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

✅+69% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅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).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option 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).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 85W instead of 180W, a 95W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,954 vs 10,064).
❌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).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Radeon RX 5500M

2019

Why buy it

✅+69% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅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).

Why buy it

✅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 85W instead of 180W, a 95W 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.
❌111.8% higher power demand at 180W vs 85W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,954 vs 10,064).
❌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

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

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 5,954 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon RX 5500M 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 5500M 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 today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce GTX 1060 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $249 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 69.0% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. Radeon RX 5500M is the newer 2019 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture, lower power draw (85W vs 180W), and future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

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

Yes. Radeon RX 5500M 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 (85W vs 180W), future-proofing, and staying closer to an unclear MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 currently gives you 69.0% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%.

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 5500M Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5500M
1080p
low	117 FPS	117 FPS
medium	105 FPS	105 FPS
high	91 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	63 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	109 FPS
medium	87 FPS	94 FPS
high	76 FPS	73 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	55 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	46 FPS
medium	49 FPS	43 FPS
high	41 FPS	30 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	26 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 5500M

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5500M
1080p
low	216 FPS	132 FPS
medium	181 FPS	98 FPS
high	148 FPS	70 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	46 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	86 FPS
medium	107 FPS	58 FPS
high	87 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	32 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	39 FPS
medium	51 FPS	28 FPS
high	49 FPS	23 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	17 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 5500M

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5500M
1080p
low	453 FPS	268 FPS
medium	362 FPS	214 FPS
high	302 FPS	179 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	134 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	201 FPS
medium	272 FPS	161 FPS
high	226 FPS	134 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	100 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	134 FPS
medium	181 FPS	107 FPS
high	151 FPS	89 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	67 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 5500M

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5500M
1080p
low	358 FPS	268 FPS
medium	302 FPS	214 FPS
high	260 FPS	179 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	134 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	201 FPS
medium	254 FPS	161 FPS
high	208 FPS	134 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	100 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	103 FPS
medium	133 FPS	80 FPS
high	123 FPS	70 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	56 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 5500M

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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 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.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon 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)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 5500M 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 5500M relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

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

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon 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.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon 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).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon 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.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon 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%