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

✅+13.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 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).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
39.1% HIGHER MSRP
$249 MSRPvs$179 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 40.4 vs 49.4 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
❌63.6% higher power demand at 180W vs 110W.

Radeon RX 5500

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $70 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Delivers 22.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 49.4 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 110W instead of 180W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (8,837 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Radeon RX 5500

2019

Why buy it

✅+13.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Measures 173mm instead of 180mm, a 7mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅Costs $70 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Delivers 22.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 49.4 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 110W instead of 180W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
39.1% HIGHER MSRP
$249 MSRPvs$179 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 40.4 vs 49.4 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
❌63.6% higher power demand at 180W vs 110W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (8,837 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Radeon RX 5500?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 8,837 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon RX 5500 is a 2019 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation. 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?

Radeon RX 5500 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2019 generation instead of 2016, better upscaling support with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 7nm process instead of 16nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce GTX 1060 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 1060 is about 39.1% more expensive on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $179 MSRP, and you are getting 13.9% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 5500 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does Radeon RX 5500 make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. Radeon RX 5500 is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (110W vs 180W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $179 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 currently gives you 13.9% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 5500 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

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 RX 5500 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5500
1080p
low	117 FPS	106 FPS
medium	105 FPS	92 FPS
high	91 FPS	76 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	45 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	94 FPS
medium	87 FPS	81 FPS
high	76 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	35 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	32 FPS
medium	49 FPS	29 FPS
high	41 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	17 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 5500

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5500
1080p
low	216 FPS	113 FPS
medium	181 FPS	79 FPS
high	148 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	37 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	76 FPS
medium	107 FPS	47 FPS
high	87 FPS	34 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	25 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	36 FPS
medium	51 FPS	24 FPS
high	49 FPS	19 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 5500

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5500
1080p
low	453 FPS	349 FPS
medium	362 FPS	304 FPS
high	302 FPS	238 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	198 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	285 FPS
medium	272 FPS	239 FPS
high	226 FPS	199 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	149 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	176 FPS
medium	181 FPS	151 FPS
high	151 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	74 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 5500

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5500
1080p
low	358 FPS	170 FPS
medium	302 FPS	140 FPS
high	260 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	121 FPS
medium	254 FPS	100 FPS
high	208 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	69 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	69 FPS
medium	133 FPS	56 FPS
high	123 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	34 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 5500

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon RX 5500

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 RX 5500

The Radeon RX 5500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 7 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1845 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 110W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,837 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon RX 5500's 8,837 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 13.9%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 5500 uses RDNA 1.0, both on 16 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 5.196 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1845 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5500
G3D Mark Score	10,064+14%	8,837
Architecture	Pascal	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	16 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	2560+82%	1408
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+71%	5.196 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz	1845 MHz+6%
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	160+82%	88

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 5500 is support for FSR Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce GTX 1060 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.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 RX 5500 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5500
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 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 5500 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 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500) — a 16.7% advantage for the Radeon RX 5500. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5500
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+50%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	224 GB/s+17%
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX 5500). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5500
DirectX	12	12.1
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
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 5500). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5500
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	VCN 2.0
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	VCN 2.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon RX 5500's 110W — a 48.3% difference. The Radeon RX 5500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 450W (Radeon RX 5500). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 180mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5500
TDP	180W	110W-39%
Recommended PSU	400W-11%	450W
Power Connector	6-pin	8-pin
Length	173mm	180mm
Height	111mm	110mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	75°C
Perf/Watt	55.9	80.3+44%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 5500 launched at $179. The Radeon RX 5500 costs 28.1% less ($70 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 49.4 (Radeon RX 5500) — the Radeon RX 5500 offers 22.3% better value. The Radeon RX 5500 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2016).