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

✅+67.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅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

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌17200% longer card at 173mm vs 1mm.

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

2014

Why buy it

✅Measures 1mm instead of 173mm, a 172mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,000 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option 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).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

2014

Why buy it

✅+67.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅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).

Why buy it

✅Measures 1mm instead of 173mm, a 172mm 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.
❌17200% longer card at 173mm vs 1mm.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,000 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option 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

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 67.7% higher PassMark G3D performance and 6 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM. It also comes from 2016 instead of 2014, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

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 a newer 2016 generation instead of 2014, 67.7% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 4 GB, and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. 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 today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce GTX 1060 is about $551 cheaper on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $800 MSRP, and you are getting 67.7% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 438.9%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $800 MSRP, even if GeForce GTX 1060 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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 R9 M290X Crossfire Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	117 FPS	38 FPS
medium	105 FPS	32 FPS
high	91 FPS	22 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	14 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	31 FPS
medium	87 FPS	24 FPS
high	76 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	9 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	11 FPS
medium	49 FPS	9 FPS
high	41 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	5 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	216 FPS	103 FPS
medium	181 FPS	74 FPS
high	148 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	56 FPS
medium	107 FPS	34 FPS
high	87 FPS	23 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	17 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	20 FPS
medium	51 FPS	13 FPS
high	49 FPS	10 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	8 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	453 FPS	270 FPS
medium	362 FPS	216 FPS
high	302 FPS	180 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	135 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	202 FPS
medium	272 FPS	162 FPS
high	226 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	101 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	135 FPS
medium	181 FPS	108 FPS
high	151 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	68 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	358 FPS	118 FPS
medium	302 FPS	92 FPS
high	260 FPS	63 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	42 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	72 FPS
medium	254 FPS	52 FPS
high	208 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	38 FPS
medium	133 FPS	27 FPS
high	123 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

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 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

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 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. 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. Bus width: 192-bit vs 512-bit (Dual).

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

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire launched at $800. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 68.9% less ($551 savings) on MSRP. 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 GeForce GTX 1060 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2014).