GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon HD 7700-serie

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

✅+430% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 238.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 11.9 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
✅1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon HD 7700-serie: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon HD 7700-serie is already obsolete for modern gaming.
✅Draws 180W instead of 250W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Radeon HD 7700-serie

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $90 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,899 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 11.9 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌38.9% higher power demand at 250W vs 180W.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Radeon HD 7700-serie

2012

Why buy it

✅+430% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 238.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 11.9 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
✅1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon HD 7700-serie: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon HD 7700-serie is already obsolete for modern gaming.
✅Draws 180W instead of 250W, a 70W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Costs $90 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,899 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 11.9 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌38.9% higher power demand at 250W vs 180W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Radeon HD 7700-serie?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 1,899 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon HD 7700-serie is a 2012 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 2012, 430.0% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 512 MB, 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 56.6% more expensive on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $159 MSRP, and you are getting 430.0% higher G3D Mark. Radeon HD 7700-serie really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon HD 7700-serie still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon HD 7700-serie is 2012 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM, 1,899 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 7700-serie Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7700-serie
1080p
low	117 FPS	85 FPS
medium	105 FPS	68 FPS
high	91 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	38 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	64 FPS
medium	87 FPS	51 FPS
high	76 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	27 FPS
medium	49 FPS	26 FPS
high	41 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon HD 7700-serie

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7700-serie
1080p
low	216 FPS	85 FPS
medium	181 FPS	68 FPS
high	148 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	43 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	64 FPS
medium	107 FPS	51 FPS
high	87 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	32 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	32 FPS
medium	51 FPS	24 FPS
high	49 FPS	19 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon HD 7700-serie

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7700-serie
1080p
low	453 FPS	85 FPS
medium	362 FPS	68 FPS
high	302 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	43 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	64 FPS
medium	272 FPS	51 FPS
high	226 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	32 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	43 FPS
medium	181 FPS	34 FPS
high	151 FPS	28 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	21 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon HD 7700-serie

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7700-serie
1080p
low	358 FPS	73 FPS
medium	302 FPS	62 FPS
high	260 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	43 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	58 FPS
medium	254 FPS	50 FPS
high	208 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	32 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	41 FPS
medium	133 FPS	33 FPS
high	123 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	20 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon HD 7700-serie

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon HD 7700-serie

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 7700-serie

The Radeon HD 7700-serie is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 9 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 925 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,899 points. Launch price was $549.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon HD 7700-serie's 1,899 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 430%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon HD 7700-serie uses GCN 1.0, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7700-serie). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 3.789 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7700-serie). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 925 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7700-serie
G3D Mark Score	10,064+430%	1,899
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 1.0
Process Node	16 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560+25%	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+134%	3.789 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+87%	925 MHz
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	160+25%	128
L1 Cache	960 KB+88%	512 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+167%	0.75 MB

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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 7700-serie relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7700-serie
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 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7700-serie has 512 MB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 1100% 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 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7700-serie) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7700-serie
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+1100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+167%	0.75 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon HD 7700-serie's 250W — a 32.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 450W (Radeon HD 7700-serie). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7700-serie
TDP	180W-28%	250W
Recommended PSU	400W-11%	450W
Power Connector	6-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	173mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Perf/Watt	55.9+636%	7.6

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon HD 7700-serie launched at $159. The Radeon HD 7700-serie costs 36.1% less ($90 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 11.9 (Radeon HD 7700-serie) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 239.5% better value. The GeForce GTX 1060 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2012).