Valve’s October 2026 Steam Hardware & Software Survey puts the GeForce RTX 3060 back at the top of its GPU rankings, level with the newer RTX 5070 on the PC-only chart. The reversal follows a sharp September jump for RTX 50-series cards, but shifting survey participation—not a sudden change in what gamers own—may explain much of the swing.
Key takeaways
October’s results show a tie at the top of the PC GPU table, while the broader combined-platform figures give the RTX 3060 a slight lead. Steam’s voluntary survey can move significantly from month to month, so the rankings are not a direct measure of sales.
- RTX 3060 and RTX 5070 each recorded 3.78% on the PC GPU chart.
- On the combined-platform table, the RTX 3060 had 3.62%, versus 3.56% for the RTX 5070.
- 16GB of system RAM regained the lead, reaching 41.42%; 32GB fell to 37.06%.
- Linux reached 3.95% of surveyed systems, while Windows remained dominant at 93.70%.
A close race, not a clear-cut takeover
The RTX 5070 held the top spot in September, but its reported share fell substantially in October. The RTX 3060, a popular previous-generation card, returned to first place in the combined-platform listing. On Steam’s separate PC GPU table, both GPUs are at 3.78%, making the headline result a tie rather than an outright 3060 victory.
Steam’s hardware survey is opt-in and based on a changing sample of users. Its figures describe the systems that participated, not total GPU shipments or a controlled census of the platform’s installed base. A one-month ranking change therefore should not be read as proof that buyers suddenly shifted en masse between these cards.
Participation shifts may explain the swing
One notable change was a 9.41-percentage-point drop in Simplified Chinese language share, to 21.98%; English rose to 39.04%. The timing overlaps with China’s National Day holiday period. Coverage of the survey has suggested that changes in regional participation could have influenced September’s unusually strong showing for RTX 50-series GPUs, though the survey alone cannot confirm the cause.
The RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti also retreated from their September gains. October’s results put them closer to earlier readings, adding to the impression that the previous month may have been an outlier. November’s survey should help show whether the RTX 5070’s share stabilizes or climbs again.
Memory and platform trends
The RAM split also reversed: 16GB configurations rose 3.60 points to 41.42%, while 32GB fell 5.16 points to 37.06%. The survey records configurations in use; it does not establish why users have them. Cost and availability may be factors, but those explanations remain speculative.
Elsewhere, 1080p systems increased to 50.23%, while 1440p fell to 21.82%. Windows 11 reached 72.51% and Linux stood at 3.95%. For PC builders and gamers, these broader figures offer useful context—but, like the GPU rankings, they are best treated as a snapshot of survey respondents rather than a definitive picture of the entire market.