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GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 3090 Ti

CPUCPUGPUGPU
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

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

GeForce RTX 3090 Ti

2022Core: 1560 MHzBoost: 1860 MHz
Buy on Amazon

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 3090 Ti 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 3090 Ti
24 GB 450
29,395
+192.1%
brand logoGeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
brand logoGeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU
brand logoGeForce RTX 5060 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile
brand logoGeForce RTX 4070 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 5070 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 4080 SUPER
brand logoGeForce RTX 5080

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 3090 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low117 FPS
medium105 FPS
high91 FPS
ultra77 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
low271 FPS
medium251 FPS
high212 FPS
ultra186 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low216 FPS
medium181 FPS
high148 FPS
ultra113 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
low745 FPS
medium608 FPS
high483 FPS
ultra423 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low453 FPS
medium362 FPS
high302 FPS
ultra226 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
low929 FPS
medium760 FPS
high677 FPS
ultra586 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low358 FPS
medium302 FPS
high260 FPS
ultra226 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
low878 FPS
medium807 FPS
high710 FPS
ultra647 FPS
Among Us

Among Us

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low60 FPS
medium60 FPS
high60 FPS
ultra60 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
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 3090 Ti
low300 FPS
medium300 FPS
high300 FPS
ultra294 FPS
ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low92 FPS
medium73 FPS
high59 FPS
ultra41 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
low286 FPS
medium215 FPS
high201 FPS
ultra167 FPS
Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low128 FPS
medium104 FPS
high94 FPS
ultra70 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
low312 FPS
medium265 FPS
high206 FPS
ultra160 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 3090 Ti
low240 FPS
medium221 FPS
high178 FPS
ultra155 FPS
Call of Duty: Warzone

Call of Duty: Warzone

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low122 FPS
medium101 FPS
high85 FPS
ultra72 FPS
1080P
GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
low247 FPS
medium227 FPS
high192 FPS
ultra183 FPS
Check FPS with Custom Builds

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 3090 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 $1,750 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
  • ✅Delivers 174.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 14.7 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
  • ✅Draws 180W instead of 450W, a 270W reduction.
  • ✅Measures 173mm instead of 336mm, a 163mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3090 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • ❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 24 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 3090 Ti

2022

Why buy it

  • ✅126.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • ✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • ✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 6 GB).
  • ✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • ❌
    702.8% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,999 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 14.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($1,999 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • ❌150% higher power demand at 450W vs 180W.
  • ❌94.2% longer card at 336mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3090 Ti is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 126.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 192.1% in PassMark G3D (29,395 vs 10,064), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3090 Ti is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 24 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 84 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 $1,750 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $1,999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 174.9% (40.4 vs 14.7), 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 1440p and 4K headroom, GeForce RTX 3090 Ti has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 3090 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 3090 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3090 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 27 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1560 MHz to 1860 MHz. It has 10752 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 450W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 84 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 29,395 points. Launch price was $1,999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti's 29,395 — the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti leads by 192.1%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 10,752 (GeForce RTX 3090 Ti). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 40 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3090 Ti). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1860 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
G3D Mark Score
10,064
29,395+192%
Architecture
Pascal
Ampere
Process Node
16 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
2560
10752+320%
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS
40 TFLOPS+351%
Boost Clock
1733 MHz
1860 MHz+7%
ROPs
64
112+75%
TMUs
160
336+110%
L1 Cache
0.94 MB
10.5 MB+1017%
L2 Cache
2 MB
6 MB+200%
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3090 Ti supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3090 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 3090 Ti carries 24 GB. GeForce RTX 3090 Ti gives you 300% 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 1008 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3090 Ti) — a 425% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 384-bit on the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3090 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
24 GB+300%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
1008 GB/s+425%
Bus Width
192-bit
384-bit+100%
L2 Cache
2 MB
6 MB+200%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 3090 Ti). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
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 7th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 3090 Ti). 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 (Decode) (GeForce RTX 3090 Ti).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
7th Gen NVENC
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti's 450W — a 85.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 850W (GeForce RTX 3090 Ti). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 16-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 336mm, occupying 2 vs 3 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
TDP
180W-60%
450W
Recommended PSU
400W-53%
850W
Power Connector
6-pin
16-pin
Length
173mm
336mm
Height
111mm
140mm
Slots
2-33%
3
Temp (Load)
—
85°C
Perf/Watt
55.9
65.3+17%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti launched at $1999. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 87.5% cheaper ($1750 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 14.7 (GeForce RTX 3090 Ti) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 174.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3090 Ti (2022 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
MSRP
$249-88%
$1999
Performance per Dollar
40.4+175%
14.7
Codename
GP104
GA102
Release
May 27 2016
January 27 2022
Ranking
#137
#19
Search GeForce GTX 1060 on AmazonSearch GeForce RTX 3090 Ti on Amazon

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