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 vs GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design 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 vs GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design: 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

2016

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌20% higher power demand at 180W vs 150W.

GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design

2017

Why buy it

✅1.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
✅Draws 150W instead of 180W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2017 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌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 1080 with Max-Q Design is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 14.9% in PassMark G3D (11,566 vs 10,064), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GTX 1060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 1060 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 1060

The GeForce GTX 1060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 27 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1733 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,064 points. Launch price was $599.

GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 27 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1290 MHz to 1468 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,566 points.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design's 11,566 — the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design leads by 14.9%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design uses Pascal, both on a 16 nm process. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 7.516 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1468 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design
G3D Mark Score	10,064	11,566+15%
Architecture	Pascal	Pascal
Process Node	16 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	2560	2560
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+18%	7.516 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+18%	1468 MHz
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	160	160
L1 Cache	960 KB	960 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design carries 8 GB. GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 256 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) — a 33.3% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	8 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5X
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	256 GB/s+33%
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design
DirectX	12	12.1
Vulkan	1.3+18%	1.1
OpenGL	4.5	4.5
Max Displays	4	4

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs NVENC 4.0 (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	NVENC 4.0
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design's 150W — a 18.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 500W (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design
TDP	180W	150W-17%
Recommended PSU	400W-20%	500W
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	173mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	—	80°C
Perf/Watt	55.9	77.1+38%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design (2017 vs 2016).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design
MSRP	$249	—
Codename	GP104	GP104
Release	May 27 2016	June 27 2017
Ranking	#137	#257

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