GeForce GTX 1060 3GB
GRID P40-2Q
GeForce GTX 1060 3GB vs GRID P40-2Q 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 GTX 1060 3GB vs GRID P40-2Q 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
GeForce GTX 1060 3GB vs GRID P40-2Q: 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
2016Why buy it
- ✅Costs $5,500 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $5,699 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 2833.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 49.3 vs 1.7 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $5,699 MSRP).
- ✅Draws 120W instead of 225W, a 105W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌2016 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
GRID P40-2Q
2015Why buy it
- ✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
Trade-offs
- ❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
- ❌2763.8% HIGHER MSRP$5,699 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.7 vs 49.3 G3D/$ ($5,699 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
- ❌87.5% higher power demand at 225W vs 120W.
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GeForce GTX 1060 3GB vs GRID P40-2Q 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.
GRID P40-2Q
The GRID P40-2Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 30 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 557 MHz to 1178 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,581 points.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB scores 9,815 and the GRID P40-2Q reaches 9,581 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is built on Pascal while the GRID P40-2Q uses Maxwell 2.0, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,152 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 2,048 (GRID P40-2Q). Raw compute: 3.935 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 4.825 TFLOPS (GRID P40-2Q). Boost clocks: 1708 MHz vs 1178 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 3GB | GRID P40-2Q |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 9,815+2% | 9,581 |
| Architecture | Pascal | Maxwell 2.0 |
| Process Node | 16 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 1152 | 2048+78% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 3.935 TFLOPS | 4.825 TFLOPS+23% |
| Boost Clock | 1708 MHz+45% | 1178 MHz |
| ROPs | 48 | 64+33% |
| TMUs | 72 | 128+78% |
| L1 Cache | 432 KB | 768 KB+78% |
| L2 Cache | 1.5 MB | 2 MB+33% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The GRID P40-2Q leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 3GB | GRID P40-2Q |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | Upscaling support | Upscaling support |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | NVIDIA Reflex | Standard |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB has 3 GB of VRAM, while the GRID P40-2Q carries 4 GB. GRID P40-2Q gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB and 128-bit on the GRID P40-2Q. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 2 MB (GRID P40-2Q) — the GRID P40-2Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 3GB | GRID P40-2Q |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 3 GB | 4 GB+33% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |
| Bus Width | 192-bit+50% | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 1.5 MB | 2 MB+33% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 12.1 (GRID P40-2Q). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 3GB | GRID P40-2Q |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12.1 | 12.1 |
| Vulkan | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| OpenGL | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 0 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC 4.0 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs NVENC 4.0 (2x) (GRID P40-2Q). 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 (GRID P40-2Q).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 3GB | GRID P40-2Q |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 4.0 | NVENC 4.0 (2x) |
| Decoder | PureVideo HD VP6 | PureVideo HD VP6 |
| Codecs | MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC | MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB draws 120W versus the GRID P40-2Q's 225W — a 60.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 500W (GRID P40-2Q). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 250mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85°C.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 3GB | GRID P40-2Q |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 120W-47% | 225W |
| Recommended PSU | 400W-20% | 500W |
| Power Connector | 6-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 250mm | 267mm |
| Height | 111mm | 112mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 75°C-12% | 85°C |
| Perf/Watt | 81.8+92% | 42.6 |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB came in at $199, while the GRID P40-2Q launched at $5699. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 3GB was 96.5% cheaper ($5500 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 49.3 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 1.7 (GRID P40-2Q) — the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB offers 2800% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 3GB (2016 vs 2015).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 3GB | GRID P40-2Q |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $199-97% | $5699 |
| Performance per Dollar | 49.3+2800% | 1.7 |
| Codename | GP106 | GM204 |
| Release | August 18 2016 | August 30 2015 |
| Ranking | #272 | #433 |
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