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

✅+187.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $450 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Delivers 707.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 5.0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌260% higher power demand at 180W vs 50W.

Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire

2011

Why buy it

✅Draws 50W instead of 180W, a 130W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,500 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2011-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
180.7% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire

2011

Why buy it

✅+187.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $450 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Delivers 707.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 5.0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Why buy it

✅Draws 50W instead of 180W, a 130W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌260% higher power demand at 180W vs 50W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,500 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2011-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
180.7% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 3,500 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire is a 2011 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 2011, 187.5% 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 today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce GTX 1060 is about $450 cheaper on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $699 MSRP, and you are getting 187.5% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 707.2%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $699 MSRP, even if GeForce GTX 1060 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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 6990M Crossfire Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire
1080p
low	117 FPS	47 FPS
medium	105 FPS	38 FPS
high	91 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	15 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	37 FPS
medium	87 FPS	27 FPS
high	76 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	9 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	12 FPS
medium	49 FPS	10 FPS
high	41 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	5 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire
1080p
low	216 FPS	70 FPS
medium	181 FPS	46 FPS
high	148 FPS	34 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	22 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	39 FPS
medium	107 FPS	22 FPS
high	87 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	11 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	13 FPS
medium	51 FPS	8 FPS
high	49 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	5 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire
1080p
low	453 FPS	158 FPS
medium	362 FPS	126 FPS
high	302 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	79 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	118 FPS
medium	272 FPS	94 FPS
high	226 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	59 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	79 FPS
medium	181 FPS	63 FPS
high	151 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	39 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire
1080p
low	358 FPS	141 FPS
medium	302 FPS	111 FPS
high	260 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	48 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	82 FPS
medium	254 FPS	61 FPS
high	208 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	30 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	43 FPS
medium	133 FPS	31 FPS
high	123 FPS	23 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	15 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire

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 6990M Crossfire

The Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in July 12 2011. It features the Terascale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 715 MHz. It has 2240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,500 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire's 3,500 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 187.5%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire uses Terascale 2, both on 16 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,240 (Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire
G3D Mark Score	10,064+188%	3,500
Architecture	Pascal	Terascale 2
Process Node	16 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	2560+14%	2240

✨

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 6990M Crossfire relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6990M 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 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire 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.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+200%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 11.0 (Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire). Vulkan: 1.3 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire
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 6990M Crossfire). 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 6990M Crossfire).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire
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 6990M Crossfire's 50W — a 113% difference. The Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire
TDP	180W	50W-72%
Recommended PSU	400W	350W-13%
Power Connector	6-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	173mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	—	90
Perf/Watt	55.9	70.0+25%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire launched at $699. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 64.4% less ($450 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 5.0 (Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 708% better value. The GeForce GTX 1060 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2011).