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 RTX 2060 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 RTX 2060 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 RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2016 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌84.6% higher power demand at 120W vs 65W.

GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design

2020

Why buy it

✅29.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 65W instead of 120W, a 55W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌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 RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 29.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 1060 3GB instead at 9,815 vs 9,674, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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

GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 3 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 12nm process instead of 16nm, and 30 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

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. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 3GB vs GeForce RTX 2060 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 RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 29 2020. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 975 MHz to 1185 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 30 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,674 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB scores 9,815 and the GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design reaches 9,674 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design uses Turing, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 1,152 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design). Raw compute: 3.935 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 4.55 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design). Boost clocks: 1708 MHz vs 1185 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design
G3D Mark Score	9,815+1%	9,674
Architecture	Pascal	Turing
Process Node	16 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	1152	1920+67%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.935 TFLOPS	4.55 TFLOPS+16%
Boost Clock	1708 MHz+44%	1185 MHz
ROPs	48	48
TMUs	72	120+67%
L1 Cache	0.42 MB	1.9 MB+352%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	3 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
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 RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design carries 6 GB. GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design gives you 100% 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 264 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design) — a 37.5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design) — the GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	6 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	264 GB/s+38%
Bus Width	192-bit	192-bit
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	3 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan	1.1	1.3+18%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 4.0 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC (4th Gen). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design
Encoder	NVENC 4.0	NVENC (Turing)
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	NVDEC (4th Gen)
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	H.264,H.265,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB draws 120W versus the GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design's 65W — a 59.5% difference. The GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design
TDP	120W	65W-46%
Recommended PSU	400W-20%	500W
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	250mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	1-50%
Temp (Load)	75°C	75°C
Perf/Watt	81.8	148.8+82%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design (2020 vs 2016).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design
MSRP	$199	—
Codename	GP106	TU106
Release	August 18 2016	January 29 2020
Ranking	#272	#268

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