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

✅Measures 173mm instead of 241mm, a 68mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,064 vs 11,753).
❌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.
❌
8.7% HIGHER MSRP
$249 MSRPvs$229 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 40.4 vs 51.3 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).

Radeon RX 5600

2020

Why buy it

✅+16.8% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $20 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Delivers 27% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.3 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($229 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.

Trade-offs

❌39.3% longer card at 241mm vs 173mm.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Radeon RX 5600

2020

Why buy it

✅Measures 173mm instead of 241mm, a 68mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅+16.8% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $20 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Delivers 27% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.3 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($229 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.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,064 vs 11,753).
❌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.
❌
8.7% HIGHER MSRP
$249 MSRPvs$229 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 40.4 vs 51.3 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌39.3% longer card at 241mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 5600 better than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. Radeon RX 5600 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 11,753 vs 10,064 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon RX 5600 is a 2020 card with FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation, while GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. 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 5600 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2016, 16.8% more raw performance headroom, 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?

Radeon RX 5600 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. Radeon RX 5600 is about $20 cheaper on MSRP at $229 MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 16.8% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 27%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce GTX 1060 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $249 MSRP, even if Radeon RX 5600 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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 5600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5600
1080p
low	117 FPS	80 FPS
medium	105 FPS	70 FPS
high	91 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	38 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	72 FPS
medium	87 FPS	63 FPS
high	76 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	30 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	27 FPS
medium	49 FPS	25 FPS
high	41 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	15 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 5600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5600
1080p
low	216 FPS	223 FPS
medium	181 FPS	188 FPS
high	148 FPS	136 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	149 FPS
medium	107 FPS	122 FPS
high	87 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	64 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	80 FPS
medium	51 FPS	65 FPS
high	49 FPS	51 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	35 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 5600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5600
1080p
low	453 FPS	529 FPS
medium	362 FPS	423 FPS
high	302 FPS	353 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	264 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	397 FPS
medium	272 FPS	317 FPS
high	226 FPS	264 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	198 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	264 FPS
medium	181 FPS	212 FPS
high	151 FPS	176 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	132 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 5600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5600
1080p
low	358 FPS	289 FPS
medium	302 FPS	247 FPS
high	260 FPS	208 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	163 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	216 FPS
medium	254 FPS	195 FPS
high	208 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	122 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	120 FPS
medium	133 FPS	102 FPS
high	123 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	65 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 5600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon RX 5600

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 5600

The Radeon RX 5600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in July 7 2020. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1035 MHz to 1265 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,753 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon RX 5600's 11,753 — the Radeon RX 5600 leads by 16.8%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 5600 uses RDNA 1.0, both on 16 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 5600). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 5.829 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5600). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1265 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5600
G3D Mark Score	10,064	11,753+17%
Architecture	Pascal	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	16 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	2560+11%	2304
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+52%	5.829 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+37%	1265 MHz
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	160+11%	144
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 5600 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 5600 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5600
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)

Both cards feature 6 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 288 GB/s (Radeon RX 5600) — a 50% advantage for the Radeon RX 5600. Bus width: 192-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 3 MB (Radeon RX 5600) — the Radeon RX 5600 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5600
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	288 GB/s+50%
Bus Width	192-bit	192-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX 5600). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5600
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 5600). 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 5600).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5600
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 5600's 150W — a 18.2% difference. The Radeon RX 5600 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 500W (Radeon RX 5600). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5600
TDP	180W	150W-17%
Recommended PSU	400W-20%	500W
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	173mm	241mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	80°C
Perf/Watt	55.9	78.4+40%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 5600 launched at $229. The Radeon RX 5600 costs 8% less ($20 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 51.3 (Radeon RX 5600) — the Radeon RX 5600 offers 27% better value. The Radeon RX 5600 is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2016).