GeForce GTX 1060 vs Quadro M520

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

✅+426.1% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 322.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 9.6 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Quadro M520: it remains the more sensible modern option while Quadro M520 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.
❌620% higher power demand at 180W vs 25W.

Quadro M520

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $49 less on MSRP ($200 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Draws 25W instead of 180W, a 155W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,913 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 9.6 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Quadro M520

2017

Why buy it

✅+426.1% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 322.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 9.6 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Quadro M520: it remains the more sensible modern option while Quadro M520 is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Why buy it

✅Costs $49 less on MSRP ($200 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Draws 25W instead of 180W, a 155W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌620% higher power demand at 180W vs 25W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,913 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 9.6 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Quadro M520?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 1,913 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Quadro M520 is a 2017 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 426.1% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 2 GB, 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 24.5% more expensive on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $200 MSRP, and you are getting 426.1% higher G3D Mark. Quadro M520 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does Quadro M520 make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. Quadro M520 is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (25W vs 180W), and staying closer to $200 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 currently gives you 426.1% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 322.6%.

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

Quadro M520 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro M520
1080p
low	117 FPS	33 FPS
medium	105 FPS	20 FPS
high	91 FPS	13 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	7 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	20 FPS
medium	87 FPS	12 FPS
high	76 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	3 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	8 FPS
medium	49 FPS	6 FPS
high	41 FPS	3 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	2 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Quadro M520

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro M520
1080p
low	216 FPS	71 FPS
medium	181 FPS	45 FPS
high	148 FPS	32 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	20 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	20 FPS
medium	107 FPS	15 FPS
high	87 FPS	10 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	7 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	6 FPS
medium	51 FPS	4 FPS
high	49 FPS	4 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	2 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Quadro M520

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro M520
1080p
low	453 FPS	86 FPS
medium	362 FPS	69 FPS
high	302 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	43 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	65 FPS
medium	272 FPS	52 FPS
high	226 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	32 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	43 FPS
medium	181 FPS	34 FPS
high	151 FPS	29 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	22 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Quadro M520

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro M520
1080p
low	358 FPS	84 FPS
medium	302 FPS	68 FPS
high	260 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	43 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	15 FPS
medium	254 FPS	12 FPS
high	208 FPS	11 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	9 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	11 FPS
medium	133 FPS	8 FPS
high	123 FPS	7 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	5 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Quadro M520

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Quadro M520

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.

Quadro M520

The Quadro M520 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 11 2017. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1041 MHz to 1019 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,913 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Quadro M520's 1,913 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 426.1%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Quadro M520 uses Maxwell, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 384 (Quadro M520). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 0.7995 TFLOPS (Quadro M520). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1019 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro M520
G3D Mark Score	10,064+426%	1,913
Architecture	Pascal	Maxwell
Process Node	16 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560+567%	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+1010%	0.7995 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+70%	1019 MHz
ROPs	64+700%	8
TMUs	160+900%	16
L1 Cache	960 KB+650%	128 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 Quadro M520 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro M520
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 Quadro M520 has 2 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 200% 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 (Quadro M520) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro M520
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+200%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	192-bit+200%	64-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Quadro M520's 25W — a 151.2% difference. The Quadro M520 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (Quadro M520). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro M520
TDP	180W	25W-86%
Recommended PSU	400W	350W-13%
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	173mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Perf/Watt	55.9	76.5+37%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Quadro M520 launched at $200. The Quadro M520 costs 19.7% less ($49 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 9.6 (Quadro M520) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 320.8% better value. The Quadro M520 is the newer GPU (2017 vs 2016).