CEO of Cad Crowd. With over 18 years of experience in launching and scaling platforms specializing in CAD services, product design, manufacturing, hardware, and software development, MacKenzie is a recognized authority in the engineering industry. Under his leadership, Cad Crowd serves esteemed clients like NASA, JPL, the U.S. Navy, and Fortune 500 companies, empowering innovators with access to high-quality design and engineering talent.
Microsoft is planning to get rid of more US employees via its first voluntary buyout program, CNBC reports. The buyout program will reportedly be offered to US employees at “the senior director level and below whose years of employment and age add up to 70 or higher,” and could cover up to 7 percent of the company’s US workforce.
With around 125,000 employees in the US as of June 2025, that could mean up to 8,750 will be offered a paid exit when Microsoft begins its program in May. That’s a smaller figure than the 15,000 or so employees the company laid off in May and July of 2025, but still significant, particularly if the majority of employees do take the buyout.
“Our hope is that this program gives those eligible the choice to take that next step on their own terms, with generous company support,” Microsoft’s executive vice president and chief people officer Amy Coleman shared in a memo viewed by CNBC.
Engadget has contacted Microsoft to confirm the existence of the voluntary buyout program and other details CNBC reported. We’ll update this article if we hear back.
Microsoft used its 2025 layoffs to streamline layers of management and its video game business, but these new cuts may have a lot more to do with AI. Not necessarily because the company’s adoption of AI tools has made employees redundant, but rather because Microsoft continues to aggressively spend on AI infrastructure. The company said it spent $37.5 billion in capital expenditures during Q2 2026, much of which went toward data center buildout.
Bluesky is beefing up its social network as a better place to post photos. Late Wednesday, the company announced a new version of its app (version 1.121), which boosts the quality of images in posts both in terms of upload size and resolution.
Before, Bluesky only supported photo uploads of 1MB or less. Now, that limit has doubled to 2MB. In addition, photos will render at up to 4000px, instead of 2000x, as before.
In addition, the company replaced its old image grid with a swipeable carousel that can handle mixed aspect ratios without cropping. (Although early feedback from some Bluesky users indicates that they would prefer the choice between posting as a grid or carousel.)
The changes could make Bluesky’s app more competitive with other social networks, like X or Meta’s Threads.
The latter became well known after its launch as a showcase for photos, thanks to its support for a variety of aspect ratios and its carousel, which offered clever ways to split up larger photos for viewing in this way. In fact, it even inspired a developer to create a standalone app to help users post their panoramic photos to Threads. (Threads still supports a larger maximum image size, though it isn’t published in Threads’ documentation.)
In today’s global economy, “connection” is often discussed in terms of high-speed internet and seamless software. But on the Arise® Platform, the most powerful connections are human. They are built through shared language, culture, and the empathy that comes from being truly understood.
As we continue to scale our mission, two pillars have become inseparable: the elevation of bilingual speakers and our commitment to impact sourcing within underrepresented communities.
Beyond Translation: The Bilingual Advantage
For a customer, being able to speak their native language during a high-stakes interaction, whether it’s a healthcare inquiry or a travel emergency, isn’t just a convenience. It is a bridge to trust. Bilingual Service Partners bring more than just linguistic fluency to the platform; they navigate cultural nuances and provide a level of comfort that technology alone cannot replicate.
By prioritizing bilingual proficiency, we aren’t just expanding a “service offering.” We are ensuring that every customer, regardless of their primary language, feels seen and heard.
“Being a bilingual Service Partner has empowered me to serve my community while building a purpose-driven business. My business is not just answering calls, we’re removing language barriers and providing a lifeline to individuals who need clear, compassionate support. It’s an opportunity to make a real difference while creating meaningful growth.”— Celines Castro, Javiste Corp
Impact Sourcing: Purpose-Driven Growth
The Arise® Platform’s role in impact sourcing is rooted in intentionally creating pathways for Service Partners from underrepresented communities – including rural areas, military families, and minority-owned micro-enterprises – to participate meaningfully in the digital economy.
By bringing the work to where people live, we catalyze local economic growth. This is especially true for bilingual Service Partners, many of whom reside in vibrant, diverse communities that have long been overlooked by traditional corporate hubs.
The Path Forward
The future of customer experience is diverse, inclusive, and multilingual. By investing in impact sourcing, Arise is doing more than just filling seats. We are empowering entrepreneurs and closing the opportunity gap.
And bilingual Service Partners represent the best of what we do: combining skill, culture, and passion to create a world where every conversation matters.
Celines Castro, owner of Javiste Corp, may profit if Agents sign up under her business. Circumstances vary from person to person and her experience may not be representative.
