GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon R9 M395X

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon R9 M395X

2015Core: 723 MHz

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - GPU

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.

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

  • +96.6% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $351 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $600 MSRP).
  • Delivers 373.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 8.5 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $600 MSRP).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
  • Less risky long-term buy than Radeon R9 M395X: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon R9 M395X 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.
  • 140% higher power demand at 180W vs 75W.

Radeon R9 M395X

2015

Why buy it

  • Draws 75W instead of 180W, a 105W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,120 vs 10,064).
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
  • 141% HIGHER MSRP
    $600 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.5 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($600 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Radeon R9 M395X?
Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 5,120 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon R9 M395X is a 2015 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 a newer 2016 generation instead of 2015, 96.6% 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 $351 cheaper on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $600 MSRP, and you are getting 96.6% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 373.6%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is Radeon R9 M395X still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. Radeon R9 M395X 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 $600 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Radeon R9 M395X
1080p
low117 FPS104 FPS
medium105 FPS89 FPS
high91 FPS72 FPS
ultra77 FPS43 FPS
1440p
low103 FPS90 FPS
medium87 FPS79 FPS
high76 FPS57 FPS
ultra67 FPS33 FPS
4K
low55 FPS29 FPS
medium49 FPS27 FPS
high41 FPS18 FPS
ultra37 FPS16 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Radeon R9 M395X
1080p
low216 FPS96 FPS
medium181 FPS74 FPS
high148 FPS61 FPS
ultra113 FPS44 FPS
1440p
low134 FPS58 FPS
medium107 FPS41 FPS
high87 FPS31 FPS
ultra68 FPS23 FPS
4K
low62 FPS23 FPS
medium51 FPS16 FPS
high49 FPS13 FPS
ultra41 FPS9 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Radeon R9 M395X
1080p
low453 FPS230 FPS
medium362 FPS184 FPS
high302 FPS154 FPS
ultra226 FPS115 FPS
1440p
low340 FPS173 FPS
medium272 FPS138 FPS
high226 FPS115 FPS
ultra170 FPS86 FPS
4K
low226 FPS115 FPS
medium181 FPS92 FPS
high151 FPS77 FPS
ultra113 FPS58 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Radeon R9 M395X
1080p
low358 FPS139 FPS
medium302 FPS113 FPS
high260 FPS97 FPS
ultra226 FPS81 FPS
1440p
low299 FPS104 FPS
medium254 FPS85 FPS
high208 FPS74 FPS
ultra170 FPS57 FPS
4K
low170 FPS61 FPS
medium133 FPS47 FPS
high123 FPS37 FPS
ultra102 FPS26 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon R9 M395X

NVIDIA

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.

AMD

Radeon R9 M395X

The Radeon R9 M395X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 5 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 723 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,120 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon R9 M395X's 5,120 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 96.6%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon R9 M395X uses GCN 3.0, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M395X). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2.961 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M395X).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon R9 M395X
G3D Mark Score
10,064+97%
5,120
Architecture
Pascal
GCN 3.0
Process Node
16 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
2560+25%
2048
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS+200%
2.961 TFLOPS
ROPs
64+100%
32
TMUs
160+25%
128
L1 Cache
960 KB+88%
512 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 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 R9 M395X relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon R9 M395X
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 M395X 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 160 GB/s (Radeon R9 M395X) — a 20% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 M395X) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon R9 M395X
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+50%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s+20%
160 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit
256-bit+33%
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon R9 M395X's 75W — a 82.4% difference. The Radeon R9 M395X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M395X). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Mobile.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon R9 M395X
TDP
180W
75W-58%
Recommended PSU
400W
350W-13%
Power Connector
6-pin
Mobile
Length
173mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
Perf/Watt
55.9
68.3+22%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 M395X launched at $600. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 58.5% less ($351 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 8.5 (Radeon R9 M395X) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 375.3% better value. The GeForce GTX 1060 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon R9 M395X
MSRP
$249-59%
$600
Performance per Dollar
40.4+375%
8.5
Codename
GP104
Amethyst
Release
May 27 2016
May 5 2015
Ranking
#137
#438