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 6 GB vs GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile 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 6 GB vs GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile: 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 6 GB

2016

Why buy it

✅13.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2016 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌60% higher power demand at 120W vs 75W.

GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile

2021

Why buy it

✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 75W instead of 120W, a 45W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 13.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile instead at 10,080 vs 10,063, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 16nm, 16 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2016. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB vs GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB

The GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 19 2016. 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: 10,063 points. Launch price was $299.

GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile

The GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 11 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 712 MHz to 1057 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,080 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB scores 10,063 and the GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile reaches 10,080 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB) vs 2,048 (GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile). Raw compute: 4.375 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB) vs 4.329 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile). Boost clocks: 1709 MHz vs 1057 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB	GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile
G3D Mark Score	10,063	10,080
Architecture	Pascal	Ampere
Process Node	16 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1280	2048+60%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.375 TFLOPS+1%	4.329 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1709 MHz+62%	1057 MHz
ROPs	48+20%	40
TMUs	80+25%	64
L1 Cache	0.47 MB	2 MB+326%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	2 MB+33%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB	GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 8 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB and 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB) vs 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile) — the GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB	GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	192 GB/s
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	2 MB+33%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB	GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile
DirectX	12 (FL 12_1)	12.2+2%
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 4th gen (GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB) vs 7th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile). Decoder: PureVideo VP7 vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB	GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile
Encoder	NVENC 4th gen	7th Gen NVENC
Decoder	PureVideo VP7	5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB draws 120W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile's 75W — a 46.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 250mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB	GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile
TDP	120W	75W-38%
Recommended PSU	400W-20%	500W
Power Connector	6-pin	Mobile
Length	250mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	70°C-13%	80°C
Perf/Watt	83.9	134.4+60%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile (2021 vs 2016).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB	GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile
MSRP	$249	—
Codename	GP106	GA107
Release	July 19 2016	May 11 2021
Ranking	#255	#290

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