Steam September 2026 GPU Rankings: RTX 5070 Takes the Top Spot
Valve’s September 2026 Steam Hardware & Software Survey shows a significant shift in the GPU landscape among participating Steam users: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 has overtaken the long-dominant RTX 3060 to become the most-used graphics card in the survey.
The RTX 5070 recorded a 6.15% share, representing a 2.38 percentage-point increase month over month. By comparison, the RTX 3060 declined by 0.26 percentage points and dropped to fifth place.
The latest results also highlight accelerating adoption of NVIDIA’s RTX 50 series, particularly among mainstream and mid-range models. The RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti posted some of the strongest monthly gains, placing three RTX 50-series GPUs at the top of the September leaderboard.
Valve also emphasizes that the Steam Hardware & Software Survey is voluntary and anonymous. Its results represent the hardware configuration of participating Steam users and should not be interpreted as a complete census of the broader PC gaming market.
📊 RTX 5070 Leads the September GPU Rankings #
The RTX 5070’s 6.15% share places it at the top of Valve’s September 2026 GPU rankings.
Its 2.38 percentage-point monthly increase is particularly notable because the previous leader, the RTX 3060, has historically maintained a strong presence in the Steam survey. The RTX 3060 fell to fifth place after its share declined by 0.26 percentage points.
This shift suggests that the RTX 50 series is beginning to establish a substantial installed base among Steam users, with adoption extending beyond flagship hardware into more accessible GPU segments.
🚀 RTX 50 Series Gains Momentum #
Growth across the RTX 50 series was concentrated primarily in mainstream and mid-range models.
| GPU | September 2026 Share | Month-over-Month Change |
|---|---|---|
| GeForce RTX 5070 | 6.15% | +2.38 pp |
| GeForce RTX 5060 | 4.20% | +1.22 pp |
| GeForce RTX 5060 Ti | 3.87% | +1.46 pp |
| GeForce RTX 5080 | — | +0.27 pp |
| GeForce RTX 5070 Ti | — | +0.06 pp |
| GeForce RTX 5050 | — | No change |
| GeForce RTX 5090 | — | -0.03 pp |
The RTX 5060 reached 4.20%, gaining 1.22 percentage points from the previous month. The RTX 5060 Ti reached 3.87%, increasing by 1.46 percentage points.
Combined with the RTX 5070, these three GPUs occupied the top three positions in the September survey.
Higher-tier models also recorded modest gains. The RTX 5080 increased by 0.27 percentage points, while the RTX 5070 Ti gained 0.06 percentage points. The RTX 5050 remained unchanged, while the flagship RTX 5090 declined slightly by 0.03 percentage points.
The distribution indicates that RTX 50-series adoption is not being driven exclusively by enthusiasts purchasing high-end hardware. Instead, the strongest growth is currently appearing in GPUs positioned closer to the mainstream and mid-range segments.
🔎 Why Is the RTX 5070 Growing So Quickly? #
The RTX 5070 reaching the top position is notable because previous Steam survey trends have often favored NVIDIA’s “60-class” GPUs as the dominant models.
One possible explanation discussed by media outlets is the increasing availability of pre-built gaming PCs equipped with RTX 5070 graphics cards. Pre-built systems can accelerate hardware adoption by reducing the need for users to purchase and install GPUs independently.
However, this remains speculation. The Steam Hardware & Software Survey does not provide sufficient information to establish whether pre-built systems are directly responsible for the RTX 5070’s rapid increase.
Additional monthly survey data will be necessary to determine whether the September increase represents a sustained adoption trend or a temporary fluctuation.
💾 RTX 5060 Ti: 8GB vs. 16GB Adoption Remains Unclear #
The RTX 5060 Ti also posted a substantial monthly increase, reaching a 3.87% share after gaining 1.46 percentage points.
However, the available survey data does not indicate how much of this increase came from the 8GB versus 16GB versions of the RTX 5060 Ti.
The two variants have different price points, and some media speculation suggests that the less expensive 8GB model may account for a larger portion of the installed base. Without variant-level Steam survey data, however, this cannot be confirmed.
This distinction could become increasingly relevant as the RTX 5060 Ti establishes a larger presence in the Steam hardware ecosystem.
⚔️ AMD and Intel Remain Behind NVIDIA #
The September survey also shows limited movement among competing consumer GPU platforms.
Neither AMD nor Intel recorded month-over-month share growth among the named consumer GPUs reported in the survey. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT remained the highest-ranked named non-NVIDIA GPU, with a 1.42% share.
Meanwhile, neither the Intel Arc B580 nor the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE appeared among the statistical entries for this month’s survey.
The gap between NVIDIA’s leading RTX 50-series models and competing named GPUs therefore remains substantial within the reported Steam sample.
📈 RTX 50 Series Adoption Is Accelerating #
The September 2026 Steam Hardware & Software Survey points to a broader transition in the GPU installed base.
The most significant development is not simply that the RTX 5070 has reached first place. More importantly, several RTX 50-series models are gaining share simultaneously, with the strongest growth concentrated around mainstream and mid-range products.
If the trend continues, the RTX 50 series could progressively replace older RTX 30- and RTX 40-series models across the Steam hardware landscape.
However, the survey’s voluntary sampling methodology means that monthly changes should be interpreted carefully. A sustained trend will become clearer only after several additional survey releases establish whether RTX 50-series adoption continues at its current pace.
For now, the September results mark a notable milestone: the RTX 5070 has become the most-used GPU in Valve’s Steam Hardware & Software Survey sample, while mainstream RTX 50-series GPUs are rapidly expanding their presence among Steam users.
