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GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile

CPUCPUGPUGPU
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz
Buy on Amazon
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile

2024Core: 1065 MHzBoost: 1343 MHz
Buy on Amazon

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 1060
6 GB 180
10,064
0.0%
brand logoGeForce GTX 680
brand logoGeForce GTX 970XM FORCE
brand logoGeForce RTX 2050 Mobile
brand logoGeForce GTX TITAN Z
brand logoGeForce GTX 980 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 5060 Mobile
brand logoGeForce RTX 2080 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 4080 Mobile
GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
8 GB 45
11,269
+12.0%
brand logoGeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design
brand logoGeForce GTX 1650 Ti
brand logoGeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design
brand logoGeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
brand logoRTX 2000 Ada Generation Mobile
brand logoGeForce GTX 1080 Ti
brand logoRTX 4000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
brand logoGeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile

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 3050 A Mobile 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low117 FPS
medium105 FPS
high91 FPS
ultra77 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
low107 FPS
medium89 FPS
high77 FPS
ultra51 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low216 FPS
medium181 FPS
high148 FPS
ultra113 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
low164 FPS
medium141 FPS
high112 FPS
ultra88 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low453 FPS
medium362 FPS
high302 FPS
ultra226 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
low500 FPS
medium406 FPS
high338 FPS
ultra254 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low358 FPS
medium302 FPS
high260 FPS
ultra226 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
low238 FPS
medium208 FPS
high171 FPS
ultra143 FPS
Among Us

Among Us

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low60 FPS
medium60 FPS
high60 FPS
ultra60 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
low60 FPS
medium60 FPS
high60 FPS
ultra60 FPS
Apex Legends

Apex Legends

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low237 FPS
medium218 FPS
high193 FPS
ultra177 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
low139 FPS
medium123 FPS
high106 FPS
ultra82 FPS
ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low92 FPS
medium73 FPS
high59 FPS
ultra41 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
low76 FPS
medium59 FPS
high49 FPS
ultra34 FPS
Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low128 FPS
medium104 FPS
high94 FPS
ultra70 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
low109 FPS
medium93 FPS
high74 FPS
ultra60 FPS
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low107 FPS
medium91 FPS
high69 FPS
ultra60 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
low83 FPS
medium66 FPS
high51 FPS
ultra37 FPS
Call of Duty: Warzone

Call of Duty: Warzone

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low122 FPS
medium101 FPS
high85 FPS
ultra72 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
low103 FPS
medium82 FPS
high66 FPS
ultra59 FPS
Check FPS with Custom Builds

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile: 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

  • ✅23.3% more average FPS across 50 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).

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,064 vs 11,269).
  • ❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 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.
  • ❌300% higher power demand at 180W vs 45W.

GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile

2024

Why buy it

  • ✅+12% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • ✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • ✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
  • ✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • ✅Draws 45W instead of 180W, a 135W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown 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 23.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile instead at 11,269 vs 10,064, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 16nm, and 14 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. 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 RTX 3050 A Mobile has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile 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 3050 A Mobile

The GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in 2024. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1065 MHz to 1343 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 14 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,269 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile's 11,269 — the GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile leads by 12%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1,792 (GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4.813 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1343 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
G3D Mark Score
10,064
11,269+12%
Architecture
Pascal
Ampere
Process Node
16 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
2560+43%
1792
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS+84%
4.813 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1733 MHz+29%
1343 MHz
ROPs
64+100%
32
TMUs
160+186%
56
L1 Cache
0.94 MB
1.8 MB+91%
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
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 3050 A Mobile carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile gives you 33.3% 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 128 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile) — a 50% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1060. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 64-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
8 GB+33%
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 Mobile). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
DirectX
12
12.2+2%
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 8th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
8th Gen NVENC
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile's 45W — a 120% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
TDP
180W
45W-75%
Recommended PSU
400W-20%
500W
Power Connector
6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
173mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
—
75°C
Perf/Watt
55.9
250.4+348%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile (2024 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile
MSRP
$249
—
Codename
GP104
GA106
Release
May 27 2016
2024
Ranking
#137
#242
Search GeForce GTX 1060 on AmazonSearch GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile on Amazon

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