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 GTX 1060 3GB vs GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design 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 GTX 1060 3GB vs GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design: 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 GTX 1060 3GB

2016

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 49.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2016 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

2017

Why buy it

✅29.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 16nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2017 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 49.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 29.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.3% in PassMark G3D (9,842 vs 9,815), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 1060 3GB makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 1060 3GB vs GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 1060 3GB

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 18 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1506 MHz to 1708 MHz. It has 1152 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,815 points. Launch price was $199.

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 27 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1215 MHz to 1379 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,842 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB scores 9,815 and the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design reaches 9,842 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is built on Pascal while the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design uses Pascal, both on a 16 nm process. Shader units: 1,152 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 2,048 (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design). Raw compute: 3.935 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 5.648 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design). Boost clocks: 1708 MHz vs 1379 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
G3D Mark Score	9,815	9,842
Architecture	Pascal	Pascal
Process Node	16 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	1152	2048+78%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.935 TFLOPS	5.648 TFLOPS+44%
Boost Clock	1708 MHz+24%	1379 MHz
ROPs	48	64+33%
TMUs	72	128+78%
L1 Cache	432 KB	768 KB+78%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	2 MB+33%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
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 GTX 1060 3GB has 3 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design carries 8 GB. GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design gives you 166.7% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 256 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) — a 33.3% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB and 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) — the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	8 GB+167%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	256 GB/s+33%
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	2 MB+33%

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
DirectX	12.1	12.1
Vulkan	1.1	1.1
OpenGL	4.5	4.5
Max Displays	4	4

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 4.0 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs NVENC 4.0 (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
Encoder	NVENC 4.0	NVENC 4.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB draws 120W versus the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design's 115W — a 4.3% difference. The GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 500W (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 250mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
TDP	120W	115W-4%
Recommended PSU	400W-20%	500W
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	250mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75°C-12%	85°C
Perf/Watt	81.8	85.6+5%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design (2017 vs 2016).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
MSRP	$199	—
Codename	GP106	GP104
Release	August 18 2016	June 27 2017
Ranking	#272	#358

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