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

✅+3559.6% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 2236.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 1.7 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
✅1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than NVS 310: it remains the more sensible modern option while NVS 310 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.
❌164.7% higher power demand at 180W vs 68W.
❌19.3% longer card at 173mm vs 145mm.

NVS 310

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $90 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Draws 68W instead of 180W, a 112W reduction.
✅Measures 145mm instead of 173mm, a 28mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (275 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

NVS 310

2015

Why buy it

✅+3559.6% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 2236.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 1.7 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
✅1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than NVS 310: it remains the more sensible modern option while NVS 310 is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Why buy it

✅Costs $90 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Draws 68W instead of 180W, a 112W reduction.
✅Measures 145mm instead of 173mm, a 28mm 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.
❌164.7% higher power demand at 180W vs 68W.
❌19.3% longer card at 173mm vs 145mm.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (275 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than NVS 310?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 275 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while NVS 310 is a 2015 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 a newer 2016 generation instead of 2015, 3559.6% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 512 MB, and a 16nm process instead of 28nm. 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 by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 1060 is about 56.6% more expensive on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $159 MSRP, and you are getting 3559.6% higher G3D Mark. NVS 310 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is NVS 310 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. NVS 310 is 2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM, 275 in G3D Mark, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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

NVS 310 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	NVS 310
1080p
low	117 FPS	12 FPS
medium	105 FPS	10 FPS
high	91 FPS	8 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	5 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	9 FPS
medium	87 FPS	7 FPS
high	76 FPS	3 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	2 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	5 FPS
medium	49 FPS	3 FPS
high	41 FPS	1 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	1 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open NVS 310

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	NVS 310
1080p
low	216 FPS	12 FPS
medium	181 FPS	10 FPS
high	148 FPS	8 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	6 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	9 FPS
medium	107 FPS	7 FPS
high	87 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	5 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	6 FPS
medium	51 FPS	3 FPS
high	49 FPS	3 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	2 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open NVS 310

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	NVS 310
1080p
low	453 FPS	12 FPS
medium	362 FPS	10 FPS
high	302 FPS	8 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	6 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	9 FPS
medium	272 FPS	7 FPS
high	226 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	5 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	6 FPS
medium	181 FPS	5 FPS
high	151 FPS	4 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	3 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open NVS 310

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	NVS 310
1080p
low	358 FPS	12 FPS
medium	302 FPS	10 FPS
high	260 FPS	8 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	6 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	9 FPS
medium	254 FPS	7 FPS
high	208 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	5 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	6 FPS
medium	133 FPS	5 FPS
high	123 FPS	4 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	3 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open NVS 310

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and NVS 310

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.

NVS 310

The NVS 310 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 4 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 902 MHz to 1033 MHz. It has 512 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 68W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 275 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the NVS 310's 275 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 3559.6%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the NVS 310 uses Maxwell, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 512 (NVS 310). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1.058 TFLOPS ×2 (NVS 310). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1033 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	NVS 310
G3D Mark Score	10,064+3560%	275
Architecture	Pascal	Maxwell
Process Node	16 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560+400%	512 ×2
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+739%	1.058 TFLOPS ×2
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+68%	1033 MHz
ROPs	64+300%	16 ×2
TMUs	160+400%	32 ×2
L1 Cache	960 KB+275%	256 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 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 NVS 310 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	NVS 310
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 NVS 310 has 512 MB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 1100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1 MB (NVS 310) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	NVS 310
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+1100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	192-bit+200%	64-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (11_0) (NVS 310). OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	NVS 310
DirectX	12	12 (11_0)
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4+100%	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs Fermi NVENC (NVS 310). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs VP4. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (NVS 310).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	NVS 310
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	Fermi NVENC
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	VP4
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the NVS 310's 68W — a 90.3% difference. The NVS 310 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (NVS 310). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 145mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	NVS 310
TDP	180W	68W-62%
Recommended PSU	400W	350W-13%
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	173mm	145mm
Height	111mm	69mm
Slots	2	1-50%
Temp (Load)	—	75°C
Perf/Watt	55.9+1298%	4.0

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the NVS 310 launched at $159. The NVS 310 costs 36.1% less ($90 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1.7 (NVS 310) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 2276.5% better value. The GeForce GTX 1060 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2015).