GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 5500M

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

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

Radeon RX 5500M

2019Core: 1375 MHzBoost: 1645 MHz

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 5500M 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 5500M 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 5500M: 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

  • 91.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).

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.
  • 111.8% higher power demand at 180W vs 85W.

Radeon RX 5500M

2019

Why buy it

  • 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 85W instead of 180W, a 95W 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.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown 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 91.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 69% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 5,954), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon RX 5500M 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 2019 generation instead of 2016. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1060 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 1060 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon RX 5500M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 5500M 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 5500M

The Radeon RX 5500M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 7 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1375 MHz to 1645 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 85W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,954 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon RX 5500M's 5,954 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 69%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 5500M uses RDNA 1.0, both on 16 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500M). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4.632 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500M). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1645 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5500M
G3D Mark Score
10,064+69%
5,954
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
2 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 5500M 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 5500M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5500M
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 5500M 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 5500M) — a 16.7% advantage for the Radeon RX 5500M. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 5500M.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5500M
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
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (Radeon RX 5500M). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5500M
DirectX
12
12
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4+33%
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5500M). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500M).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5500M
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
VCN 2.0
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
VCN 2.0
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon RX 5500M's 85W — a 71.7% difference. The Radeon RX 5500M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (Radeon RX 5500M). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5500M
TDP
180W
85W-53%
Recommended PSU
400W
350W-13%
Power Connector
6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
173mm
0mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
55.9
70.0+25%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon RX 5500M (2019 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5500M
MSRP
$249
Codename
GP104
Navi 14
Release
May 27 2016
October 7 2019
Ranking
#137
#400

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