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GeForce GTX 1060 vs L2

CPUCPUGPUGPU
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz
GTX family
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VS

L2

2023Core: 1440 MHzBoost: 2520 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 1060 vs L2 Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 1060
6 GB 180
10,064
+84.1%
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
L2
4 GB 275
5,467
0.0%
brand logoGeForce GTX 675MX
brand logoGeForce GTX 765M SLI
brand logoGeForce GTX 880M SLI
brand logoGeForce GTX 760
brand logoGeForce GTX 970
brand logoGeForce GTX 980 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 2070 Super Mobile
brand logoRTX 4000 Ada Generation Laptop 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.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs L2: 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

  • ✅+84.1% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • ✅Costs $1,751 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $2,000 MSRP).
  • ✅Delivers 1378.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $2,000 MSRP).
  • ✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
  • ✅Draws 180W instead of 275W, a 95W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

L2

2023

Why buy it

  • ✅Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • ✅Measures 168mm instead of 173mm, a 5mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
  • ✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,467 vs 10,064).
  • ❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • ❌
    703.2% HIGHER MSRP
    $2,000 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($2,000 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • ❌52.8% higher power demand at 275W vs 180W.

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 84.1% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 5,467), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
L2 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 5nm process instead of 16nm, 92 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2016. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,751 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $2,000, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1378.6% (40.4 vs 2.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 1060 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, L2 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs L2 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

L2

The L2 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 16 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1440 MHz to 2520 MHz. It has 11776 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 92 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,467 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the L2's 5,467 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 84.1%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the L2 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 16 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 11,776 (L2). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 59.35 TFLOPS (L2). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 2520 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060L2
G3D Mark Score
10,064+84%
5,467
Architecture
Pascal
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
16 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
2560
11776+360%
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS
59.35 TFLOPS+569%
Boost Clock
1733 MHz
2520 MHz+45%
ROPs
64
128+100%
TMUs
160
368+130%
L1 Cache
0.94 MB
11.5 MB+1123%
L2 Cache
2 MB
96 MB+4700%
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The L2 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060L2
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 L2 carries 4 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 50% 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 128-bit on the L2. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 96 MB (L2) — the L2 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060L2
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+50%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Bus Width
192-bit+50%
128-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
96 MB+4700%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12_2 (L2). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060L2
DirectX
12
12_2
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs NVENC 8th Gen (L2). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265,AV1 (L2).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060L2
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
NVENC 8th Gen
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
H.264,H.265,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the L2's 275W — a 41.8% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (L2). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 168mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060L2
TDP
180W-35%
275W
Recommended PSU
400W
350W-13%
Power Connector
6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
173mm
168mm
Height
111mm
69mm
Slots
2
1-50%
Perf/Watt
55.9+181%
19.9
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the L2 launched at $2000. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 87.5% cheaper ($1751 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2.7 (L2) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 1396.3% better value. The newer card here is L2 (2023 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060L2
MSRP
$249-88%
$2000
Performance per Dollar
40.4+1396%
2.7
Codename
GP104
AD102
Release
May 27 2016
November 16 2023
Ranking
#137
#189
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