GeForce GTX 1060 5GB vs Tesla P4

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB

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

Tesla P4

2016Core: 886 MHzBoost: 1114 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 1060 5GB vs Tesla P4 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 Tesla P4: 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 $751 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
  • Delivers 309.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 36.8 vs 9.0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
  • 25% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (5 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 2017 hardware with 5 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 60% higher power demand at 120W vs 75W.
  • 48.8% longer card at 250mm vs 168mm.

Tesla P4

2016

Why buy it

  • Draws 75W instead of 120W, a 45W reduction.
  • Measures 168mm instead of 250mm, a 82mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 5 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2016 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 301.6% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,000 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 9.0 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($1,000 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.9% in PassMark G3D (9,175 vs 9,004), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 5 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM and a newer 2017 generation instead of 2016. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1060 5GB makes the most sense to buy today. It is $751 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $1,000, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 309.2% (36.8 vs 9.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB vs Tesla P4 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

Tesla P4

The Tesla P4 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 13 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 886 MHz to 1114 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,004 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB scores 9,175 and the Tesla P4 reaches 9,004 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is built on Pascal while the Tesla P4 uses Pascal, both on a 16 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 2,560 (Tesla P4). Raw compute: 4.375 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 5.704 TFLOPS (Tesla P4). Boost clocks: 1709 MHz vs 1114 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 5GBTesla P4
G3D Mark Score
9,175+2%
9,004
Architecture
Pascal
Pascal
Process Node
16 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
1280
2560+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)
4.375 TFLOPS
5.704 TFLOPS+30%
Boost Clock
1709 MHz+53%
1114 MHz
ROPs
40
64+60%
TMUs
80
160+100%
L1 Cache
480 KB
960 KB+100%
L2 Cache
1.25 MB
2 MB+60%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Tesla P4 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 5GBTesla P4
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB has 5 GB of VRAM, while the Tesla P4 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 bus width is 160-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB and 256-bit on the Tesla P4. L2 Cache: 1.25 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 2 MB (Tesla P4) — the Tesla P4 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 5GBTesla P4
VRAM Capacity
5 GB+25%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
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 12.1 (Tesla P4). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 5GBTesla P4
DirectX
12 (12_1)
12.1
Vulkan
1.3
1.4+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (6th Gen) (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs NVENC 6.0 (Tesla P4). Decoder: NVDEC (3rd Gen) vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP8,VP9 (Tesla P4).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 5GBTesla P4
Encoder
NVENC (6th Gen)
NVENC 6.0
Decoder
NVDEC (3rd Gen)
PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP8,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB draws 120W versus the Tesla P4's 75W — a 46.2% difference. The Tesla P4 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 500W (Tesla P4). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 250mm vs 168mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 5GBTesla P4
TDP
120W
75W-38%
Recommended PSU
400W-20%
500W
Power Connector
6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
250mm
168mm
Height
111mm
53mm
Slots
2
1-50%
Temp (Load)
75
75°C
Perf/Watt
76.5
120.1+57%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB came in at $249, while the Tesla P4 launched at $1000. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 5GB was 75.1% cheaper ($751 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 36.8 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 9.0 (Tesla P4) — the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB offers 308.9% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 5GB (2017 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 5GBTesla P4
MSRP
$249-75%
$1000
Performance per Dollar
36.8+309%
9.0
Codename
GP106
GP104
Release
December 26 2017
September 13 2016
Ranking
#289
#293

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