GeForce GTX 1060
Radeon Pro Vega 56
GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon Pro Vega 56 Performance Spectrum
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 Pro Vega 56 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon Pro Vega 56: 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
2016Why buy it
- ✅15.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Costs $150 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 33.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 30.3 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
- ✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs Unknown).
- ✅Radeon Pro Vega 56 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1060 is the less risky modern option long term.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,064 vs 12,104).
- ❌2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
Radeon Pro Vega 56
2017Why buy it
- ✅+20.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
- ✅More future proof: GCN 5.0 (2017−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌2017 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
- ❌60.2% HIGHER MSRP$399 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 30.3 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
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GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon Pro Vega 56 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 Pro Vega 56
The Radeon Pro Vega 56 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 14 2017. It features the GCN 5.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1138 MHz to 1250 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 210W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12,104 points. Launch price was $399.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon Pro Vega 56's 12,104 — the Radeon Pro Vega 56 leads by 20.3%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon Pro Vega 56 uses GCN 5.0, both on 16 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 3,584 (Radeon Pro Vega 56). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 8.96 TFLOPS (Radeon Pro Vega 56). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1250 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon Pro Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 10,064 | 12,104+20% |
| Architecture | Pascal | GCN 5.0 |
| Process Node | 16 nm | 14 nm |
| Shading Units | 2560 | 3584+40% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 8.873 TFLOPS | 8.96 TFLOPS |
| Boost Clock | 1733 MHz+39% | 1250 MHz |
| ROPs | 64 | 64 |
| TMUs | 160 | 224+40% |
| L1 Cache | 960 KB+7% | 896 KB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB | 4 MB+100% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce GTX 1060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon Pro Vega 56 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon Pro Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Pro Vega 56 carries 0 MB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 100+% 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 Pro Vega 56. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4 MB (Radeon Pro Vega 56) — the Radeon Pro Vega 56 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon Pro Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 6 GB | Shared System RAM |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |
| Bus Width | 192-bit+50% | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB | 4 MB+100% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.1 (Radeon Pro Vega 56). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon Pro Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 | 12.1 |
| Vulkan | 1.3+18% | 1.1 |
| OpenGL | 4.5 | 4.6+2% |
| Max Displays | 4 | 4 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs VCE 4.0 (Radeon Pro Vega 56). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs UVD 7.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon Pro Vega 56).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon Pro Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC (Pascal) | VCE 4.0 |
| Decoder | NVDEC (Pascal) | UVD 7.0 |
| Codecs | H.264,H.265/HEVC | MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon Pro Vega 56's 210W — a 15.4% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1W (Radeon Pro Vega 56). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Integrated. Card length: 173mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon Pro Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 180W-14% | 210W |
| Recommended PSU | 400W | 1W-100% |
| Power Connector | 6-pin | Integrated |
| Length | 173mm | 267mm |
| Height | 111mm | 111mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | — | 85°C |
| Perf/Watt | 55.9 | 57.6+3% |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the Radeon Pro Vega 56 launched at $399. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 37.6% cheaper ($150 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 30.3 (Radeon Pro Vega 56) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 33.3% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Pro Vega 56 (2017 vs 2016).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon Pro Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $249-38% | $399 |
| Performance per Dollar | 40.4+33% | 30.3 |
| Codename | GP104 | Vega 10 |
| Release | May 27 2016 | August 14 2017 |
| Ranking | #137 | #222 |
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