GeForce GTX 1060 5GB
Radeon RX 5500
GeForce GTX 1060 5GB vs Radeon RX 5500 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 Radeon RX 5500 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 5GB vs Radeon RX 5500: 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
2017Why buy it
- ✅29.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅25% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (5 GB vs 4 GB).
Trade-offs
- ❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
- ❌2017 hardware with 5 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
- ❌39.1% HIGHER MSRP$249 MSRPvs$179 MSRP
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 36.8 vs 49.4 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
- ❌38.9% longer card at 250mm vs 180mm.
Radeon RX 5500
2019Why buy it
- ✅Costs $70 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 34% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 49.4 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
- ✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
- ✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
- ✅Measures 180mm instead of 250mm, a 70mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 5GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 5 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
Quick Answers
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GeForce GTX 1060 5GB vs Radeon RX 5500 Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
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.
Radeon RX 5500
The Radeon RX 5500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 7 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1845 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 110W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,837 points.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB scores 9,175 and the Radeon RX 5500 reaches 8,837 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 5500 uses RDNA 1.0, both on 16 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500). Raw compute: 4.375 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 5.196 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500). Boost clocks: 1709 MHz vs 1845 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 5500 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 9,175+4% | 8,837 |
| Architecture | Pascal | RDNA 1.0 |
| Process Node | 16 nm | 7 nm |
| Shading Units | 1280 | 1408+10% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 4.375 TFLOPS | 5.196 TFLOPS+19% |
| Boost Clock | 1709 MHz | 1845 MHz+8% |
| ROPs | 40+25% | 32 |
| TMUs | 80 | 88+10% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 5500 is support for FSR 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 GTX 1060 5GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 5500 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 5500 |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | Upscaling support | FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | FSR Frame Generation |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | NVIDIA Reflex | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB has 5 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 5500 carries 4 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 5GB gives you 25% 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 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500) — a 40% advantage for the Radeon RX 5500. Memory bus width is 160-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 5500.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 5500 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 5 GB+25% | 4 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 160 GB/s | 224 GB/s+40% |
| Bus Width | 160-bit+25% | 128-bit |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX 5500). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 5500 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12.1 |
| Vulkan | 1.3+8% | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 4 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC (6th Gen) (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5500). Decoder: NVDEC (3rd Gen) vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 5500 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC (6th Gen) | VCN 2.0 |
| Decoder | NVDEC (3rd Gen) | VCN 2.0 |
| Codecs | H.264,H.265,VP9 | MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB draws 120W versus the Radeon RX 5500's 110W — a 8.7% difference. The Radeon RX 5500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 450W (Radeon RX 5500). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 250mm vs 180mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75°C.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 5500 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 120W | 110W-8% |
| Recommended PSU | 400W-11% | 450W |
| Power Connector | 6-pin | 8-pin |
| Length | 250mm | 180mm |
| Height | 111mm | 110mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 75 | 75°C |
| Perf/Watt | 76.5 | 80.3+5% |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB came in at $249, while the Radeon RX 5500 launched at $179. On MSRP, Radeon RX 5500 was 28.1% cheaper ($70 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 36.8 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 49.4 (Radeon RX 5500) — the Radeon RX 5500 offers 34.2% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 5500 (2019 vs 2017).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 5500 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $249 | $179-28% |
| Performance per Dollar | 36.8 | 49.4+34% |
| Codename | GP106 | Navi 14 |
| Release | December 26 2017 | October 7 2019 |
| Ranking | #289 | #297 |
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