GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon R9 Nano

CPU

GPU

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

GTX family

·······

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Radeon R9 Nano

2015Boost: 1000 MHz

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GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon R9 Nano Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 1060

6 GB 180

10,064

+118.4%

GeForce GTX 680

GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE

GeForce RTX 2050 Mobile

GeForce GTX TITAN Z

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile

GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile

Radeon R9 Nano

2 GB 175

4,609

0.0%

Radeon HD 6850 X2

Radeon R9 260

Radeon RX 550 (móvel)

Radeon RX 460 (móvel)

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 Nano 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 Nano: 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

✅53.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅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).
✅Radeon R9 Nano is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1060 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory 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 average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
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

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 1060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 53.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 118.4% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 4,609), 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 2 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 $400 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $649, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 469.1% (40.4 vs 7.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

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

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 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 Nano carries 2 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 200% 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 512 GB/s (Radeon R9 Nano) — a 166.7% advantage for the Radeon R9 Nano. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 4096-bit on the Radeon R9 Nano.

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

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the Radeon R9 Nano launched at $649. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 61.6% cheaper ($400 less). 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 newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 (2016 vs 2015).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 Nano
MSRP	$249-62%	$649
Performance per Dollar	40.4+469%	7.1
Codename	GP104	Fiji
Release	May 27 2016	August 27 2015
Ranking	#137	#306

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