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GeForce GTX 1060 vs GRID K520

CPUCPUGPUGPU
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz
GTX family
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VS

GRID K520

2013Core: 745 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 1060 vs GRID K520 Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 1060
6 GB 180
10,064
+186.2%
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
GRID K520
2 GB 225
3,516
0.0%
brand logoGeForce GTX 470M
brand logoGeForce MX330
brand logoGeForce GTX 465
brand logoGeForce GTX 860M
brand logoGeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design
brand logoGeForce RTX 2070 (Mobile)
brand logoGeForce RTX 3060 12GB
brand logoGeForce RTX 2080 Ti

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 GRID K520: 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

  • ✅+186.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • ✅Costs $3,350 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $3,599 MSRP).
  • ✅Delivers 4037.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 1.0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $3,599 MSRP).
  • ✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
  • ✅GRID K520 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1060 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • ❌2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

GRID K520

2013

Why buy it

  • ✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,516 vs 10,064).
  • ❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • ❌2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • ❌
    1345.4% HIGHER MSRP
    $3,599 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($3,599 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 1060 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 186.2% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 3,516), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 1060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, a 16nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2016 generation instead of 2013. 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 $3,350 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $3,599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 4037.2% (40.4 vs 1.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GRID K520 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

GRID K520

The GRID K520 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 23 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 745 MHz. It has 1536 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,516 points. Launch price was $3,599.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GRID K520's 3,516 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 186.2%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GRID K520 uses Kepler, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1,536 (GRID K520). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2.289 TFLOPS ×2 (GRID K520).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GRID K520
G3D Mark Score
10,064+186%
3,516
Architecture
Pascal
Kepler
Process Node
16 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
2560+67%
1536 ×2
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS+288%
2.289 TFLOPS ×2
ROPs
64+100%
32 ×2
TMUs
160+25%
128 ×2
L1 Cache
960 KB+650%
128 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The GRID K520 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GRID K520
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the GRID K520 carries 2 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 200% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 64-bit on the GRID K520. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 0.5 MB (GRID K520) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GRID K520
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+200%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
192-bit+200%
64-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (11_0) (GRID K520). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GRID K520
DirectX
12
12 (11_0)
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs NVENC 1 (GRID K520). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs NVDEC 1. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GRID K520).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GRID K520
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
NVENC 1
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
NVDEC 1
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GRID K520's 225W — a 22.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (GRID K520). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GRID K520
TDP
180W-20%
225W
Recommended PSU
400W
350W-13%
Power Connector
6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
173mm
267mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
—
75°C
Perf/Watt
55.9+258%
15.6
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the GRID K520 launched at $3599. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 93.1% cheaper ($3350 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1.0 (GRID K520) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 3940% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 (2016 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GRID K520
MSRP
$249-93%
$3599
Performance per Dollar
40.4+3940%
1.0
Codename
GP104
GK104
Release
May 27 2016
July 23 2013
Ranking
#137
#540
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