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

✅88.2% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌44% higher power demand at 180W vs 125W.

Radeon Pro 5500 XT

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 125W instead of 180W, a 55W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Radeon Pro 5500 XT

2020

Why buy it

✅88.2% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 125W instead of 180W, a 55W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌44% higher power demand at 180W vs 125W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Radeon Pro 5500 XT?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce GTX 1060 averages 88.2% more FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 7,910 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon Pro 5500 XT is a 2020 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?

Radeon Pro 5500 XT is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2016, better upscaling support with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 7nm process instead of 16nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

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 25.1% more expensive on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and you are getting 88.2% more estimated average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data and 27.2% higher G3D Mark. Radeon Pro 5500 XT really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does Radeon Pro 5500 XT make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. Radeon Pro 5500 XT is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (125W vs 180W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $199 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 currently gives you 27.2% higher G3D Mark and 88.2% more estimated average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data. It only holds a slight 1.7% edge in G3D-per-dollar, so the value lead is real but narrow.

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 Pro 5500 XT Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Pro 5500 XT
1080p
low	117 FPS	83 FPS
medium	105 FPS	72 FPS
high	91 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	40 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	73 FPS
medium	87 FPS	64 FPS
high	76 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	31 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	27 FPS
medium	49 FPS	26 FPS
high	41 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	15 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon Pro 5500 XT

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Pro 5500 XT
1080p
low	216 FPS	136 FPS
medium	181 FPS	102 FPS
high	148 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	50 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	90 FPS
medium	107 FPS	61 FPS
high	87 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	33 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	41 FPS
medium	51 FPS	30 FPS
high	49 FPS	25 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	18 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon Pro 5500 XT

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Pro 5500 XT
1080p
low	453 FPS	350 FPS
medium	362 FPS	285 FPS
high	302 FPS	237 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	178 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	267 FPS
medium	272 FPS	214 FPS
high	226 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	177 FPS
medium	181 FPS	142 FPS
high	151 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	76 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon Pro 5500 XT

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Pro 5500 XT
1080p
low	358 FPS	156 FPS
medium	302 FPS	123 FPS
high	260 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	116 FPS
medium	254 FPS	93 FPS
high	208 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	64 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	62 FPS
medium	133 FPS	50 FPS
high	123 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	30 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon Pro 5500 XT

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon Pro 5500 XT

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 Pro 5500 XT

The Radeon Pro 5500 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 4 2020. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1187 MHz to 1757 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 125W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,910 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon Pro 5500 XT's 7,910 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 27.2%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon Pro 5500 XT uses RDNA 1.0, both on 16 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1,536 (Radeon Pro 5500 XT). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 5.398 TFLOPS (Radeon Pro 5500 XT). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1757 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Pro 5500 XT
G3D Mark Score	10,064+27%	7,910
Architecture	Pascal	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	16 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	2560+67%	1536
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+64%	5.398 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz	1757 MHz+1%
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	160+67%	96
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 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 Pro 5500 XT relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Pro 5500 XT
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 Pro 5500 XT has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Pro 5500 XT
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+50%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.1 (Radeon Pro 5500 XT). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Pro 5500 XT
DirectX	12	12.1
Vulkan	1.3	1.4+8%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon Pro 5500 XT). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265 (Radeon Pro 5500 XT).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Pro 5500 XT
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	VCN 2.0
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	VCN 2.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,H.265

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon Pro 5500 XT's 125W — a 36.1% difference. The Radeon Pro 5500 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (Radeon Pro 5500 XT). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Pro 5500 XT
TDP	180W	125W-31%
Recommended PSU	400W	350W-13%
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	173mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	2
Perf/Watt	55.9	63.3+13%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon Pro 5500 XT launched at $199. The Radeon Pro 5500 XT costs 20.1% less ($50 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 39.7 (Radeon Pro 5500 XT) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 1.8% better value. The Radeon Pro 5500 XT is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2016).