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GeForce GTX 1060 vs NVS 310

CPUCPUGPUGPU
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz
GTX family
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VS

NVS 310

2015Core: 902 MHzBoost: 1033 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 1060 vs NVS 310 Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 1060
6 GB 180
10,064
+3559.6%
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
NVS 310
0.5 GB 68
275
0.0%
brand logoGeForce GT 120M
brand logoGeForce 8600 GS
brand logoGeForce GT 240M
brand logoGeForce 7800 GT
brand logoGeForce GTX 1630
brand logoGeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design
brand logoGeForce GTX 1070 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 3080 Ti 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 NVS 310: 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

  • ✅+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).
  • ✅NVS 310 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.
  • ❌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.
  • ❌2015 hardware with 512 MB 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 1.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($159 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 3559.6% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 275), 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 512 MB of VRAM, a 16nm process instead of 28nm, 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 to buy today. It is $90 more expensive on MSRP at $249 vs $159, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 2236.9% (40.4 vs 1.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs NVS 310 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

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.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060NVS 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 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The NVS 310 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060NVS 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 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the NVS 310 carries 512 MB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 1100% 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 64-bit on the NVS 310. 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.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060NVS 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.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060NVS 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).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060NVS 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.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060NVS 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

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the NVS 310 launched at $159. On MSRP, NVS 310 was 36.1% cheaper ($90 less). 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 newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 (2016 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060NVS 310
MSRP
$249
$159-36%
Performance per Dollar
40.4+2276%
1.7
Codename
GP104
GM107
Release
May 27 2016
November 4 2015
Ranking
#137
#826
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