Page Index

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design

CPUCPUGPUGPU
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

Popular choices:

•••••••••
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design

2020Core: 1035 MHzBoost: 1200 MHz

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - GPU

GeForce GTX 1060
6 GB 180
10,064
+59.5%
brand logoGeForce GTX 680
brand logoGeForce GTX 970XM FORCE
brand logoGeForce RTX 2050 Mobile
brand logoGeForce GTX TITAN Z
brand logoGeForce GTX 980 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 5060 Mobile
brand logoGeForce RTX 2080 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 4080 Mobile
GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design
4 GB 50
6,309
0.0%
brand logoGeForce GTX 960A
brand logoGeForce GTX 880M SLI
brand logoGeForce GTX 760
brand logoGeForce GTX 680
brand logoGeForce GTX 1070 (móvel)
brand logoGeForce GTX 1070 Ti
brand logoGeForce GTX 1080 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Why buy it

  • ✅86.4% 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).
  • ✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

  • ❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
  • ❌260% higher power demand at 180W vs 50W.

GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design

2020

Why buy it

  • ✅Less risky long-term buy than GeForce GTX 1060: it remains the more sensible modern option while GeForce GTX 1060 is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
  • ✅Draws 50W instead of 180W, a 130W reduction.
  • ✅More future proof: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • ❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • ❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design?
Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce GTX 1060 averages 86.4% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 6,309 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design is a 2020 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2016 and a 12nm process instead of 16nm. That makes it the safer long-run choice for modern games.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
GeForce GTX 1060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce GTX 1060 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $249 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 86.4% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 59.5% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design is the newer 2020 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture, lower power draw (50W vs 180W), and future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.
When does GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060?
Yes. GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (50W vs 180W), future-proofing, and staying closer to an unclear MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 currently gives you 59.5% higher G3D Mark and 86.4% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%.

Games Benchmarks

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 9800X3D 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design
1080p
low117 FPS80 FPS
medium105 FPS68 FPS
high91 FPS57 FPS
ultra77 FPS38 FPS
1440p
low103 FPS70 FPS
medium87 FPS60 FPS
high76 FPS44 FPS
ultra67 FPS28 FPS
4K
low55 FPS25 FPS
medium49 FPS24 FPS
high41 FPS16 FPS
ultra37 FPS14 FPS
Open GeForce GTX 1060Open GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design
1080p
low216 FPS132 FPS
medium181 FPS111 FPS
high148 FPS92 FPS
ultra113 FPS62 FPS
1440p
low134 FPS80 FPS
medium107 FPS63 FPS
high87 FPS48 FPS
ultra68 FPS33 FPS
4K
low62 FPS35 FPS
medium51 FPS27 FPS
high49 FPS21 FPS
ultra41 FPS15 FPS
Open GeForce GTX 1060Open GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design
1080p
low453 FPS284 FPS
medium362 FPS227 FPS
high302 FPS189 FPS
ultra226 FPS142 FPS
1440p
low340 FPS213 FPS
medium272 FPS170 FPS
high226 FPS142 FPS
ultra170 FPS106 FPS
4K
low226 FPS137 FPS
medium181 FPS114 FPS
high151 FPS82 FPS
ultra113 FPS52 FPS
Open GeForce GTX 1060Open GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design
1080p
low358 FPS144 FPS
medium302 FPS118 FPS
high260 FPS100 FPS
ultra226 FPS86 FPS
1440p
low299 FPS105 FPS
medium254 FPS86 FPS
high208 FPS73 FPS
ultra170 FPS61 FPS
4K
low170 FPS60 FPS
medium133 FPS47 FPS
high123 FPS37 FPS
ultra102 FPS28 FPS
Open GeForce GTX 1060Open GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design
Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design

NVIDIA

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.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 2 2020. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1035 MHz to 1200 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,309 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design's 6,309 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 59.5%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design uses Turing, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1,024 (GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2.458 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1200 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design
G3D Mark Score
10,064+60%
6,309
Architecture
Pascal
Turing
Process Node
16 nm
12 nm
Shading Units
2560+150%
1024
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS+261%
2.458 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1733 MHz+44%
1200 MHz
ROPs
64+100%
32
TMUs
160+150%
64
L1 Cache
0.94 MB
1 MB+6%
L2 Cache
2 MB+100%
1 MB
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1650 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
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 112 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design) — a 71.4% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+50%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s+71%
112 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit+50%
128-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB+100%
1 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design
DirectX
12
12 (12_1)
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs NVENC (Turing) (GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs NVDEC (4th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265 (HEVC),VP9,H.265 10-bit (GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
NVENC (Turing)
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
NVDEC (4th Gen)
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
H.264,H.265 (HEVC),VP9,H.265 10-bit
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design's 50W — a 113% difference. The GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design
TDP
180W
50W-72%
Recommended PSU
400W
350W-13%
Power Connector
6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
173mm
—
Height
111mm
—
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
—
75°C
Perf/Watt
55.9
126.2+126%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design
MSRP
$249
—
Codename
GP104
TU117
Release
May 27 2016
April 2 2020
Ranking
#137
#371