GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon HD 7290M

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 7290M 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 7290M: 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

✅3508.0% 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).
✅1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Radeon HD 7290M 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.
❌80% higher power demand at 180W vs 100W.

Radeon HD 7290M

2012

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 180W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2012 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌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 3508.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 8082.1% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 123), 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 512 MB of VRAM, a 16nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2016 generation instead of 2012. 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon HD 7290M 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 7290M

The Radeon HD 7290M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 123 points.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon HD 7290M's 123 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 8082.1%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon HD 7290M uses GCN 1.0, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 7290M). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2.176 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7290M).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7290M
G3D Mark Score	10,064+8082%	123
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 1.0
Process Node	16 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560+100%	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+308%	2.176 TFLOPS
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	160+100%	80
L1 Cache	960 KB+200%	320 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

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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 7290M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7290M
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7290M carries 512 MB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 1100% 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 HD 7290M. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 7290M) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7290M
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+1100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	System
Bus Width	192-bit	System
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 11.2 (11_0) (Radeon HD 7290M). OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7290M
DirectX	12+7%	11.2 (11_0)
OpenGL	4.5+2%	4.4
Max Displays	4+100%	2

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs UVD 3 (Radeon HD 7290M). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs UVD 3. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,DivX,Xvid (Radeon HD 7290M).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7290M
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	UVD 3
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	UVD 3
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,DivX,Xvid

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon HD 7290M's 100W — a 57.1% difference. The Radeon HD 7290M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7290M). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7290M
TDP	180W	100W-44%
Recommended PSU	400W	350W-13%
Power Connector	6-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	173mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	—	75°C
Perf/Watt	55.9+4558%	1.2

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 (2016 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7290M
MSRP	$249	—
Codename	GP104	Wimbledon
Release	May 27 2016	April 24 2012
Ranking	#137	#531

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