GeForce GTX 1060 5GB vs Radeon RX 5500 XT
GeForce GTX 1060 5GB
Popular choices:
Radeon RX 5500 XT
Popular choices:
Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
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.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The Radeon RX 5500 XT uses modern memory architecture. The Radeon RX 5500 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 5GB lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon RX 5500 XT offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 5500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+1%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-1%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2017 / Pascal (2016−2021)) | RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) (7nm) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | 🎮 High Capacity (8 GB) |
| Efficiency | Normal Efficiency | Normal Efficiency |
| Case Fit | Standard Size (250mm) | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly |
💎 Value Proposition
The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $65 versus $130 for the Radeon RX 5500 XT, it costs 50% less. While it maintains competitive performance, this results in a 102.1% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 5500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+102.1%) | ❌Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅More affordable ($65) | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($130) |
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 5GB and Radeon RX 5500 XT
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 XT
The Radeon RX 5500 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 12 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1845 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,080 points. Launch price was $169.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB scores 9,175 and the Radeon RX 5500 XT reaches 9,080 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 5500 XT 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 XT). Raw compute: 4.375 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 5.196 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Boost clocks: 1709 MHz vs 1845 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 5500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 9,175+1% | 9,080 |
| 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% |
| L2 Cache | 1.25 MB | 2 MB+60% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 5500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 2.1 (Compatible) | FSR 2.1 |
| Frame Generation | FSR 3 (Compatible) | FSR 3 (Compatible) |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | Standard | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB comes with 5 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 5500 XT has 8 GB. The Radeon RX 5500 XT 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 (Radeon RX 5500 XT) — a 40% advantage for the Radeon RX 5500 XT. Bus width: 160-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 1.25 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 5500 XT) — the Radeon RX 5500 XT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 5500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| 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 12.1 (Radeon RX 5500 XT). 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 XT |
|---|---|---|
| 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 XT). 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 XT).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 5500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| 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 XT's 130W — a 8% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 450W (Radeon RX 5500 XT). 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 XT |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 120W-8% | 130W |
| 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+10% | 69.8 |
Value Analysis
The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB launched at $249 MSRP and currently averages $65, while the Radeon RX 5500 XT launched at $199 and now averages $130. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB costs 50% less ($65 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 141.2 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 69.8 (Radeon RX 5500 XT) — the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB offers 102.3% better value. The Radeon RX 5500 XT is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2017).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 5500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $249 | $199-20% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $65-50% | $130 |
| Performance per Dollar | 141.2+102% | 69.8 |
| Codename | GP106 | Navi 14 |
| Release | December 26 2017 | December 12 2019 |
| Ranking | #289 | #291 |
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 5GB and Radeon RX 5500 XT
