GeForce GTX 1060 3GB
Radeon RX 6500 XT
GeForce GTX 1060 3GB vs Radeon RX 6500 XT 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 Radeon RX 6500 XT 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
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
GeForce GTX 1060 3GB vs Radeon RX 6500 XT: 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
- ✅4.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
Trade-offs
- ❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
- ❌2016 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
- ❌45.3% longer card at 250mm vs 172mm.
Radeon RX 6500 XT
2022Why buy it
- ✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
- ✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
- ✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 6nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
- ✅Measures 172mm instead of 250mm, a 78mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 3GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
Quick Answers
Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1060 3GB vs Radeon RX 6500 XT 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.
Radeon RX 6500 XT
The Radeon RX 6500 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 19 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2610 MHz to 2815 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 107W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,603 points. Launch price was $199.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB scores 9,815 and the Radeon RX 6500 XT reaches 9,603 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 6500 XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 16 nm vs 6 nm. Shader units: 1,152 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 1,024 (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Raw compute: 3.935 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 5.765 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Boost clocks: 1708 MHz vs 2815 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 3GB | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 9,815+2% | 9,603 |
| Architecture | Pascal | RDNA 2.0 |
| Process Node | 16 nm | 6 nm |
| Shading Units | 1152+13% | 1024 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 3.935 TFLOPS | 5.765 TFLOPS+47% |
| Boost Clock | 1708 MHz | 2815 MHz+65% |
| ROPs | 48+50% | 32 |
| TMUs | 72+13% | 64 |
| L1 Cache | 432 KB+69% | 256 KB |
| L2 Cache | 1.5 MB+50% | 1 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 6500 XT is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 6500 XT leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 3GB | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | Upscaling support | FSR 3 |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | FSR Frame Generation + AFMF |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | NVIDIA Reflex | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB has 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 6500 XT carries 4 GB. Radeon RX 6500 XT gives you 33.3% 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 144 GB/s (Radeon RX 6500 XT) — a 33.3% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB and 64-bit on the Radeon RX 6500 XT. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 1 MB (Radeon RX 6500 XT) — the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 3GB | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 3 GB | 4 GB+33% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 192 GB/s+33% | 144 GB/s |
| Bus Width | 192-bit+200% | 64-bit |
| L2 Cache | 1.5 MB+50% | 1 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 3GB | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12.1 | 12.2 |
| Vulkan | 1.1 | 1.3+18% |
| OpenGL | 4.5 | 4.6+2% |
| Max Displays | 4+100% | 2 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC 4.0 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs None (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs VCN 3.0 (Limited). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264 (Decode),HEVC (Decode) (Radeon RX 6500 XT).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 3GB | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 4.0 | None |
| Decoder | PureVideo HD VP6 | VCN 3.0 (Limited) |
| Codecs | MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC | MPEG-2,H.264 (Decode),HEVC (Decode) |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB draws 120W versus the Radeon RX 6500 XT's 107W — a 11.5% difference. The Radeon RX 6500 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 400W (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 250mm vs 172mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 70°C.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 3GB | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 120W | 107W-11% |
| Recommended PSU | 400W | 400W |
| Power Connector | 6-pin | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | 250mm | 172mm |
| Height | 111mm | 112mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 75°C | 70°C-7% |
| Perf/Watt | 81.8 | 89.7+10% |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB came in at $199, while the Radeon RX 6500 XT launched at $199. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 49.3 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 48.3 (Radeon RX 6500 XT) — the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB offers 2.1% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 6500 XT (2022 vs 2016).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 3GB | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $199 | $199 |
| Performance per Dollar | 49.3+2% | 48.3 |
| Codename | GP106 | Navi 24 |
| Release | August 18 2016 | January 19 2022 |
| Ranking | #272 | #270 |
Affiliate Disclosure
ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar GPU comparisons based on GeForce GTX 1060 3GB and Radeon RX 6500 XT
