GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon 780M

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz
GTX family
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VS
AMD

Radeon 780M

2024Core: 800 MHzBoost: 2900 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon 780M Performance Spectrum

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 Radeon 780M FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon 780M: 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

  • 110.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 1100% higher power demand at 180W vs 15W.

Radeon 780M

2024

Why buy it

  • Better long-term bet: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 4nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 15W instead of 180W, a 165W reduction.
  • More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 4nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 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

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 1060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 110.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 45.7% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 6,906), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon 780M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 4nm process instead of 16nm, 12 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2016. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1060 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 1060 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon 780M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon 780M 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.

AMD

Radeon 780M

The Radeon 780M 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 2900 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 12 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,906 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon 780M's 6,906 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 45.7%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon 780M uses RDNA 3.0, both on 16 nm vs 4 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 768 (Radeon 780M). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 8.909 TFLOPS (Radeon 780M). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 2900 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon 780M
G3D Mark Score
10,064+46%
6,906
Architecture
Pascal
RDNA 3.0
Process Node
16 nm
4 nm
Shading Units
2560+233%
768
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS
8.909 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1733 MHz
2900 MHz+67%
ROPs
64+100%
32
TMUs
160+233%
48
L1 Cache
960 KB+275%
256 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon 780M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon 780M
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 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon 780M carries 4 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 50% 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 System on the Radeon 780M.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon 780M
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+50%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
System
Bus Width
192-bit
System
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.2 (Radeon 780M). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon 780M
DirectX
12
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs VCN 4.0 (Radeon 780M). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs VCN 4.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Radeon 780M).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon 780M
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
VCN 4.0
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
VCN 4.0
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon 780M's 15W — a 169.2% difference. The Radeon 780M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (Radeon 780M). Power connectors: 6-pin vs None. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon 780M
TDP
180W
15W-92%
Recommended PSU
400W
350W-13%
Power Connector
6-pin
None
Length
173mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Perf/Watt
55.9
460.4+724%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon 780M (2024 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon 780M
MSRP
$249
Codename
GP104
Phoenix
Release
May 27 2016
January 31 2024
Ranking
#137
#359

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