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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB

2017

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (9,175 vs 11,892).
❌Less VRAM, with 5 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 5 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 36.8 vs 47.8 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

2022

Why buy it

✅+29.6% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 29.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 47.8 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅60% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 5 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB

2017

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

2022

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Why buy it

✅+29.6% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 29.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 47.8 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅60% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 5 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (9,175 vs 11,892).
❌Less VRAM, with 5 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 5 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 36.8 vs 47.8 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3050 OEM better than GeForce GTX 1060 5GB?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 11,892 vs 9,175 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is a 2022 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is a 2017 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2017, 29.6% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 5 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is in basically the same MSRP band at $249 MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 29.6% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1060 5GB really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is GeForce GTX 1060 5GB still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is 2017 hardware with 5 GB of VRAM, 9,175 in G3D Mark, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

Games Benchmarks

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 9800X3D 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 5GB Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
1080p
low	119 FPS	130 FPS
medium	106 FPS	113 FPS
high	89 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	66 FPS	83 FPS
1440p
low	110 FPS	119 FPS
medium	93 FPS	96 FPS
high	75 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	69 FPS
4K
low	46 FPS	64 FPS
medium	42 FPS	57 FPS
high	30 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	33 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
1080p
low	146 FPS	239 FPS
medium	118 FPS	206 FPS
high	95 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	61 FPS	128 FPS
1440p
low	83 FPS	163 FPS
medium	62 FPS	135 FPS
high	46 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	92 FPS
4K
low	32 FPS	88 FPS
medium	23 FPS	74 FPS
high	19 FPS	62 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	49 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
1080p
low	379 FPS	535 FPS
medium	330 FPS	428 FPS
high	246 FPS	357 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	268 FPS
1440p
low	308 FPS	401 FPS
medium	248 FPS	321 FPS
high	206 FPS	268 FPS
ultra	155 FPS	201 FPS
4K
low	187 FPS	268 FPS
medium	160 FPS	214 FPS
high	108 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	134 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
1080p
low	258 FPS	467 FPS
medium	207 FPS	414 FPS
high	187 FPS	335 FPS
ultra	162 FPS	268 FPS
1440p
low	197 FPS	372 FPS
medium	154 FPS	321 FPS
high	132 FPS	236 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	197 FPS
4K
low	97 FPS	199 FPS
medium	73 FPS	175 FPS
high	64 FPS	150 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	125 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 5GB and GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 26 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1506 MHz to 1709 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,175 points.

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1515 MHz to 1755 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 20 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,892 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB scores 9,175 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM's 11,892 — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM leads by 29.6%. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 2,560 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Raw compute: 4.375 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 8.986 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Boost clocks: 1709 MHz vs 1755 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
G3D Mark Score	9,175	11,892+30%
Architecture	Pascal	Ampere
Process Node	16 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1280	2560+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.375 TFLOPS	8.986 TFLOPS+105%
Boost Clock	1709 MHz	1755 MHz+3%
ROPs	40+25%	32
TMUs	80	80
L1 Cache	0.47 MB	2.5 MB+432%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB	2 MB+60%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB comes with 5 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM offers 60% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 224 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) — a 40% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM. Bus width: 160-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 1.25 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
VRAM Capacity	5 GB	8 GB+60%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s	224 GB/s+40%
Bus Width	160-bit+25%	128-bit
L2 Cache	1.25 MB	2 MB+60%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
DirectX	12 (12_1)	12.2+2%
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (6th Gen) (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 8th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Decoder: NVDEC (3rd Gen) vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
Encoder	NVENC (6th Gen)	8th Gen NVENC
Decoder	NVDEC (3rd Gen)	5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB draws 120W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM's 130W — a 8% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 450W (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 250mm vs 235mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
TDP	120W-8%	130W
Recommended PSU	400W-11%	450W
Power Connector	6-pin	8-pin
Length	250mm	235mm
Height	111mm	124mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75	75°C
Perf/Watt	76.5	91.5+20%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB launched at $249 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM launched at $249. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 36.8 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 47.8 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM offers 29.9% better value. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2017).