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

✅+91.8% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 130.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 17.6 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X 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.

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

2013

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,248 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
20.1% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 17.6 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

2013

Why buy it

✅+91.8% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 130.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 17.6 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

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 (5,248 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
20.1% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 17.6 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 5,248 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is a 2013 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 2013, 91.8% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 3 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 $50 cheaper on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and you are getting 91.8% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 130.3%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X 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 $299 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 7970 / R9 280X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	117 FPS	100 FPS
medium	105 FPS	82 FPS
high	91 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	38 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	83 FPS
medium	87 FPS	70 FPS
high	76 FPS	48 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 7970 / R9 280X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	216 FPS	146 FPS
medium	181 FPS	118 FPS
high	148 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	71 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	86 FPS
medium	107 FPS	63 FPS
high	87 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	35 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	34 FPS
medium	51 FPS	25 FPS
high	49 FPS	19 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	453 FPS	236 FPS
medium	362 FPS	189 FPS
high	302 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	118 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	177 FPS
medium	272 FPS	142 FPS
high	226 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	89 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	118 FPS
medium	181 FPS	94 FPS
high	151 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	59 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	358 FPS	179 FPS
medium	302 FPS	148 FPS
high	260 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	126 FPS
medium	254 FPS	105 FPS
high	208 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	70 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	74 FPS
medium	133 FPS	59 FPS
high	123 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	33 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

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 7970 / R9 280X

The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,248 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X's 5,248 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 91.8%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X uses GCN 1.0, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
G3D Mark Score	10,064+92%	5,248
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 1.0
Process Node	16 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560+25%	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+117%	4.096 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+73%	1000 MHz
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	160+25%	128
L1 Cache	960 KB+88%	512 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+167%	0.75 MB

✨

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 7970 / R9 280X relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
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 7970 / R9 280X has 3 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 264 GB/s (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — a 37.5% advantage for the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X. Bus width: 192-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+100%	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	264 GB/s+38%
Bus Width	192-bit	384-bit+100%
L2 Cache	2 MB+167%	0.75 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
DirectX	12	12 (11_1)
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs UVD 3.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	VCE 1.0
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	UVD 3.2
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X's 200W — a 10.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 500W (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 275mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
TDP	180W-10%	200W
Recommended PSU	400W-20%	500W
Power Connector	6-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	173mm	275mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	80 C
Perf/Watt	55.9+113%	26.2

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X launched at $299. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 16.7% less ($50 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 17.6 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 129.5% better value. The GeForce GTX 1060 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2013).