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 6800 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 6800 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 6800

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 33W instead of 180W, a 147W 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.
❌2014 hardware with 256 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
20.1% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.4 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Why buy it

✅3684.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 10594.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0.4 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅2300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 256 MB).
✅GeForce 6800 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1060 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌445.5% higher power demand at 180W vs 33W.

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 8806.2% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 113), 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 2014. 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 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $299, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 10594.6% (40.4 vs 0.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce 6800 vs GeForce GTX 1060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 6800

The GeForce 6800 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 22 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1082 MHz to 1150 MHz. It has 256 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 113 points.

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.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce 6800 scores 113 versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 10,064 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 8806.2%. The GeForce 6800 is built on Maxwell while the GeForce GTX 1060 uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 256 (GeForce 6800) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060). Raw compute: 0.5888 TFLOPS (GeForce 6800) vs 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060). Boost clocks: 1150 MHz vs 1733 MHz.

Feature	GeForce 6800	GeForce GTX 1060
G3D Mark Score	113	10,064+8806%
Architecture	Maxwell	Pascal
Process Node	28 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	256	2560+900%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.5888 TFLOPS	8.873 TFLOPS+1407%
Boost Clock	1150 MHz	1733 MHz+51%
ROPs	8	64+700%
TMUs	16	160+900%
L1 Cache	128 KB	960 KB+650%
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce 6800	GeForce GTX 1060
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 6800 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 6800 and 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 6800) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 6800	GeForce 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	1 MB	2 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0c (GeForce 6800) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 1060). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.3. OpenGL: 2.1 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce 6800	GeForce GTX 1060
DirectX	9.0c	12+33%
Vulkan	N/A	1.3
OpenGL	2.1	4.5+114%
Max Displays	2	4+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce 6800) vs NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060). Decoder: PureVideo (VP1) vs NVDEC (Pascal). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,WMV (GeForce 6800) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060).

Feature	GeForce 6800	GeForce GTX 1060
Encoder	None	NVENC (Pascal)
Decoder	PureVideo (VP1)	NVDEC (Pascal)
Codecs	MPEG-2,WMV	H.264,H.265/HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 6800 draws 33W versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 180W — a 138% difference. The GeForce 6800 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 6800) vs 400W (GeForce GTX 1060). Power connectors: Legacy vs 6-pin. Card length: 198mm vs 173mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce 6800	GeForce GTX 1060
TDP	33W-82%	180W
Recommended PSU	350W-13%	400W
Power Connector	Legacy	6-pin
Length	198mm	173mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	1-50%	2
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	3.4	55.9+1544%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 6800 came in at $299, while the GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 16.7% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.4 (GeForce 6800) vs 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 10000% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 (2016 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce 6800	GeForce GTX 1060
MSRP	$299	$249-17%
Performance per Dollar	0.4	40.4+10000%
Codename	GM108	GP104
Release	July 22 2014	May 27 2016
Ranking	#832	#137

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