GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design

2020Core: 930 MHzBoost: 1155 MHz

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Performance Spectrum - GPU

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

  • 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 RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 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.
  • 125% higher power demand at 180W vs 80W.

GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design

2020

Why buy it

  • 11.5% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
  • More future proof: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
  • Draws 80W instead of 180W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design better than GeForce GTX 1060?
Yes. GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design averages 11.5% more FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 13,444 vs 10,064 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design is a 2020 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 2070 Super with Max-Q Design is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2016, 33.6% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 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 2070 Super with Max-Q Design is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 11.5% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 33.6% 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design
1080p
low117 FPS111 FPS
medium105 FPS93 FPS
high91 FPS78 FPS
ultra77 FPS52 FPS
1440p
low103 FPS94 FPS
medium87 FPS79 FPS
high76 FPS59 FPS
ultra67 FPS38 FPS
4K
low55 FPS39 FPS
medium49 FPS35 FPS
high41 FPS22 FPS
ultra37 FPS18 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design
1080p
low216 FPS252 FPS
medium181 FPS213 FPS
high148 FPS179 FPS
ultra113 FPS154 FPS
1440p
low134 FPS197 FPS
medium107 FPS163 FPS
high87 FPS137 FPS
ultra68 FPS112 FPS
4K
low62 FPS115 FPS
medium51 FPS98 FPS
high49 FPS79 FPS
ultra41 FPS58 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design
1080p
low453 FPS605 FPS
medium362 FPS484 FPS
high302 FPS403 FPS
ultra226 FPS302 FPS
1440p
low340 FPS454 FPS
medium272 FPS363 FPS
high226 FPS302 FPS
ultra170 FPS227 FPS
4K
low226 FPS302 FPS
medium181 FPS242 FPS
high151 FPS202 FPS
ultra113 FPS151 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design
1080p
low358 FPS247 FPS
medium302 FPS214 FPS
high260 FPS172 FPS
ultra226 FPS146 FPS
1440p
low299 FPS189 FPS
medium254 FPS167 FPS
high208 FPS131 FPS
ultra170 FPS108 FPS
4K
low170 FPS112 FPS
medium133 FPS94 FPS
high123 FPS76 FPS
ultra102 FPS58 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and GeForce RTX 2070 Super 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 RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design

The GeForce RTX 2070 Super 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 930 MHz to 1155 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 80W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 40 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,444 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design's 13,444 — the GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design leads by 33.6%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design uses Turing, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,560 (GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 5.914 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1155 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design
G3D Mark Score
10,064
13,444+34%
Architecture
Pascal
Turing
Process Node
16 nm
12 nm
Shading Units
2560
2560
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS+50%
5.914 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1733 MHz+50%
1155 MHz
ROPs
64
64
TMUs
160
160
L1 Cache
0.94 MB
2.5 MB+166%
L2 Cache
2 MB
4 MB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design
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 2070 Super with Max-Q Design has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 352 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design) — a 83.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design) — the GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
8 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
352 GB/s+83%
Bus Width
192-bit
256-bit+33%
L2 Cache
2 MB
4 MB+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 2070 Super 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 RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design
DirectX
12
12 Ultimate
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 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 2070 Super 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,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
NVDEC 4th Gen
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design's 80W — a 76.9% difference. The GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design
TDP
180W
80W-56%
Recommended PSU
400W-20%
500W
Power Connector
6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
173mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75
Perf/Watt
55.9
168.1+201%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q Design
MSRP
$249
Codename
GP104
TU104
Release
May 27 2016
April 2 2020
Ranking
#137
#188