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

✅216.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 337.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 9.2 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $239 MSRP).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon HD 6870: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon HD 6870 is already obsolete for modern gaming.
✅Measures 173mm instead of 247mm, a 74mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌19.2% higher power demand at 180W vs 151W.

Radeon HD 6870

2010

Why buy it

✅Costs $10 less on MSRP ($239 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Draws 151W instead of 180W, a 29W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2010-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 9.2 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($239 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌42.8% longer card at 247mm vs 173mm.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Radeon HD 6870

2010

Why buy it

✅216.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 337.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 9.2 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $239 MSRP).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon HD 6870: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon HD 6870 is already obsolete for modern gaming.
✅Measures 173mm instead of 247mm, a 74mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅Costs $10 less on MSRP ($239 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Draws 151W instead of 180W, a 29W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌19.2% higher power demand at 180W vs 151W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2010-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 9.2 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($239 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌42.8% longer card at 247mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Radeon HD 6870?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce GTX 1060 averages 216.3% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 2,206 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon HD 6870 is a 2010 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?

GeForce GTX 1060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2016 generation instead of 2010, 356.2% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 2 GB, and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. 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 4.2% more expensive on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $239 MSRP, and you are getting 216.3% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 356.2% higher G3D Mark. Radeon HD 6870 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon HD 6870 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon HD 6870 is 2010 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM, 2,206 in G3D Mark, and FSR upscaling. 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

Radeon HD 6870 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6870
1080p
low	117 FPS	47 FPS
medium	105 FPS	37 FPS
high	91 FPS	25 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	16 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	28 FPS
medium	87 FPS	20 FPS
high	76 FPS	12 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	8 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	11 FPS
medium	49 FPS	9 FPS
high	41 FPS	5 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	5 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon HD 6870

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6870
1080p
low	216 FPS	99 FPS
medium	181 FPS	73 FPS
high	148 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	56 FPS
medium	107 FPS	36 FPS
high	87 FPS	23 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	17 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	20 FPS
medium	51 FPS	13 FPS
high	49 FPS	10 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	7 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon HD 6870

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6870
1080p
low	453 FPS	99 FPS
medium	362 FPS	79 FPS
high	302 FPS	66 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	50 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	74 FPS
medium	272 FPS	60 FPS
high	226 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	37 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	50 FPS
medium	181 FPS	40 FPS
high	151 FPS	33 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	25 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon HD 6870

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6870
1080p
low	358 FPS	99 FPS
medium	302 FPS	79 FPS
high	260 FPS	66 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	50 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	74 FPS
medium	254 FPS	60 FPS
high	208 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	37 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	50 FPS
medium	133 FPS	40 FPS
high	123 FPS	33 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	24 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon HD 6870

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon HD 6870

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.

Radeon HD 6870

The Radeon HD 6870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 21 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The boost clock speed is 900 MHz. It has 1120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 151W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,206 points. Launch price was $239.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon HD 6870's 2,206 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 356.2%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon HD 6870 uses TeraScale 2, both on 16 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1,120 (Radeon HD 6870). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2.016 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6870). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6870
G3D Mark Score	10,064+356%	2,206
Architecture	Pascal	TeraScale 2
Process Node	16 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	2560+129%	1120
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+340%	2.016 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+93%	900 MHz
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	160+186%	56
L1 Cache	960 KB+329%	224 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 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 HD 6870 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6870
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 HD 6870 has 2 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 6870) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6870
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+200%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 11.0 (Radeon HD 6870). Vulkan: 1.3 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6870
DirectX	12+9%	11.0
Vulkan	1.3	N/A
OpenGL	4.5+2%	4.4
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs None (Radeon HD 6870). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs UVD 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC (Radeon HD 6870).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6870
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	None
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	UVD 3.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon HD 6870's 151W — a 17.5% difference. The Radeon HD 6870 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 500W (Radeon HD 6870). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 247mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6870
TDP	180W	151W-16%
Recommended PSU	400W-20%	500W
Power Connector	6-pin	2x 6-pin
Length	173mm	247mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	85
Perf/Watt	55.9+283%	14.6

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon HD 6870 launched at $239. The Radeon HD 6870 costs 4% less ($10 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 9.2 (Radeon HD 6870) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 339.1% better value. The GeForce GTX 1060 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2010).