GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce MX250

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz
GTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce MX250

2019Core: 937 MHzBoost: 1038 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce MX250 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 vs GeForce MX250 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 MX250: 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

  • 405.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 155.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 15.8 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 1700% higher power demand at 180W vs 10W.

GeForce MX250

2019

Why buy it

  • Costs $99 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • GeForce GTX 1060 is already legacy-tier future-proofing, so GeForce MX250 is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 10W instead of 180W, a 170W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2019 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 15.8 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 1060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 405.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 323.7% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 2,375), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce MX250 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 14nm process instead of 16nm and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2016. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $99 more expensive on MSRP at $249 vs $150, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 155.3% (40.4 vs 15.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 1060 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce MX250 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce MX250 Technical Specifications

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

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 MX250

The GeForce MX250 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 20 2019. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 937 MHz to 1038 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 10W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,375 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce MX250's 2,375 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 323.7%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce MX250 uses Pascal, both on 16 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 384 (GeForce MX250). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 0.7972 TFLOPS (GeForce MX250). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1038 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce MX250
G3D Mark Score
10,064+324%
2,375
Architecture
Pascal
Pascal
Process Node
16 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
2560+567%
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS+1013%
0.7972 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1733 MHz+67%
1038 MHz
ROPs
64+300%
16
TMUs
160+567%
24
L1 Cache
960 KB+567%
144 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce MX250
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 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce MX250 carries 2 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 200% 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 48 GB/s (GeForce MX250) — a 300% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1060. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 64-bit on the GeForce MX250. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 0.5 MB (GeForce MX250) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce MX250
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
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (12_1) (GeForce MX250). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce MX250
DirectX
12
12 (12_1)
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4+33%
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs None (GeForce MX250). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs NVDEC 3rd Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce MX250).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce MX250
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
None
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
NVDEC 3rd Gen
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
H.264,H.265,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce MX250's 10W — a 178.9% difference. The GeForce MX250 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (GeForce MX250). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce MX250
TDP
180W
10W-94%
Recommended PSU
400W
350W-13%
Power Connector
6-pin
Mobile
Length
173mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75
Perf/Watt
55.9
237.5+325%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the GeForce MX250 launched at $150. On MSRP, GeForce MX250 was 39.8% cheaper ($99 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 15.8 (GeForce MX250) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 155.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce MX250 (2019 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce MX250
MSRP
$249
$150-40%
Performance per Dollar
40.4+156%
15.8
Codename
GP104
GP108B
Release
May 27 2016
February 20 2019
Ranking
#137
#643

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