GeForce GTX 1060 5GB
Radeon RX 580
GeForce GTX 1060 5GB vs Radeon RX 580 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 580 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 580: 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
- ✅Draws 120W instead of 185W, a 65W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 580 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 FSR Frame Generation (2023).
- ❌2017 hardware with 5 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
- ❌8.7% HIGHER MSRP$249 MSRPvs$229 MSRP
Radeon RX 580
2017Why buy it
- ✅29.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Costs $20 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
- ✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
- ✅60% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 5 GB).
- ✅GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is already legacy-tier future-proofing, so Radeon RX 580 is the less risky modern option long term.
Trade-offs
- ❌2017 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
- ❌54.2% higher power demand at 185W vs 120W.
Quick Answers
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GeForce GTX 1060 5GB vs Radeon RX 580 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 580
The Radeon RX 580 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 18 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1257 MHz to 1340 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 185W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,799 points. Launch price was $229.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB scores 9,175 and the Radeon RX 580 reaches 8,799 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 580 uses GCN 4.0, both on 16 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 580). Raw compute: 4.375 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 6.175 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 580). Boost clocks: 1709 MHz vs 1340 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 9,175+4% | 8,799 |
| Architecture | Pascal | GCN 4.0 |
| Process Node | 16 nm | 14 nm |
| Shading Units | 1280 | 2304+80% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 4.375 TFLOPS | 6.175 TFLOPS+41% |
| Boost Clock | 1709 MHz+28% | 1340 MHz |
| ROPs | 40+25% | 32 |
| TMUs | 80 | 144+80% |
| L1 Cache | 480 KB | 576 KB+20% |
| L2 Cache | 1.25 MB | 2 MB+60% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 580 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 580 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 580 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 580 carries 8 GB. Radeon RX 580 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 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 580) — a 60% advantage for the Radeon RX 580. Memory bus width is 160-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB and 256-bit on the Radeon RX 580. L2 Cache: 1.25 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 580) — the Radeon RX 580 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 5 GB | 8 GB+60% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 160 GB/s | 256 GB/s+60% |
| Bus Width | 160-bit | 256-bit+60% |
| L2 Cache | 1.25 MB | 2 MB+60% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 12 (Radeon RX 580). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 |
| 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 VCE 3.0 (Radeon RX 580). Decoder: NVDEC (3rd Gen) vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 580).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC (6th Gen) | VCE 3.0 |
| Decoder | NVDEC (3rd Gen) | UVD 6.3 |
| Codecs | H.264,H.265,VP9 | H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB draws 120W versus the Radeon RX 580's 185W — a 42.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 500W (Radeon RX 580). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 250mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75°C.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 120W-35% | 185W |
| Recommended PSU | 400W-20% | 500W |
| Power Connector | 6-pin | 8-pin |
| Length | 250mm | 241mm |
| Height | 111mm | — |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 75 | 75°C |
| Perf/Watt | 76.5+61% | 47.6 |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB came in at $249, while the Radeon RX 580 launched at $229. On MSRP, Radeon RX 580 was 8% cheaper ($20 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 36.8 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 38.4 (Radeon RX 580) — the Radeon RX 580 offers 4.3% better value.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 5GB | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $249 | $229-8% |
| Performance per Dollar | 36.8 | 38.4+4% |
| Codename | GP106 | Polaris 20 |
| Release | December 26 2017 | April 18 2017 |
| Ranking | #289 | #301 |
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