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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Why buy it

✅Costs $5,450 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $5,699 MSRP).
✅Delivers 2304.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 1.7 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $5,699 MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Draws 180W instead of 225W, a 45W reduction.
✅Measures 173mm instead of 267mm, a 94mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

GRID P40-2Q

2015

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
2188.8% HIGHER MSRP
$5,699 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($5,699 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌25% higher power demand at 225W vs 180W.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

GRID P40-2Q

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $5,450 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $5,699 MSRP).
✅Delivers 2304.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 1.7 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $5,699 MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Draws 180W instead of 225W, a 45W reduction.
✅Measures 173mm instead of 267mm, a 94mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
2188.8% HIGHER MSRP
$5,699 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($5,699 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌25% higher power demand at 225W vs 180W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than GRID P40-2Q?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 10,064 vs 9,581 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 1060 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, no meaningful modern upscaling stack, plus much lower power draw (180W vs 225W).

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 1060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2016 generation instead of 2015, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 4 GB, and a 16nm process instead of 28nm. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce GTX 1060 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $249 MSRP. GeForce GTX 1060 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce GTX 1060 is about $5,450 cheaper on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $5,699 MSRP, and you are getting 5.0% higher G3D Mark. Moving to $249 MSRP gets you newer hardware, lower power draw (180W vs 225W), and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Is GRID P40-2Q still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GRID P40-2Q is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. Price is really the swing factor here. If you find it at or below $5,699 MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. GeForce GTX 1060 is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with newer hardware and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 1060 Benchmark Check

GRID P40-2Q Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GRID P40-2Q
1080p
low	117 FPS	104 FPS
medium	105 FPS	90 FPS
high	91 FPS	73 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	44 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	91 FPS
medium	87 FPS	80 FPS
high	76 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	33 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	29 FPS
medium	49 FPS	27 FPS
high	41 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	16 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GRID P40-2Q

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GRID P40-2Q
1080p
low	216 FPS	162 FPS
medium	181 FPS	128 FPS
high	148 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	75 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	119 FPS
medium	107 FPS	92 FPS
high	87 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	57 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	68 FPS
medium	51 FPS	52 FPS
high	49 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GRID P40-2Q

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GRID P40-2Q
1080p
low	453 FPS	431 FPS
medium	362 FPS	345 FPS
high	302 FPS	287 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	216 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	323 FPS
medium	272 FPS	259 FPS
high	226 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	162 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	216 FPS
medium	181 FPS	172 FPS
high	151 FPS	144 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	108 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GRID P40-2Q

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GRID P40-2Q
1080p
low	358 FPS	182 FPS
medium	302 FPS	148 FPS
high	260 FPS	133 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	103 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	132 FPS
medium	254 FPS	110 FPS
high	208 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	77 FPS
medium	133 FPS	60 FPS
high	123 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	36 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GRID P40-2Q

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and GRID P40-2Q

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.

GRID P40-2Q

The GRID P40-2Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 30 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 557 MHz to 1178 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,581 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GRID P40-2Q's 9,581 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 5%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GRID P40-2Q uses Maxwell 2.0, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,048 (GRID P40-2Q). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4.825 TFLOPS (GRID P40-2Q). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1178 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GRID P40-2Q
G3D Mark Score	10,064+5%	9,581
Architecture	Pascal	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	16 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560+25%	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+84%	4.825 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+47%	1178 MHz
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	160+25%	128
L1 Cache	960 KB+25%	768 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1060 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The GRID P40-2Q relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GRID P40-2Q
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 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the GRID P40-2Q has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GRID P40-2Q
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+50%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.1 (GRID P40-2Q). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GRID P40-2Q
DirectX	12	12.1
Vulkan	1.3+18%	1.1
OpenGL	4.5	4.5
Max Displays	4	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs NVENC 4.0 (2x) (GRID P40-2Q). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GRID P40-2Q).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GRID P40-2Q
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	NVENC 4.0 (2x)
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GRID P40-2Q's 225W — a 22.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 500W (GRID P40-2Q). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GRID P40-2Q
TDP	180W-20%	225W
Recommended PSU	400W-20%	500W
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	173mm	267mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	85°C
Perf/Watt	55.9+31%	42.6

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the GRID P40-2Q launched at $5699. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 95.6% less ($5450 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1.7 (GRID P40-2Q) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 2276.5% better value. The GeForce GTX 1060 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2015).