GeForce G205M vs GeForce GTX 1060

NVIDIA

GeForce G205M

2016Core: 965 MHzBoost: 993 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz
GTX family
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GeForce G205M 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 G205M 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 G205M 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 G205M

2016

Why buy it

  • Draws 16W instead of 180W, a 164W reduction.

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.
  • 2016 hardware with 512 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 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Why buy it

  • 5422.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 512 MB).
  • GeForce G205M 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.
  • 1025% higher power demand at 180W vs 16W.

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 5422.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 10839.1% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 92), 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 512 MB of VRAM and a 16nm process instead of 28nm. 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce G205M vs GeForce GTX 1060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce G205M

The GeForce G205M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 25 2016. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 965 MHz to 993 MHz. It has 256 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 16W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 92 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 G205M scores 92 versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 10,064 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 10839.1%. The GeForce G205M is built on Maxwell while the GeForce GTX 1060 uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 256 (GeForce G205M) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060). Raw compute: 0.5084 TFLOPS (GeForce G205M) vs 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060). Boost clocks: 993 MHz vs 1733 MHz.

FeatureGeForce G205MGeForce GTX 1060
G3D Mark Score
92
10,064+10839%
Architecture
Maxwell
Pascal
Process Node
28 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
256
2560+900%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.5084 TFLOPS
8.873 TFLOPS+1645%
Boost Clock
993 MHz
1733 MHz+75%
ROPs
8
64+700%
TMUs
24
160+567%
L1 Cache
128 KB
960 KB+650%
L2 Cache
1 MB
2 MB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce G205MGeForce 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 G205M 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 G205M and 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce G205M) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce G205MGeForce 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
1 MB
2 MB+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.0 (GeForce G205M) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 1060). Vulkan: None vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.0 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce G205MGeForce GTX 1060
DirectX
10.0
12+20%
Vulkan
None
1.3
OpenGL
4.0
4.5+13%
Max Displays
1
4+300%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce G205M) vs NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP3 vs NVDEC (Pascal). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (GeForce G205M) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060).

FeatureGeForce G205MGeForce GTX 1060
Encoder
No
NVENC (Pascal)
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP3
NVDEC (Pascal)
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1
H.264,H.265/HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce G205M draws 16W versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 180W — a 167.3% difference. The GeForce G205M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce G205M) vs 400W (GeForce GTX 1060). Power connectors: Legacy vs 6-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 173mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce G205MGeForce GTX 1060
TDP
16W-91%
180W
Recommended PSU
350W-13%
400W
Power Connector
Legacy
6-pin
Length
0mm
173mm
Height
0mm
111mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
70°C
Perf/Watt
5.8
55.9+864%