GeForce GTX 1060
Radeon RX 5500
GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 5500 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 5500 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 5500: 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
2016Why buy it
- ✅93.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅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).
- ❌2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory 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
2019Why 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).
- ✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
- ✅Draws 110W instead of 180W, a 70W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
Quick Answers
Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 5500 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 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)
The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 5500 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 5500 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| 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 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 5500 carries 4 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 50% 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 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500) — a 16.7% advantage for the Radeon RX 5500. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 5500.
| 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
At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the Radeon RX 5500 launched at $179. On MSRP, Radeon RX 5500 was 28.1% cheaper ($70 less). 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 newer card here is Radeon RX 5500 (2019 vs 2016).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon RX 5500 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $249 | $179-28% |
| Performance per Dollar | 40.4 | 49.4+22% |
| Codename | GP104 | Navi 14 |
| Release | May 27 2016 | October 7 2019 |
| Ranking | #137 | #297 |
Affiliate Disclosure
ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar GPU comparisons based on GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon RX 5500
