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

✅Costs $221 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $470 MSRP).
✅Delivers 19.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 33.9 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $470 MSRP).
✅Measures 173mm instead of 229mm, a 56mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,064 vs 15,935).
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

GeForce RTX 2060 12GB

2021

Why buy it

✅+58.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌
88.8% HIGHER MSRP
$470 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 33.9 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($470 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌32.4% longer card at 229mm vs 173mm.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

GeForce RTX 2060 12GB

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $221 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $470 MSRP).
✅Delivers 19.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 33.9 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $470 MSRP).
✅Measures 173mm instead of 229mm, a 56mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅+58.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,064 vs 15,935).
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Trade-offs

❌
88.8% HIGHER MSRP
$470 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 33.9 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($470 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌32.4% longer card at 229mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 2060 12GB better than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. GeForce RTX 2060 12GB is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 15,935 vs 10,064 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 2060 12GB is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 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 RTX 2060 12GB is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2016, 58.3% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 6 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 2060 12GB is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 2060 12GB is about 88.8% more expensive on MSRP at $470 MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 58.3% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1060 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is GeForce GTX 1060 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 1060 is 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM, 10,064 in G3D Mark, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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 RTX 2060 12GB Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
1080p
low	117 FPS	155 FPS
medium	105 FPS	137 FPS
high	91 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	105 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	132 FPS
medium	87 FPS	107 FPS
high	76 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	75 FPS
medium	49 FPS	64 FPS
high	41 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	43 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 2060 12GB

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
1080p
low	216 FPS	317 FPS
medium	181 FPS	269 FPS
high	148 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	177 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	210 FPS
medium	107 FPS	180 FPS
high	87 FPS	146 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	119 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	111 FPS
medium	51 FPS	93 FPS
high	49 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	59 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 2060 12GB

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
1080p
low	453 FPS	717 FPS
medium	362 FPS	574 FPS
high	302 FPS	478 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	359 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	538 FPS
medium	272 FPS	430 FPS
high	226 FPS	359 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	269 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	359 FPS
medium	181 FPS	287 FPS
high	151 FPS	239 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	179 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 2060 12GB

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
1080p
low	358 FPS	432 FPS
medium	302 FPS	366 FPS
high	260 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	255 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	360 FPS
medium	254 FPS	308 FPS
high	208 FPS	239 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	198 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	205 FPS
medium	133 FPS	169 FPS
high	123 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	122 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 2060 12GB

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and GeForce RTX 2060 12GB

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 RTX 2060 12GB

The GeForce RTX 2060 12GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 7 2021. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1470 MHz to 1650 MHz. It has 2176 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 184W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 34 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 15,935 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB's 15,935 — the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB leads by 58.3%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB uses Turing, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,176 (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 7.181 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1650 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
G3D Mark Score	10,064	15,935+58%
Architecture	Pascal	Turing
Process Node	16 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	2560+18%	2176
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+24%	7.181 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+5%	1650 MHz
ROPs	64+33%	48
TMUs	160+18%	136
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	2.1 MB+123%
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 12GB supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
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)

The GeForce GTX 1060 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 2060 12GB offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) — a 75% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB. Bus width: 192-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) — the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	12 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	336 GB/s+75%
Bus Width	192-bit	192-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.1 (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
DirectX	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 6.0 (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs PureVideo HD VP9. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	NVENC 6.0
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	PureVideo HD VP9
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB's 184W — a 2.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 229mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
TDP	180W-2%	184W
Recommended PSU	400W-27%	550W
Power Connector	6-pin	8-pin
Length	173mm	229mm
Height	111mm	113mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	88°C
Perf/Watt	55.9	86.6+55%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB launched at $470. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 47% less ($221 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 33.9 (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 19.2% better value. The GeForce RTX 2060 12GB is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2016).