GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon 740M

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon 740M

2024Core: 800 MHzBoost: 2800 MHz

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - 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.

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

  • +230.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

  • Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
  • 300% higher power demand at 180W vs 45W.

Radeon 740M

2024

Why buy it

  • More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 4nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
  • Draws 45W instead of 180W, a 135W reduction.
  • More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 4nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,045 vs 10,064).
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Radeon 740M?
Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 3,045 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon 740M is a 2024 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?
Radeon 740M is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2024 generation instead of 2016, better upscaling support with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 4nm 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?
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 priced in an unclear MSRP range at $249 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 230.5% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. Radeon 740M is the newer 2024 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture, lower power draw (45W vs 180W), and future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.
When does Radeon 740M make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060?
Yes. Radeon 740M 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 (45W vs 180W), future-proofing, and staying closer to an unclear MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 currently gives you 230.5% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%.

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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Radeon 740M
1080p
low117 FPS32 FPS
medium105 FPS22 FPS
high91 FPS14 FPS
ultra77 FPS8 FPS
1440p
low103 FPS23 FPS
medium87 FPS14 FPS
high76 FPS7 FPS
ultra67 FPS4 FPS
4K
low55 FPS9 FPS
medium49 FPS6 FPS
high41 FPS4 FPS
ultra37 FPS3 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Radeon 740M
1080p
low216 FPS77 FPS
medium181 FPS50 FPS
high148 FPS33 FPS
ultra113 FPS23 FPS
1440p
low134 FPS48 FPS
medium107 FPS25 FPS
high87 FPS19 FPS
ultra68 FPS14 FPS
4K
low62 FPS23 FPS
medium51 FPS14 FPS
high49 FPS11 FPS
ultra41 FPS8 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Radeon 740M
1080p
low453 FPS137 FPS
medium362 FPS110 FPS
high302 FPS91 FPS
ultra226 FPS69 FPS
1440p
low340 FPS103 FPS
medium272 FPS82 FPS
high226 FPS69 FPS
ultra170 FPS51 FPS
4K
low226 FPS69 FPS
medium181 FPS55 FPS
high151 FPS46 FPS
ultra113 FPS34 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Radeon 740M
1080p
low358 FPS137 FPS
medium302 FPS110 FPS
high260 FPS91 FPS
ultra226 FPS69 FPS
1440p
low299 FPS103 FPS
medium254 FPS82 FPS
high208 FPS69 FPS
ultra170 FPS51 FPS
4K
low170 FPS63 FPS
medium133 FPS51 FPS
high123 FPS40 FPS
ultra102 FPS29 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon 740M

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.

AMD

Radeon 740M

The Radeon 740M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 31 2024. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 800 MHz to 2800 MHz. It has 256 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 4 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,045 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon 740M's 3,045 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 230.5%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon 740M uses RDNA 3.0, both on 16 nm vs 4 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 256 (Radeon 740M). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2.867 TFLOPS (Radeon 740M). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 2800 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon 740M
G3D Mark Score
10,064+231%
3,045
Architecture
Pascal
RDNA 3.0
Process Node
16 nm
4 nm
Shading Units
2560+900%
256
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS+209%
2.867 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1733 MHz
2800 MHz+62%
ROPs
64+700%
8
TMUs
160+900%
16
L1 Cache
960 KB+1400%
64 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 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 Radeon 740M relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon 740M
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 Radeon 740M has 2 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs System.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon 740M
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+200%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
System
Bus Width
192-bit
System
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon 740M's 45W — a 120% difference. The Radeon 740M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (Radeon 740M). Power connectors: 6-pin vs None.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon 740M
TDP
180W
45W-75%
Recommended PSU
400W
350W-13%
Power Connector
6-pin
None
Length
173mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
Perf/Watt
55.9
67.7+21%
💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon 740M is the newer GPU (2024 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon 740M
MSRP
$249
Codename
GP104
Phoenix2
Release
May 27 2016
January 31 2024
Ranking
#137
#581