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

✅+1035.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 169.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 15.0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $59 MSRP).
✅1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon R5 430: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon R5 430 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.
❌500% higher power demand at 180W vs 30W.

Radeon R5 430

2016

Why buy it

✅Costs $190 less on MSRP ($59 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Draws 30W instead of 180W, a 150W reduction.
✅Measures 168mm instead of 173mm, a 5mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (886 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2016-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 15.0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($59 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Radeon R5 430

2016

Why buy it

✅+1035.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 169.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 15.0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $59 MSRP).
✅1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon R5 430: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon R5 430 is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Why buy it

✅Costs $190 less on MSRP ($59 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Draws 30W instead of 180W, a 150W reduction.
✅Measures 168mm instead of 173mm, a 5mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌500% higher power demand at 180W vs 30W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (886 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2016-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 15.0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($59 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Radeon R5 430?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 886 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon R5 430 is a 2016 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 1035.9% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 512 MB, the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling, and a 16nm process instead of 28nm. 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 322.0% more expensive on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $59 MSRP, and you are getting 1035.9% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R5 430 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon R5 430 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon R5 430 is 2016 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM, 886 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 R5 430 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R5 430
1080p
low	117 FPS	11 FPS
medium	105 FPS	7 FPS
high	91 FPS	4 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	2 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	7 FPS
medium	87 FPS	4 FPS
high	76 FPS	2 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	1 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	3 FPS
medium	49 FPS	2 FPS
high	41 FPS	1 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	1 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon R5 430

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R5 430
1080p
low	216 FPS	23 FPS
medium	181 FPS	10 FPS
high	148 FPS	7 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	5 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	7 FPS
medium	107 FPS	3 FPS
high	87 FPS	2 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	2 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	2 FPS
medium	51 FPS	1 FPS
high	49 FPS	1 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	1 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon R5 430

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R5 430
1080p
low	453 FPS	40 FPS
medium	362 FPS	32 FPS
high	302 FPS	27 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	20 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	30 FPS
medium	272 FPS	24 FPS
high	226 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	15 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	20 FPS
medium	181 FPS	16 FPS
high	151 FPS	13 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	10 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon R5 430

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R5 430
1080p
low	358 FPS	40 FPS
medium	302 FPS	32 FPS
high	260 FPS	19 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	13 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	5 FPS
medium	254 FPS	3 FPS
high	208 FPS	3 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	2 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	3 FPS
medium	133 FPS	2 FPS
high	123 FPS	2 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	1 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon R5 430

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon R5 430

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 R5 430

The Radeon R5 430 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 15 2016. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 780 MHz to 1030 MHz. It has 320 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 886 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon R5 430's 886 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 1035.9%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon R5 430 uses GCN 1.0, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 320 (Radeon R5 430). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 0.6592 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 430). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1030 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R5 430
G3D Mark Score	10,064+1036%	886
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 1.0
Process Node	16 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560+700%	320
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+1246%	0.6592 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+68%	1030 MHz
ROPs	64+700%	8
TMUs	160+700%	20
L1 Cache	960 KB+1100%	80 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+1438%	0.13 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 R5 430 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R5 430
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 R5 430 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 0.13 MB (Radeon R5 430) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R5 430
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+1438%	0.13 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon R5 430). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R5 430
DirectX	12	12 (11_1)
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4+100%	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs None (Radeon R5 430). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs UVD 4.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,MPEG-4,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon R5 430).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R5 430
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	None
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	UVD 4.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,MPEG-4,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon R5 430's 30W — a 142.9% difference. The Radeon R5 430 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (Radeon R5 430). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 168mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R5 430
TDP	180W	30W-83%
Recommended PSU	400W	350W-13%
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	173mm	168mm
Height	111mm	69mm
Slots	2	1-50%
Temp (Load)	—	75
Perf/Watt	55.9+89%	29.5

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon R5 430 launched at $59. The Radeon R5 430 costs 76.3% less ($190 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 15.0 (Radeon R5 430) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 169.3% better value.