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 4090 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 4090 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

✅Costs $1,561 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $1,810 MSRP).
✅Delivers 169.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 15.0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $1,810 MSRP).
✅Draws 180W instead of 425W, a 245W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4090 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 equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU

2023

Why buy it

✅139.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 6 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌
626.9% HIGHER MSRP
$1,810 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 15.0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($1,810 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌136.1% higher power demand at 425W vs 180W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 139.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 169.3% in PassMark G3D (27,102 vs 10,064), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 4090 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 feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce GTX 1060 is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 16nm, and 114 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 $1,561 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $1,810, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 169.9% (40.4 vs 15.0), 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 1080p and strong 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

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 4090 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 28 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2280 MHz to 2520 MHz. It has 14592 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 425W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 114 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 27,102 points. Launch price was $1,599.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU's 27,102 — the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU leads by 169.3%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU uses Ada Lovelace, both on 16 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 14,592 (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 73.54 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 2520 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score	10,064	27,102+169%
Architecture	Pascal	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	16 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	2560	14592+470%
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS	73.54 TFLOPS+729%
Boost Clock	1733 MHz	2520 MHz+45%
ROPs	64	176+175%
TMUs	160	456+185%
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	14.3 MB+1421%
L2 Cache	2 MB	72 MB+3500%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GTX 1060 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU carries 16 GB. GeForce RTX 4090 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 576 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU) — a 200% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 72 MB (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU) — the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	16 GB+167%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	576 GB/s+200%
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	2 MB	72 MB+3500%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 4090 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 (9th Gen) (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs NVDEC (6th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	NVENC (9th Gen)
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	NVDEC (6th Gen)
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU's 425W — a 81% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU
TDP	180W-58%	425W
Recommended PSU	400W-38%	650W
Power Connector	6-pin	Mobile
Length	173mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	—	80
Perf/Watt	55.9	63.8+14%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU launched at $1810. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 86.2% cheaper ($1561 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 15.0 (GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 169.3% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU (2023 vs 2016).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU
MSRP	$249-86%	$1810
Performance per Dollar	40.4+169%	15.0
Codename	GP104	AD102
Release	May 27 2016	December 28 2023
Ranking	#137	#14

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