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

✅+118.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $400 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 469.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 7.1 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon R9 Nano: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon R9 Nano 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.
❌13.8% longer card at 173mm vs 152mm.

Radeon R9 Nano

2015

Why buy it

✅Measures 152mm instead of 173mm, a 21mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (4,609 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
160.6% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 7.1 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Radeon R9 Nano

2015

Why buy it

✅+118.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $400 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 469.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 7.1 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon R9 Nano: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon R9 Nano is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Why buy it

✅Measures 152mm instead of 173mm, a 21mm 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.
❌13.8% longer card at 173mm vs 152mm.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (4,609 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
160.6% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 7.1 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Radeon R9 Nano?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 4,609 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon R9 Nano 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, 118.4% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 2 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 $400 cheaper on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $649 MSRP, and you are getting 118.4% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 469.1%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Radeon R9 Nano still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon R9 Nano 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 $649 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 Nano Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 Nano
1080p
low	117 FPS	116 FPS
medium	105 FPS	99 FPS
high	91 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	49 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	93 FPS
medium	87 FPS	78 FPS
high	76 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	34 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	33 FPS
medium	49 FPS	30 FPS
high	41 FPS	22 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	19 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon R9 Nano

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 Nano
1080p
low	216 FPS	207 FPS
medium	181 FPS	166 FPS
high	148 FPS	138 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	156 FPS
medium	107 FPS	124 FPS
high	87 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	98 FPS
medium	51 FPS	80 FPS
high	49 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	49 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon R9 Nano

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 Nano
1080p
low	453 FPS	207 FPS
medium	362 FPS	166 FPS
high	302 FPS	138 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	156 FPS
medium	272 FPS	124 FPS
high	226 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	104 FPS
medium	181 FPS	83 FPS
high	151 FPS	69 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	52 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon R9 Nano

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 Nano
1080p
low	358 FPS	196 FPS
medium	302 FPS	164 FPS
high	260 FPS	138 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	137 FPS
medium	254 FPS	117 FPS
high	208 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	82 FPS
medium	133 FPS	68 FPS
high	123 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	42 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon R9 Nano

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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 Nano

The Radeon R9 Nano is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 27 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 4096 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 175W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,609 points. Launch price was $649.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon R9 Nano's 4,609 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 118.4%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon R9 Nano uses GCN 3.0, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4,096 (Radeon R9 Nano). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 8.192 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 Nano). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 Nano
G3D Mark Score	10,064+118%	4,609
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 3.0
Process Node	16 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560	4096+60%
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+8%	8.192 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+73%	1000 MHz
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	160	256+60%
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	1 MB+6%
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 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 Nano relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 Nano
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 Nano has 2 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 512 GB/s (Radeon R9 Nano) — a 166.7% advantage for the Radeon R9 Nano. Bus width: 192-bit vs 4096-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 Nano
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+200%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	HBM
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	512 GB/s+167%
Bus Width	192-bit	4096-bit+2033%
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (Radeon R9 Nano). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 Nano
DirectX	12	12
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon R9 Nano). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs UVD 6.0.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 Nano
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	VCE 3.0
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	UVD 6.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon R9 Nano's 175W — a 2.8% difference. The Radeon R9 Nano is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 550W (Radeon R9 Nano). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 1x 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 152mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 Nano
TDP	180W	175W-3%
Recommended PSU	400W-27%	550W
Power Connector	6-pin	1x 8-pin
Length	173mm	152mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	2
Perf/Watt	55.9+113%	26.3

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 Nano launched at $649. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 61.6% less ($400 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 7.1 (Radeon R9 Nano) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 469% better value. The GeForce GTX 1060 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2015).