GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire

CPU

GPU

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

GTX family

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Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire

2011Core: 715 MHz

Similar parts

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GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 1060

6 GB 180

10,064

+187.5%

GeForce GTX 680

GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE

GeForce RTX 2050 Mobile

GeForce GTX TITAN Z

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile

GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile

Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire

2 GB 50

3,500

0.0%

Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary

Radeon RX 6800

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 6990M 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.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon HD 6990M 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

2016

Why buy it

✅189.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅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).
✅Radeon HD 6990M 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.

Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire

2011

Why buy it

✅Draws 50W instead of 180W, a 130W 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.
❌2011 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
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

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 1060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 189.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 187.5% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 3,500), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 1060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, a 16nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2016 generation instead of 2011. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 1060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $450 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $699, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 707.2% (40.4 vs 5.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon HD 6990M 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 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

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 6990M 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 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 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire carries 2 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 200% 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 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire.

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

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire launched at $699. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 64.4% cheaper ($450 less). 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 newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 (2016 vs 2011).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 6990M Crossfire
MSRP	$249-64%	$699
Performance per Dollar	40.4+708%	5.0
Codename	GP104	Blackcomb XTX
Release	May 27 2016	July 12 2011
Ranking	#137	#517

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