GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

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

GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU

2021Core: 1365 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU 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 3080 Ti Laptop GPU 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 3080 Ti Laptop GPU: 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

  • 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 3080 Ti Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 16 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.
  • 20% higher power demand at 180W vs 150W.

GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU

2021

Why buy it

  • 95.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 6 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 150W instead of 180W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 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 RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 95.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 89.9% in PassMark G3D (19,108 vs 10,064), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 16 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 80 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 lighter 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU 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 3080 Ti Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 31 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1365 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 10240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 80 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 19,108 points. Launch price was $1,199.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU's 19,108 — the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU leads by 89.9%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 10,240 (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 34.1 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1665 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score
10,064
19,108+90%
Architecture
Pascal
Ampere
Process Node
16 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
2560
10240+300%
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS
34.1 TFLOPS+284%
Boost Clock
1733 MHz+4%
1665 MHz
ROPs
64
112+75%
TMUs
160
320+100%
L1 Cache
0.94 MB
10 MB+964%
L2 Cache
2 MB
6 MB+200%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 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 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU carries 16 GB. GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU gives you 166.7% 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 512 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU) — a 166.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU) — the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
16 GB+167%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
512 GB/s+167%
Bus Width
192-bit
256-bit+33%
L2 Cache
2 MB
6 MB+200%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU
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 5th gen (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs NVDEC 7th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
NVENC 5th gen
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
NVDEC 7th gen
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
H.264,H.265,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU's 150W — a 18.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU
TDP
180W
150W-17%
Recommended PSU
400W-38%
650W
Power Connector
6-pin
Mobile
Length
173mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
55.9
127.4+128%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (2021 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU
MSRP
$249
Codename
GP104
GA102
Release
May 27 2016
May 31 2021
Ranking
#137
#33

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