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GeForce GTX 1060 vs Iris Graphics 540

CPUCPUGPUGPU
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

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

Iris Graphics 540

2015Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1000 MHz
Buy on Amazon

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Iris Graphics 540 Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 1060
6 GB 180
10,064
+692.4%
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
Iris Graphics 540
Shared System RAM 15
1,270
0.0%
brand logoArc Graphics 130T
brand logoArc A770M
brand logoArc B580

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 Iris Graphics 540: 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

  • ✅+692.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • ✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • ✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs Unknown).
  • ✅Iris Graphics 540 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.
  • ❌1100% higher power demand at 180W vs 15W.

Iris Graphics 540

2015

Why buy it

  • ✅Draws 15W instead of 180W, a 165W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,270 vs 10,064).
  • ❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • ❌2015 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown 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 692.4% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 1,270), 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 Unknown of VRAM and a newer 2016 generation instead of 2015. 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Iris Graphics 540 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.

Intel

Iris Graphics 540

The Iris Graphics 540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in September 1 2015. It features the Generation 9.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 14 nm+ process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,270 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Iris Graphics 540's 1,270 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 692.4%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Iris Graphics 540 uses Generation 9.0, both on 16 nm vs 14 nm+. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 384 (Iris Graphics 540). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 0.768 TFLOPS (Iris Graphics 540). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Iris Graphics 540
G3D Mark Score
10,064+692%
1,270
Architecture
Pascal
Generation 9.0
Process Node
16 nm
14 nm+
Shading Units
2560+567%
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS+1055%
0.768 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1733 MHz+73%
1000 MHz
ROPs
64+967%
6
TMUs
160+233%
48
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Iris Graphics 540 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Iris Graphics 540
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 Iris Graphics 540 carries 0 MB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 100+% 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 System on the Iris Graphics 540.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Iris Graphics 540
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
System
Bus Width
192-bit
System
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (FL 12_1) (Iris Graphics 540). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Iris Graphics 540
DirectX
12
12 (FL 12_1)
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4+33%
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs Quick Sync (Iris Graphics 540). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs Quick Sync. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,HEVC,VP8 (Iris Graphics 540).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Iris Graphics 540
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
Quick Sync
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
Quick Sync
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
H.264,HEVC,VP8
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Iris Graphics 540's 15W — a 169.2% difference. The Iris Graphics 540 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1W (Iris Graphics 540). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Integrated.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Iris Graphics 540
TDP
180W
15W-92%
Recommended PSU
400W
1W-100%
Power Connector
6-pin
Integrated
Length
173mm
—
Height
111mm
—
Slots
2
0-100%
Perf/Watt
55.9
84.7+52%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the Iris Graphics 540 launched at $0. On MSRP, Iris Graphics 540 was 100+% cheaper ($249 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs Infinity (Iris Graphics 540) — the Iris Graphics 540 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 (2016 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Iris Graphics 540
MSRP
$249
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
40.4
Infinity
Codename
GP104
Skylake GT3e
Release
May 27 2016
September 1 2015
Ranking
#137
#808
Search GeForce GTX 1060 on AmazonSearch Iris Graphics 540 on Amazon

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