GeForce 205 vs GeForce GTX 1060

NVIDIA

GeForce 205

2019Core: 937 MHzBoost: 1038 MHz
Similar parts
·······
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz
GTX family
·······

GeForce 205 vs GeForce GTX 1060 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce 205 vs GeForce GTX 1060 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce 205 vs GeForce GTX 1060: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce 205

2019

Why buy it

  • Costs $199 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • GeForce GTX 1060 is already legacy-tier future-proofing, so GeForce 205 is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 10W instead of 180W, a 170W reduction.
  • Measures 168mm instead of 173mm, a 5mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2019 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.5 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Why buy it

  • 3684.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 1503.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 2.5 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
  • 1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

  • 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 1700% higher power demand at 180W vs 10W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 1060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 3684.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 7887.3% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 126), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce 205 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 14nm process instead of 16nm and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2016. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $199 more expensive on MSRP at $249 vs $50, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1503.9% (40.4 vs 2.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 1060 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 205 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 205 vs GeForce GTX 1060 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce 205

The GeForce 205 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 20 2019. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 937 MHz to 1038 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 10W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 126 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

The GeForce GTX 1060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 27 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1733 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,064 points. Launch price was $599.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce 205 scores 126 versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 10,064 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 7887.3%. The GeForce 205 is built on Pascal while the GeForce GTX 1060 uses Pascal, both on 14 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 205) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060). Raw compute: 0.7972 TFLOPS (GeForce 205) vs 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060). Boost clocks: 1038 MHz vs 1733 MHz.

FeatureGeForce 205GeForce GTX 1060
G3D Mark Score
126
10,064+7887%
Architecture
Pascal
Pascal
Process Node
14 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
384
2560+567%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.7972 TFLOPS
8.873 TFLOPS+1013%
Boost Clock
1038 MHz
1733 MHz+67%
ROPs
16
64+300%
TMUs
24
160+567%
L1 Cache
144 KB
960 KB+567%
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
2 MB+300%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce 205GeForce GTX 1060
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 205 has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1060 carries 6 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 1100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 205 and 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (GeForce 205) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce 205GeForce GTX 1060
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
6 GB+1100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
192 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit
192-bit+50%
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
2 MB+300%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (GeForce 205) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 1060). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.3. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce 205GeForce GTX 1060
DirectX
10.1
12+19%
Vulkan
N/A
1.3
OpenGL
3.3
4.5+36%
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce 205) vs NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060). Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP4) vs NVDEC (Pascal). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce 205) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060).

FeatureGeForce 205GeForce GTX 1060
Encoder
None
NVENC (Pascal)
Decoder
PureVideo HD (VP4)
NVDEC (Pascal)
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264,H.265/HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 205 draws 10W versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 180W — a 178.9% difference. The GeForce 205 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 205) vs 400W (GeForce GTX 1060). Power connectors: Legacy vs 6-pin. Card length: 168mm vs 173mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce 205GeForce GTX 1060
TDP
10W-94%
180W
Recommended PSU
350W-13%
400W
Power Connector
Legacy
6-pin
Length
168mm
173mm
Height
69mm
111mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
75
Perf/Watt
12.6
55.9+344%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 205 came in at $50, while the GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249. On MSRP, GeForce 205 was 79.9% cheaper ($199 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.5 (GeForce 205) vs 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 1516% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 205 (2019 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce 205GeForce GTX 1060
MSRP
$50-80%
$249
Performance per Dollar
2.5
40.4+1516%
Codename
GP108B
GP104
Release
February 20 2019
May 27 2016
Ranking
#643
#137

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.