GeForce GTX 1060 3GB vs Radeon RX 6500 XT

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar Radeon RX 6500 XT

#1

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

MSRP: $399|Avg: $280

113%

#2

GeForce RTX 5060

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

109%

#3

Radeon RX 5600 XT

MSRP: $279|Avg: $180

108%

#4

Radeon RX 9060

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

107%

#5

GeForce RTX 5050

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

107%

#6

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

MSRP: $249|Avg: $150

107%

#7

Arc A580

MSRP: $179|Avg: $179

105%

#8

Radeon RX 9060 XT

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

105%

#9

Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

104%

#10

Radeon RX 7600

MSRP: $269|Avg: $250

104%

#11

Radeon RX 6600

MSRP: $329|Avg: $180

102%

#12

GeForce RTX 4060

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

102%

#13

Arc B570

MSRP: $219|Avg: $219

100%

#14

Arc B580

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

100%

#15

Radeon RX 6500 XT

MSRP: $199|Avg: $150

100%

#16

GeForce RTX 3070

MSRP: $499|Avg: $200

99%

#17

Radeon RX 6700

MSRP: $379|Avg: $300

99%

#18

Radeon RX 6600 XT

MSRP: $379|Avg: $170

97%

#19

Radeon RX590 GME

MSRP: $173|Avg: $115

96%

#20

Radeon RX 6650 XT

MSRP: $399|Avg: $230

96%

#21

GeForce RTX 5060 Ti

MSRP: $379|Avg: $379

94%

#22

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

MSRP: $169|Avg: $179

94%

#23

GeForce RTX 3050 8GB

MSRP: $249|Avg: $209

94%

#24

Radeon RX 6600 LE

MSRP: $329|Avg: $160

93%

#25

GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB

MSRP: $379|Avg: $379

93%

#26

Radeon RX 7700 XT

MSRP: $449|Avg: $380

93%

#27

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

MSRP: $399|Avg: $380

93%

#28

Radeon RX 6750 GRE 10GB

MSRP: $269|Avg: $318

92%

#29

Radeon RX 6700 XT

MSRP: $479|Avg: $230

92%

#30

GeForce RTX 3060

MSRP: $329|Avg: $289

92%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Radeon RX 6500 XT is significantly newer (2022 vs 2016). The Radeon RX 6500 XT likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.2% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon RX 6500 XT offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Radeon RX 6500 XT
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+2.2%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.2%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2016 / Pascal (2016−2021))	RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) (6nm)
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	🎮 High Capacity (4 GB)
Efficiency	Normal Efficiency	Normal Efficiency
Case Fit	Standard Size (250mm)	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $50 versus $150 for the Radeon RX 6500 XT, it costs 67% less. While it maintains competitive performance, this results in a 206.6% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Radeon RX 6500 XT
Cost Efficiency	✅Better overall value (+206.6%)	❌Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅More affordable ($50)	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($150)

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 6500 XT Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 3GB and Radeon RX 6500 XT

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)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 6500 XT is support for FSR 3 / AFMF. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Radeon RX 6500 XT
Upscaling Tech	FSR 2.1 (Compatible)	FSR 3 (Native)
Frame Generation	FSR 3 (Compatible)	FSR 3 / AFMF (Driver)
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 6500 XT has 4 GB. The Radeon RX 6500 XT offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. 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. Bus width: 192-bit vs 64-bit. 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

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB launched at $199 MSRP and currently averages $50, while the Radeon RX 6500 XT launched at $199 and now averages $150. The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB costs 66.7% less ($100 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 196.3 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 64.0 (Radeon RX 6500 XT) — the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB offers 206.7% better value. The Radeon RX 6500 XT is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2016).