GeForce GTX 1060
Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire
GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire 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 HD 6970M Crossfire 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire: 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
2016Why buy it
- ✅167.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
- ✅Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1060 is the less risky modern option long term.
Trade-offs
- ❌2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
- ❌260% higher power demand at 180W vs 50W.
- ❌17200% longer card at 173mm vs 1mm.
Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire
2011Why buy it
- ✅Costs $99 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
- ✅Draws 50W instead of 180W, a 130W reduction.
- ✅Measures 1mm instead of 173mm, a 172mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
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.
- ❌2011 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
Quick Answers
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GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
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 6970M Crossfire
The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 6 2011. It features the Terascale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 680 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,637 points.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire's 5,637 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 78.5%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire uses Terascale 2, both on 16 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1,920 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 10,064+79% | 5,637 |
| Architecture | Pascal | Terascale 2 |
| Process Node | 16 nm | 40 nm |
| Shading Units | 2560+33% | 1920 |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce GTX 1060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire |
|---|---|---|
| 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 HD 6970M Crossfire 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 bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 115.2 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire) — a 66.6% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1060. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 256-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 6 GB+50% | 4 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 192 GB/s+67% | 115.2 GB/s x2 |
| Bus Width | 192-bit | 256-bit x2+33% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 11_0 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12+9% | 11_0 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 0 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs UVD 3 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs UVD 3.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC (Pascal) | UVD 3 |
| Decoder | NVDEC (Pascal) | UVD 3 |
| Codecs | H.264,H.265/HEVC | — |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire's 50W — a 113% difference. The Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 180W | 50W-72% |
| Recommended PSU | 400W | 350W-13% |
| Power Connector | 6-pin | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | 173mm | 1mm |
| Height | 111mm | — |
| Slots | 2 | 0-100% |
| Perf/Watt | 55.9 | 112.7+102% |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire launched at $150. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire was 39.8% cheaper ($99 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 37.6 (Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 7.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 (2016 vs 2011).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $249 | $150-40% |
| Performance per Dollar | 40.4+7% | 37.6 |
| Codename | GP104 | Blackcomb XT |
| Release | May 27 2016 | January 6 2011 |
| Ranking | #137 | #537 |
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