GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon R9 380

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 R9 380 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.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon R9 380: 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

2016

Why buy it

✅76.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 34.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 30.2 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Draws 180W instead of 220W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Radeon R9 380

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 30.2 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌22.2% higher power demand at 220W vs 180W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 1060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 76.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 67.7% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 6,000), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 1060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, a 16nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2016 generation instead of 2015. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 1060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 more expensive on MSRP at $249 vs $199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 34.1% (40.4 vs 30.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon R9 380 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 R9 380

The Radeon R9 380 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 18 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 970 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,000 points. Launch price was $199.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon R9 380's 6,000 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 67.7%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon R9 380 uses GCN 3.0, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 380). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 3.476 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 380). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 970 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 380
G3D Mark Score	10,064+68%	6,000
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 3.0
Process Node	16 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560+43%	1792
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+155%	3.476 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+79%	970 MHz
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	160+43%	112
L1 Cache	960 KB+114%	448 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 380 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 380
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 R9 380 carries 4 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 182.4 GB/s (Radeon R9 380) — a 5.3% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1060. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 380. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 380) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 380
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+50%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s+5%	182.4 GB/s
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265 (Radeon R9 380).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 380
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	—
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	—
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,H.265

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon R9 380's 220W — a 20% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 500W (Radeon R9 380). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 380
TDP	180W-18%	220W
Recommended PSU	400W-20%	500W
Power Connector	6-pin	2x 6-pin
Length	173mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Perf/Watt	55.9+105%	27.3

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the Radeon R9 380 launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon R9 380 was 20.1% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 30.2 (Radeon R9 380) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 33.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 (2016 vs 2015).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 380
MSRP	$249	$199-20%
Performance per Dollar	40.4+34%	30.2
Codename	GP104	Antigua
Release	May 27 2016	June 18 2015
Ranking	#137	#396

Search GeForce GTX 1060 on Amazon

Search Radeon R9 380 on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.