GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 5060

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 5060

2025Core: 2280 MHzBoost: 2497 MHz

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 5060 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 5060 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 5060: 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 $50 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
  • Measures 173mm instead of 241mm, a 68mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 5060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
  • 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 40.4 vs 69.7 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 5060

2025

Why buy it

  • 58.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 72.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 69.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Blackwell 2.0 (2025−2026) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 39.3% longer card at 241mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 5060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 58.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 107% in PassMark G3D (20,836 vs 10,064), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 5060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with DLSS 4 Super Resolution (2025) and DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025), 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 30 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 5060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 more expensive on MSRP at $299 vs $249, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 72.4% (69.7 vs 40.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 5060 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 5060

The GeForce RTX 5060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 19 2025. It features the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2280 MHz to 2497 MHz. It has 3840 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 145W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 30 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,836 points. Launch price was $299.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce RTX 5060's 20,836 — the GeForce RTX 5060 leads by 107%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 5060 uses Blackwell 2.0, both on 16 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 3,840 (GeForce RTX 5060). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 19.18 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 5060). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 2497 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 5060
G3D Mark Score
10,064
20,836+107%
Architecture
Pascal
Blackwell 2.0
Process Node
16 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
2560
3840+50%
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS
19.18 TFLOPS+116%
Boost Clock
1733 MHz
2497 MHz+44%
ROPs
64+33%
48
TMUs
160+33%
120
L1 Cache
0.94 MB
3.8 MB+304%
L2 Cache
2 MB
32 MB+1500%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 5060 is support for DLSS 4 Multi 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 5060 supports the newer DLSS 4 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 5060
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 4 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 4)
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 5060 carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 5060 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 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 5060) — a 133.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 5060. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 5060. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 32 MB (GeForce RTX 5060) — the GeForce RTX 5060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 5060
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
8 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR7
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
448 GB/s+133%
Bus Width
192-bit+50%
128-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
32 MB+1500%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 5060). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 5060
DirectX
12
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.3
1.4+8%
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 5060). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs NVDEC 6th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 5060).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 5060
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
NVENC 9th gen
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
NVDEC 6th gen
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 5060's 145W — a 21.5% difference. The GeForce RTX 5060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 450W (GeForce RTX 5060). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 5060
TDP
180W
145W-19%
Recommended PSU
400W-11%
450W
Power Connector
6-pin
8-pin
Length
173mm
241mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
65°C
Perf/Watt
55.9
143.7+157%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the GeForce RTX 5060 launched at $299. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 16.7% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 69.7 (GeForce RTX 5060) — the GeForce RTX 5060 offers 72.5% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 5060 (2025 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 5060
MSRP
$249-17%
$299
Performance per Dollar
40.4
69.7+73%
Codename
GP104
GB206
Release
May 27 2016
May 19 2025
Ranking
#137
#69

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