GeForce 6600 GT vs GeForce GTX 1060

NVIDIA

GeForce 6600 GT

2012Core: 915 MHzBoost: 980 MHz
Similar parts
·······
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

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

GeForce 6600 GT 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 6600 GT 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 6600 GT 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 6600 GT

2012

Why buy it

  • Costs $50 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • Draws 150W instead of 180W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 256 MB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2012 hardware with 256 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Why buy it

  • 3508.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 5524.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0.7 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
  • 2300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 256 MB).
  • GeForce 6600 GT is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1060 is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Measures 173mm instead of 183mm, a 10mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 20% higher power demand at 180W vs 150W.

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 3508.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 6937.8% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 143), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 1060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 256 MB of VRAM, a 16nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2016 generation instead of 2012. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 more expensive on MSRP at $249 vs $199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 5524.6% (40.4 vs 0.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce 6600 GT vs GeForce GTX 1060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce 6600 GT

The GeForce 6600 GT is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 16 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 915 MHz to 980 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 143 points. Launch price was $299.

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 6600 GT scores 143 versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 10,064 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 6937.8%. The GeForce 6600 GT is built on Kepler while the GeForce GTX 1060 uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 1,344 (GeForce 6600 GT) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060). Raw compute: 2.634 TFLOPS (GeForce 6600 GT) vs 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060). Boost clocks: 980 MHz vs 1733 MHz.

FeatureGeForce 6600 GTGeForce GTX 1060
G3D Mark Score
143
10,064+6938%
Architecture
Kepler
Pascal
Process Node
28 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
1344
2560+90%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.634 TFLOPS
8.873 TFLOPS+237%
Boost Clock
980 MHz
1733 MHz+77%
ROPs
24
64+167%
TMUs
112
160+43%
L1 Cache
112 KB
960 KB+757%
L2 Cache
0.38 MB
2 MB+426%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce 6600 GTGeForce 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 6600 GT has 256 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1060 carries 6 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 2300% 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 6600 GT and 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060. L2 Cache: 0.38 MB (GeForce 6600 GT) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce 6600 GTGeForce GTX 1060
VRAM Capacity
0.25 GB
6 GB+2300%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
192 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit
192-bit+50%
L2 Cache
0.38 MB
2 MB+426%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0c (GeForce 6600 GT) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 1060). Vulkan: None vs 1.3. OpenGL: 2.1 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce 6600 GTGeForce GTX 1060
DirectX
9.0c
12+33%
Vulkan
None
1.3
OpenGL
2.1
4.5+114%
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce 6600 GT) vs NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060). Decoder: PureVideo vs NVDEC (Pascal). Supported codecs: MPEG-2 (GeForce 6600 GT) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060).

FeatureGeForce 6600 GTGeForce GTX 1060
Encoder
No
NVENC (Pascal)
Decoder
PureVideo
NVDEC (Pascal)
Codecs
MPEG-2
H.264,H.265/HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 6600 GT draws 150W versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 180W — a 18.2% difference. The GeForce 6600 GT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 6600 GT) vs 400W (GeForce GTX 1060). Power connectors: Legacy vs 6-pin. Card length: 183mm vs 173mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce 6600 GTGeForce GTX 1060
TDP
150W-17%
180W
Recommended PSU
350W-13%
400W
Power Connector
Legacy
6-pin
Length
183mm
173mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
1.0
55.9+5490%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 6600 GT came in at $199, while the GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249. On MSRP, GeForce 6600 GT was 20.1% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.7 (GeForce 6600 GT) vs 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 5671.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 (2016 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce 6600 GTGeForce GTX 1060
MSRP
$199-20%
$249
Performance per Dollar
0.7
40.4+5671%
Codename
GK104
GP104
Release
August 16 2012
May 27 2016
Ranking
#472
#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.