GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 5300

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz
GTX family
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon RX 5300

2020Core: 1327 MHzBoost: 1645 MHz
RX family
·······

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 5300 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 RX 5300 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 RX 5300: 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

  • 88.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 3 GB).
  • Measures 173mm instead of 180mm, a 7mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 93% HIGHER MSRP
    $249 MSRPvs$129 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 40.4 vs 59.0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
  • 80% higher power demand at 180W vs 100W.

Radeon RX 5300

2020

Why buy it

  • Costs $120 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • Delivers 45.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 59.0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • Better long-term bet: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 100W instead of 180W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

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 88.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 32.3% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 7,606), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon RX 5300 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer feature stack, with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) and FSR Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce GTX 1060 is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 7nm process instead of 16nm, and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2016. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon RX 5300 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $120 cheaper on MSRP at $129 vs $249, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 45.9% (59.0 vs 40.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GeForce GTX 1060 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 5300 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

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 RX 5300

The Radeon RX 5300 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 28 2020. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1327 MHz to 1645 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,606 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon RX 5300's 7,606 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 32.3%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 5300 uses RDNA 1.0, both on 16 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5300). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4.632 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5300). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1645 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5300
G3D Mark Score
10,064+32%
7,606
Architecture
Pascal
RDNA 1.0
Process Node
16 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
2560+82%
1408
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS+92%
4.632 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1733 MHz+5%
1645 MHz
ROPs
64+100%
32
TMUs
160+82%
88
L2 Cache
2 MB+33%
1.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 5300 is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GTX 1060 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce GTX 1060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 5300 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5300
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation
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 RX 5300 carries 3 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 100% 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 168 GB/s (Radeon RX 5300) — a 14.3% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1060. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 96-bit on the Radeon RX 5300. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1.5 MB (Radeon RX 5300) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5300
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+100%
3 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s+14%
168 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit+100%
96-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB+33%
1.5 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX 5300). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5300
DirectX
12
12.1
Vulkan
1.3
1.4+8%
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5300). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX 5300).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5300
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
VCN 2.0
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
VCN 2.0
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon RX 5300's 100W — a 57.1% difference. The Radeon RX 5300 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (Radeon RX 5300). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 180mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5300
TDP
180W
100W-44%
Recommended PSU
400W
350W-13%
Power Connector
6-pin
8-pin
Length
173mm
180mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
55.9
76.1+36%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the Radeon RX 5300 launched at $129. On MSRP, Radeon RX 5300 was 48.2% cheaper ($120 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 59.0 (Radeon RX 5300) — the Radeon RX 5300 offers 46% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 5300 (2020 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5300
MSRP
$249
$129-48%
Performance per Dollar
40.4
59.0+46%
Codename
GP104
Navi 14
Release
May 27 2016
May 28 2020
Ranking
#137
#336

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