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

✅24.7% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,064 vs 11,240).
❌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.
❌38.5% higher power demand at 180W vs 130W.
❌17200% longer card at 173mm vs 1mm.

GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅+11.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 130W instead of 180W, a 50W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 173mm, a 172mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅24.7% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).

Why buy it

✅+11.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 130W instead of 180W, a 50W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 173mm, a 172mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,064 vs 11,240).
❌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.
❌38.5% higher power demand at 180W vs 130W.
❌17200% longer card at 173mm vs 1mm.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU better than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce GTX 1060 averages 24.7% more FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 11,240 vs 10,064 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU is a 2022 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 3050 A Laptop GPU is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2016, 11.7% more raw performance headroom, better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 8nm process instead of 16nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

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

GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting lower estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 11.7% 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 3050 A Laptop GPU Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU
1080p
low	117 FPS	101 FPS
medium	105 FPS	89 FPS
high	91 FPS	76 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	63 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	93 FPS
medium	87 FPS	78 FPS
high	76 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	45 FPS
medium	49 FPS	42 FPS
high	41 FPS	30 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	27 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU
1080p
low	216 FPS	238 FPS
medium	181 FPS	200 FPS
high	148 FPS	156 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	121 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	159 FPS
medium	107 FPS	129 FPS
high	87 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	83 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	85 FPS
medium	51 FPS	69 FPS
high	49 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	43 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU
1080p
low	453 FPS	499 FPS
medium	362 FPS	405 FPS
high	302 FPS	337 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	253 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	356 FPS
medium	272 FPS	303 FPS
high	226 FPS	253 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	190 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	220 FPS
medium	181 FPS	185 FPS
high	151 FPS	141 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	108 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU
1080p
low	358 FPS	323 FPS
medium	302 FPS	269 FPS
high	260 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	214 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	245 FPS
medium	254 FPS	201 FPS
high	208 FPS	168 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	147 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	131 FPS
medium	133 FPS	113 FPS
high	123 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	81 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU

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 3050 A Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1552 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 20 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,240 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU's 11,240 — the GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU leads by 11.7%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,560 (GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 9.098 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score	10,064	11,240+12%
Architecture	Pascal	Ampere
Process Node	16 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2560	2560
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS	9.098 TFLOPS+3%
Boost Clock	1733 MHz	1777 MHz+3%
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	160+100%	80
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	2.5 MB+166%
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU
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 3050 A Laptop GPU has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 128 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU) — a 50% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 64-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+50%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s+50%	128 GB/s
Bus Width	192-bit+200%	64-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12_2 (GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU
DirectX	12	12_2
Max Displays	4	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU's 130W — a 32.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU
TDP	180W	130W-28%
Recommended PSU	400W-20%	500W
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	173mm	1mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	—	80°C
Perf/Watt	55.9	86.5+55%