GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce MX230

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

✅+451.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 232% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 12.2 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌1700% higher power demand at 180W vs 10W.

GeForce MX230

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $99 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅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 10W instead of 180W, a 170W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,826 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2019-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 12.2 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

GeForce MX230

2019

Why buy it

✅+451.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 232% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 12.2 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).

Why buy it

✅Costs $99 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅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 10W instead of 180W, a 170W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌1700% higher power demand at 180W vs 10W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,826 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2019-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 12.2 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than GeForce MX230?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 1,826 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while GeForce MX230 is a 2019 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 MX230 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2019 generation instead of 2016 and a 14nm 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 by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 1060 is about 66.0% more expensive on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $150 MSRP, and you are getting 451.2% higher G3D Mark. GeForce MX230 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does GeForce MX230 make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. GeForce MX230 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 (10W vs 180W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $150 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 currently gives you 451.2% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 232%.

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.

GeForce GTX 1060 Benchmark Check

GeForce MX230 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce MX230
1080p
low	117 FPS	15 FPS
medium	105 FPS	10 FPS
high	91 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	4 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	9 FPS
medium	87 FPS	5 FPS
high	76 FPS	2 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	2 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	6 FPS
medium	49 FPS	3 FPS
high	41 FPS	2 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	1 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce MX230

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce MX230
1080p
low	216 FPS	79 FPS
medium	181 FPS	48 FPS
high	148 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	22 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	22 FPS
medium	107 FPS	15 FPS
high	87 FPS	11 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	8 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	6 FPS
medium	51 FPS	4 FPS
high	49 FPS	4 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	3 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce MX230

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce MX230
1080p
low	453 FPS	82 FPS
medium	362 FPS	66 FPS
high	302 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	41 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	62 FPS
medium	272 FPS	49 FPS
high	226 FPS	41 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	31 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	41 FPS
medium	181 FPS	33 FPS
high	151 FPS	27 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	21 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce MX230

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce MX230
1080p
low	358 FPS	82 FPS
medium	302 FPS	66 FPS
high	260 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	41 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	62 FPS
medium	254 FPS	49 FPS
high	208 FPS	41 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	31 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	41 FPS
medium	133 FPS	33 FPS
high	123 FPS	27 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	21 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce MX230

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and GeForce MX230

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 MX230

The GeForce MX230 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 21 2019. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1519 MHz to 1582 MHz. It has 256 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 10W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,826 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce MX230's 1,826 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 451.2%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce MX230 uses Pascal, both on 16 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 256 (GeForce MX230). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 0.81 TFLOPS (GeForce MX230). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1582 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce MX230
G3D Mark Score	10,064+451%	1,826
Architecture	Pascal	Pascal
Process Node	16 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	2560+900%	256
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+995%	0.81 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+10%	1582 MHz
ROPs	64+300%	16
TMUs	160+900%	16
L1 Cache	960 KB+900%	96 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce MX230
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 MX230 has 2 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 48 GB/s (GeForce MX230) — a 300% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 0.5 MB (GeForce MX230) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce MX230
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+200%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s+300%	48 GB/s
Bus Width	192-bit+200%	64-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce MX230's 10W — a 178.9% difference. The GeForce MX230 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (GeForce MX230). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Mobile.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce MX230
TDP	180W	10W-94%
Recommended PSU	400W	350W-13%
Power Connector	6-pin	Mobile
Length	173mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Perf/Watt	55.9	182.6+227%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the GeForce MX230 launched at $150. The GeForce MX230 costs 39.8% less ($99 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.2 (GeForce MX230) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 231.1% better value. The GeForce MX230 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2016).