Chipversus Index
Jump to Section

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 3060 8GB

CPUCPUGPUGPU
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

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

GeForce RTX 3060 8GB

2022Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
Buy on Amazon

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 3060 8GB 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 3060 8GB
8 GB 170
15,208
+51.1%
brand logoGeForce GTX Titan
brand logoGeForce GTX 1650 SUPER
brand logoGeForce GTX 1660
brand logoGeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design
brand logoGeForce GTX 1080 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 2080 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 4080 Mobile
brand logoGeForce RTX 5090 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 3060 8GB 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 3060 8GB
low144 FPS
medium127 FPS
high110 FPS
ultra92 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low216 FPS
medium181 FPS
high148 FPS
ultra113 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
low344 FPS
medium295 FPS
high238 FPS
ultra184 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low453 FPS
medium362 FPS
high302 FPS
ultra226 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
low684 FPS
medium547 FPS
high456 FPS
ultra342 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low358 FPS
medium302 FPS
high260 FPS
ultra226 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
low509 FPS
medium445 FPS
high378 FPS
ultra316 FPS
Among Us

Among Us

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low60 FPS
medium60 FPS
high60 FPS
ultra60 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
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 3060 8GB
low283 FPS
medium252 FPS
high225 FPS
ultra206 FPS
ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low92 FPS
medium73 FPS
high59 FPS
ultra41 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
low142 FPS
medium118 FPS
high95 FPS
ultra71 FPS
Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low128 FPS
medium104 FPS
high94 FPS
ultra70 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
low162 FPS
medium141 FPS
high124 FPS
ultra100 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 3060 8GB
low118 FPS
medium106 FPS
high81 FPS
ultra71 FPS
Call of Duty: Warzone

Call of Duty: Warzone

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low122 FPS
medium101 FPS
high85 FPS
ultra72 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
low124 FPS
medium104 FPS
high90 FPS
ultra79 FPS
Check FPS with Custom Builds

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 3060 8GB: 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 $80 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
  • ✅Measures 173mm instead of 242mm, a 69mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 8GB across 50 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.
  • ❌2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 40.4 vs 46.2 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 8GB

2022

Why buy it

  • ✅27.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • ✅Delivers 14.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 46.2 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • ✅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.

Trade-offs

  • ❌39.9% longer card at 242mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 8GB is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 27.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 51.1% in PassMark G3D (15,208 vs 10,064), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3060 8GB 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 28 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 RTX 3060 8GB makes the most sense to buy today. It is $80 more expensive on MSRP at $329 vs $249, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 14.4% (46.2 vs 40.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 3060 8GB 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 3060 8GB

The GeForce RTX 3060 8GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 12 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 15,208 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB's 15,208 — the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB leads by 51.1%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
G3D Mark Score
10,064
15,208+51%
Architecture
Pascal
Ampere
Process Node
16 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
2560
3584+40%
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS
12.74 TFLOPS+44%
Boost Clock
1733 MHz
1777 MHz+3%
ROPs
64+33%
48
TMUs
160+43%
112
L1 Cache
0.94 MB
3.5 MB+272%
L2 Cache
2 MB
3 MB+50%
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 8GB supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
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 3060 8GB carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 8GB 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 240 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB) — a 25% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB) — the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
8 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
240 GB/s+25%
Bus Width
192-bit+50%
128-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
3 MB+50%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
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 3060 8GB). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
NVENC 7th gen
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
H.264,H.265/HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB's 170W — a 5.7% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 8GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
TDP
180W
170W-6%
Recommended PSU
400W-27%
550W
Power Connector
6-pin
8-pin
Length
173mm
242mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
—
75°C
Perf/Watt
55.9
89.5+60%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB launched at $329. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 24.3% cheaper ($80 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 46.2 (GeForce RTX 3060 8GB) — the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB offers 14.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 8GB (2022 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
MSRP
$249-24%
$329
Performance per Dollar
40.4
46.2+14%
Codename
GP104
GA106
Release
May 27 2016
October 12 2022
Ranking
#137
#147
Search GeForce GTX 1060 on AmazonSearch GeForce RTX 3060 8GB on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.