GeForce GTX 1060 5GB vs GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB

2017Core: 1506 MHzBoost: 1709 MHz
GTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

2023Core: 2310 MHzBoost: 2535 MHz
RTX family
·······

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB vs GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 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 5GB vs GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 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 5GB vs GeForce RTX 4060 Ti: 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 5GB

2017

Why buy it

  • Costs $150 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • Draws 120W instead of 160W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 5 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 2017 hardware with 5 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 36.8 vs 56.8 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

2023

Why buy it

  • 157.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 54.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 56.8 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 60% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 5 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 33.3% higher power demand at 160W vs 120W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 157.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 146.9% in PassMark G3D (22,651 vs 9,175), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 5 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 16nm, and 34 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 RTX 4060 Ti makes the most sense to buy today. It is $150 more expensive on MSRP at $399 vs $249, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 54.1% (56.8 vs 36.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB vs GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

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.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2310 MHz to 2535 MHz. It has 4352 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 34 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,651 points. Launch price was $399.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB scores 9,175 versus the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti's 22,651 — the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti leads by 146.9%. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti uses Ada Lovelace, both on 16 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 4,352 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti). Raw compute: 4.375 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 22.06 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti). Boost clocks: 1709 MHz vs 2535 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 5GBGeForce RTX 4060 Ti
G3D Mark Score
9,175
22,651+147%
Architecture
Pascal
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
16 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
1280
4352+240%
Compute (TFLOPS)
4.375 TFLOPS
22.06 TFLOPS+404%
Boost Clock
1709 MHz
2535 MHz+48%
ROPs
40
48+20%
TMUs
80
136+70%
L1 Cache
0.47 MB
4.3 MB+815%
L2 Cache
1.25 MB
32 MB+2460%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 5GBGeForce RTX 4060 Ti
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB has 5 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 4060 Ti gives you 60% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 288 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) — a 80% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti. Memory bus width is 160-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB and 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti. L2 Cache: 1.25 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 32 MB (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 5GBGeForce RTX 4060 Ti
VRAM Capacity
5 GB
8 GB+60%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
160 GB/s
288 GB/s+80%
Bus Width
160-bit+25%
128-bit
L2 Cache
1.25 MB
32 MB+2460%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 5GBGeForce RTX 4060 Ti
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 4060 Ti). 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 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 5GBGeForce RTX 4060 Ti
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
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB draws 120W versus the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti's 160W — a 28.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 250mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 70°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 5GBGeForce RTX 4060 Ti
TDP
120W-25%
160W
Recommended PSU
400W-27%
550W
Power Connector
6-pin
8-pin
Length
250mm
240mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75
70°C-7%
Perf/Watt
76.5
141.6+85%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB came in at $249, while the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti launched at $399. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 5GB was 37.6% cheaper ($150 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 36.8 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 56.8 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti offers 54.3% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4060 Ti (2023 vs 2017).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 5GBGeForce RTX 4060 Ti
MSRP
$249-38%
$399
Performance per Dollar
36.8
56.8+54%
Codename
GP106
AD106
Release
December 26 2017
May 18 2023
Ranking
#289
#59

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