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

✅+204% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $551 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 876.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 4.1 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire: it remains the more sensible modern option while Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire 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.
❌50% higher power demand at 180W vs 120W.

Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

2010

Why buy it

✅Draws 120W instead of 180W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,311 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2010-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
221.3% HIGHER MSRP
$800 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.1 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

2010

Why buy it

✅+204% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $551 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 876.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 4.1 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire: it remains the more sensible modern option while Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Why buy it

✅Draws 120W instead of 180W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌50% higher power demand at 180W vs 120W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,311 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2010-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
221.3% HIGHER MSRP
$800 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.1 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 3,311 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire is a 2010 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. 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 a newer 2016 generation instead of 2010, 204.0% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 2 GB, and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. 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 about $551 cheaper on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $800 MSRP, and you are getting 204.0% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 876.6%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $800 MSRP, even if GeForce GTX 1060 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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

Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
1080p
low	117 FPS	98 FPS
medium	105 FPS	81 FPS
high	91 FPS	62 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	37 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	84 FPS
medium	87 FPS	69 FPS
high	76 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	27 FPS
medium	49 FPS	26 FPS
high	41 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
1080p
low	216 FPS	73 FPS
medium	181 FPS	49 FPS
high	148 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	24 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	41 FPS
medium	107 FPS	23 FPS
high	87 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	12 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	14 FPS
medium	51 FPS	8 FPS
high	49 FPS	7 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	5 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
1080p
low	453 FPS	149 FPS
medium	362 FPS	119 FPS
high	302 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	74 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	112 FPS
medium	272 FPS	89 FPS
high	226 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	56 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	74 FPS
medium	181 FPS	60 FPS
high	151 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	37 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
1080p
low	358 FPS	149 FPS
medium	302 FPS	119 FPS
high	260 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	74 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	112 FPS
medium	254 FPS	89 FPS
high	208 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	56 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	69 FPS
medium	133 FPS	54 FPS
high	123 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

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.

Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2010. It features the Terascale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 700 MHz. It has 1600 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,311 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire's 3,311 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 204%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire uses Terascale 2, both on 16 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1,600 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
G3D Mark Score	10,064+204%	3,311
Architecture	Pascal	Terascale 2
Process Node	16 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	2560+60%	1600

✨

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 Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire has 2 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+200%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 11.0 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire). Vulkan: 1.3 vs No. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
DirectX	12+9%	11.0
Vulkan	1.3	No
OpenGL	4.5+2%	4.4
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs UVD 2.3 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs UVD 2.3. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	UVD 2.3
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	UVD 2.3
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire's 120W — a 40% difference. The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
TDP	180W	120W-33%
Recommended PSU	400W	350W-13%
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	173mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	—	95°C
Perf/Watt	55.9+103%	27.6

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire launched at $800. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 68.9% less ($551 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 885.4% better value. The GeForce GTX 1060 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2010).