GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

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

GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

2018Core: 1350 MHzBoost: 1545 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 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 RTX 2080 Ti 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 RTX 2080 Ti: 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

  • Costs $750 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • Delivers 87.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 21.5 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • Draws 180W instead of 250W, a 70W reduction.
  • Measures 173mm instead of 267mm, a 94mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2080 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 11 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

2018

Why buy it

  • 68.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 83.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (11 GB vs 6 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 301.2% HIGHER MSRP
    $999 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.5 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • 38.9% higher power demand at 250W vs 180W.
  • 54.3% longer card at 267mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 68.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 113.8% in PassMark G3D (21,513 vs 10,064), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 11 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 12nm process instead of 16nm, and 68 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $750 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 87.7% (40.4 vs 21.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 1060 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and strong 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 2080 Ti has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 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 RTX 2080 Ti

The GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 20 2018. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1350 MHz to 1545 MHz. It has 4352 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 68 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 21,513 points. Launch price was $999.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti's 21,513 — the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti leads by 113.8%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti uses Turing, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4,352 (GeForce RTX 2080 Ti). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 13.45 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2080 Ti). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1545 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
G3D Mark Score
10,064
21,513+114%
Architecture
Pascal
Turing
Process Node
16 nm
12 nm
Shading Units
2560
4352+70%
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS
13.45 TFLOPS+52%
Boost Clock
1733 MHz+12%
1545 MHz
ROPs
64
88+38%
TMUs
160
272+70%
L1 Cache
0.94 MB
4.3 MB+357%
L2 Cache
2 MB
5.5 MB+175%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2080 Ti supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
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 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti carries 11 GB. GeForce RTX 2080 Ti gives you 83.3% 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 616 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2080 Ti) — a 220.8% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 352-bit on the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 5.5 MB (GeForce RTX 2080 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
11 GB+83%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
616 GB/s+221%
Bus Width
192-bit
352-bit+83%
L2 Cache
2 MB
5.5 MB+175%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.1 (GeForce RTX 2080 Ti). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
DirectX
12
12.1
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 6th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 2080 Ti). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs 4th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce RTX 2080 Ti).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
6th Gen NVENC
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
4th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti's 250W — a 32.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 2080 Ti). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
TDP
180W-28%
250W
Recommended PSU
400W-38%
650W
Power Connector
6-pin
2x 8-pin
Length
173mm
267mm
Height
111mm
116mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
85°C
Perf/Watt
55.9
86.1+54%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti launched at $999. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 75.1% cheaper ($750 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 21.5 (GeForce RTX 2080 Ti) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 87.9% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (2018 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
MSRP
$249-75%
$999
Performance per Dollar
40.4+88%
21.5
Codename
GP104
TU102
Release
May 27 2016
September 20 2018
Ranking
#137
#66

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