GeForce GTX 1060 vs Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

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VS
Intel

Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)

2019Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1100 MHz

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Performance Spectrum - GPU

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.

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

  • βœ…+570.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • βœ…Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • βœ…100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs Unknown).
  • βœ…Less risky long-term buy than Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU): it remains the more sensible modern option while Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
  • ❌1400% higher power demand at 180W vs 12W.

Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)

2019

Why buy it

  • βœ…Draws 12W instead of 180W, a 168W reduction.
  • βœ…More future proof: Gen. 11 Ice Lake (2019βˆ’2022) on 10nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,500 vs 10,064).
  • ❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • ❌Very weak future-proofing: 2019-era hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)?
Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 1,500 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) is a 2019 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.
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 570.9% more raw performance headroom and more VRAM at 6 GB instead of Unknown. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
GeForce GTX 1060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce GTX 1060 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $249 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 570.9% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) is the newer 2019 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture and lower power draw (12W vs 180W) than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.
When does Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060?
Yes. Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still fine for 1080p, but 1440p and especially 4K require more compromise. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (12W vs 180W), and staying closer to an unclear MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 currently gives you 570.9% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%.

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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
1080p
low117 FPS68 FPS
medium105 FPS54 FPS
high91 FPS45 FPS
ultra77 FPS31 FPS
1440p
low103 FPS51 FPS
medium87 FPS40 FPS
high76 FPS34 FPS
ultra67 FPS22 FPS
4K
low55 FPS24 FPS
medium49 FPS23 FPS
high41 FPS14 FPS
ultra37 FPS12 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
1080p
low216 FPS68 FPS
medium181 FPS54 FPS
high148 FPS39 FPS
ultra113 FPS27 FPS
1440p
low134 FPS51 FPS
medium107 FPS33 FPS
high87 FPS25 FPS
ultra68 FPS19 FPS
4K
low62 FPS27 FPS
medium51 FPS18 FPS
high49 FPS14 FPS
ultra41 FPS10 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
1080p
low453 FPS68 FPS
medium362 FPS54 FPS
high302 FPS45 FPS
ultra226 FPS34 FPS
1440p
low340 FPS51 FPS
medium272 FPS40 FPS
high226 FPS34 FPS
ultra170 FPS25 FPS
4K
low226 FPS34 FPS
medium181 FPS27 FPS
high151 FPS22 FPS
ultra113 FPS17 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
1080p
low358 FPS68 FPS
medium302 FPS54 FPS
high260 FPS45 FPS
ultra226 FPS34 FPS
1440p
low299 FPS51 FPS
medium254 FPS40 FPS
high208 FPS34 FPS
ultra170 FPS25 FPS
4K
low170 FPS34 FPS
medium133 FPS27 FPS
high123 FPS22 FPS
ultra102 FPS17 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)

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 Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)

The Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) is manufactured by Intel. It was released in May 28 2019. It features the Gen. 11 Ice Lake architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1100 MHz. It has 48 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 12W. Manufactured using 10 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,500 points.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)'s 1,500 β€” the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 570.9%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) uses Gen. 11 Ice Lake, both on 16 nm vs 10 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 48 (Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1100 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
G3D Mark Score
10,064+571%
1,500
Architecture
Pascal
Gen. 11 Ice Lake
Process Node
16 nm
10 nm
Shading Units
2560+5233%
48
Boost Clock
1733 MHz+58%
1100 MHz
✨

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 Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
πŸ’Ύ

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) has 0 MB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 100+% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs System.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
System
Bus Width
192-bit
System
πŸ–₯️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (12_1) (Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
DirectX
12
12 (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 QuickSync (Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs QuickSync. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,AVC,MPEG-2,JPEG (Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
QuickSync
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
QuickSync
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,AVC,MPEG-2,JPEG
πŸ”Œ

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)'s 12W β€” a 175% difference. The Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1W (Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Integrated. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
TDP
180W
12W-93%
Recommended PSU
400W
1W-100%
Power Connector
6-pin
Integrated
Length
173mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
β€”
85
Perf/Watt
55.9
125.0+124%
πŸ’°

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) launched at $0. The Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) costs 100+% less ($249 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs Infinity (Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)) β€” the Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) offers Infinity% better value. The Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
MSRP
$249
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
40.4
Infinity
Codename
GP104
Ice Lake G4 Gen. 11
Release
May 27 2016
May 28 2019
Ranking
#137
#760