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

✅Costs $551 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 197.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 13.6 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Draws 180W instead of 260W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Quadro RTX 3000 across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Quadro RTX 3000

2018

Why buy it

✅38.5% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅Less risky long-term buy than GeForce GTX 1060: it remains the more sensible modern option while GeForce GTX 1060 is already legacy-tier future-proofing.

Trade-offs

❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 6 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌
221.3% HIGHER MSRP
$800 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 13.6 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌44.4% higher power demand at 260W vs 180W.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Quadro RTX 3000

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $551 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 197.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 13.6 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Draws 180W instead of 260W, a 80W reduction.

Why buy it

✅38.5% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅Less risky long-term buy than GeForce GTX 1060: it remains the more sensible modern option while GeForce GTX 1060 is already legacy-tier future-proofing.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Quadro RTX 3000 across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Trade-offs

❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 6 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌
221.3% HIGHER MSRP
$800 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 13.6 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌44.4% higher power demand at 260W vs 180W.

Quick Answers

So, is Quadro RTX 3000 better than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. Quadro RTX 3000 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 38.5% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data, 7.9% higher PassMark G3D performance, and DLSS 2 Super Resolution. It also comes from 2018 instead of 2016, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Quadro RTX 3000 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2018 generation instead of 2016, better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 12nm process instead of 16nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

Quadro RTX 3000 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Quadro RTX 3000 is about 221.3% more expensive on MSRP at $800 MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 38.5% more estimated average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data and 7.9% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1060 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is GeForce GTX 1060 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 1060 is 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM, 10,064 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

Quadro RTX 3000 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 3000
1080p
low	117 FPS	123 FPS
medium	105 FPS	113 FPS
high	91 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	84 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	106 FPS
medium	87 FPS	91 FPS
high	76 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	56 FPS
medium	49 FPS	50 FPS
high	41 FPS	41 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	37 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Quadro RTX 3000

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 3000
1080p
low	216 FPS	451 FPS
medium	181 FPS	391 FPS
high	148 FPS	317 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	244 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	296 FPS
medium	107 FPS	244 FPS
high	87 FPS	211 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	173 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	143 FPS
medium	51 FPS	126 FPS
high	49 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	86 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Quadro RTX 3000

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 3000
1080p
low	453 FPS	489 FPS
medium	362 FPS	391 FPS
high	302 FPS	326 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	244 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	366 FPS
medium	272 FPS	293 FPS
high	226 FPS	244 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	183 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	244 FPS
medium	181 FPS	195 FPS
high	151 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	122 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Quadro RTX 3000

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 3000
1080p
low	358 FPS	489 FPS
medium	302 FPS	391 FPS
high	260 FPS	326 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	244 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	366 FPS
medium	254 FPS	293 FPS
high	208 FPS	244 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	183 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	244 FPS
medium	133 FPS	195 FPS
high	123 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	122 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Quadro RTX 3000

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Quadro RTX 3000

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 RTX 3000

The Quadro RTX 3000 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 13 2018. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1395 MHz to 1770 MHz. It has 4608 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 260W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 72 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,858 points. Launch price was $9,999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Quadro RTX 3000's 10,858 — the Quadro RTX 3000 leads by 7.9%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Quadro RTX 3000 uses Turing, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4,608 (Quadro RTX 3000). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 16.31 TFLOPS (Quadro RTX 3000). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1770 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 3000
G3D Mark Score	10,064	10,858+8%
Architecture	Pascal	Turing
Process Node	16 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	2560	4608+80%
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS	16.31 TFLOPS+84%
Boost Clock	1733 MHz	1770 MHz+2%
ROPs	64	96+50%
TMUs	160	288+80%
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	4.5 MB+379%
L2 Cache	2 MB	6 MB+200%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The Quadro RTX 3000 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 3000
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 6 GB of video memory. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 6 MB (Quadro RTX 3000) — the Quadro RTX 3000 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 3000
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	2 MB	6 MB+200%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.1 (Quadro RTX 3000). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.0. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 3000
DirectX	12	12.1
Vulkan	1.3+30%	1.0
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 7th Gen NVENC (Quadro RTX 3000). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Quadro RTX 3000).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 3000
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	7th Gen NVENC
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Quadro RTX 3000's 260W — a 36.4% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 500W (Quadro RTX 3000). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 3000
TDP	180W-31%	260W
Recommended PSU	400W-20%	500W
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	173mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	—	85°C
Perf/Watt	55.9+34%	41.8

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Quadro RTX 3000 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 13.6 (Quadro RTX 3000) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 197.1% better value. The Quadro RTX 3000 is the newer GPU (2018 vs 2016).