GeForce GTX 1060
Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire 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 R9 M290X Crossfire 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 R9 M290X Crossfire: 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
- ✅153.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Costs $551 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 438.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 7.5 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
- ✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
Trade-offs
- ❌2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
- ❌17200% longer card at 173mm vs 1mm.
Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
2014Why buy it
- ✅Measures 1mm instead of 173mm, a 172mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
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.
- ❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
- ❌221.3% HIGHER MSRP$800 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 7.5 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
Quick Answers
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GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire 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 M290X Crossfire
The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 1 2014. It features the GCN architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,000 points.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire's 6,000 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 67.7%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire uses GCN, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 900 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 10,064+68% | 6,000 |
| Architecture | Pascal | GCN |
| Process Node | 16 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 2560 | 2560 |
| Boost Clock | 1733 MHz+93% | 900 MHz |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce GTX 1060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire |
|---|---|---|
| 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 M290X Crossfire 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 307.2 GB/s (Dual) (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) — a 60% advantage for the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 512-bit (Dual) on the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 6 GB+50% | 4 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 192 GB/s | 307.2 GB/s (Dual)+60% |
| Bus Width | 192-bit | 512-bit (Dual)+167% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 | 12 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 0 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs UVD 3.1.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC (Pascal) | VCE 1.0 |
| Decoder | NVDEC (Pascal) | UVD 3.1 |
| Codecs | H.264,H.265/HEVC | — |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire's 200W — a 10.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 173mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 180W-10% | 200W |
| Recommended PSU | 400W | 350W-13% |
| Power Connector | 6-pin | Mobile |
| Length | 173mm | 1mm |
| Height | 111mm | — |
| Slots | 2 | 0-100% |
| Perf/Watt | 55.9+86% | 30.0 |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire launched at $800. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 68.9% cheaper ($551 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 7.5 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 438.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 (2016 vs 2014).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $249-69% | $800 |
| Performance per Dollar | 40.4+439% | 7.5 |
| Codename | GP104 | Neptune CF |
| Release | May 27 2016 | March 1 2014 |
| Ranking | #137 | #348 |
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