GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 5600M

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon RX 5600M

2020Core: 1035 MHzBoost: 1265 MHz

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - GPU

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.

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

  • +13.6% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

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.
  • 20% higher power demand at 180W vs 150W.

Radeon RX 5600M

2020

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 150W instead of 180W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (8,857 vs 10,064).
  • 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 5600M?
Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 8,857 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon RX 5600M is a 2020 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 5600M is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 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 13.6% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. Radeon RX 5600M is the newer 2020 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture, lower power draw (150W vs 180W), and future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.
When does Radeon RX 5600M make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060?
Yes. Radeon RX 5600M 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 (150W 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 13.6% 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5600M
1080p
low117 FPS103 FPS
medium105 FPS90 FPS
high91 FPS73 FPS
ultra77 FPS44 FPS
1440p
low103 FPS92 FPS
medium87 FPS81 FPS
high76 FPS59 FPS
ultra67 FPS34 FPS
4K
low55 FPS30 FPS
medium49 FPS28 FPS
high41 FPS19 FPS
ultra37 FPS16 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5600M
1080p
low216 FPS220 FPS
medium181 FPS186 FPS
high148 FPS134 FPS
ultra113 FPS100 FPS
1440p
low134 FPS149 FPS
medium107 FPS121 FPS
high87 FPS90 FPS
ultra68 FPS64 FPS
4K
low62 FPS80 FPS
medium51 FPS65 FPS
high49 FPS51 FPS
ultra41 FPS35 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5600M
1080p
low453 FPS399 FPS
medium362 FPS319 FPS
high302 FPS266 FPS
ultra226 FPS199 FPS
1440p
low340 FPS299 FPS
medium272 FPS239 FPS
high226 FPS199 FPS
ultra170 FPS149 FPS
4K
low226 FPS199 FPS
medium181 FPS159 FPS
high151 FPS133 FPS
ultra113 FPS100 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5600M
1080p
low358 FPS283 FPS
medium302 FPS242 FPS
high260 FPS207 FPS
ultra226 FPS162 FPS
1440p
low299 FPS211 FPS
medium254 FPS191 FPS
high208 FPS158 FPS
ultra170 FPS122 FPS
4K
low170 FPS119 FPS
medium133 FPS101 FPS
high123 FPS85 FPS
ultra102 FPS65 FPS

Technical Specifications

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

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 5600M

The Radeon RX 5600M 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: 8,857 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon RX 5600M's 8,857 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 13.6%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 5600M uses RDNA 1.0, both on 16 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 5600M). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 5.829 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5600M). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1265 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5600M
G3D Mark Score
10,064+14%
8,857
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 5600M 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 5600M relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5600M
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 5600M) — a 50% advantage for the Radeon RX 5600M. Bus width: 192-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 3 MB (Radeon RX 5600M) — the Radeon RX 5600M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5600M
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 5600M). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5600M
DirectX
12
12.1
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
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 5600M). 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 5600M).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5600M
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 5600M's 150W — a 18.2% difference. The Radeon RX 5600M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 500W (Radeon RX 5600M). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5600M
TDP
180W
150W-17%
Recommended PSU
400W-20%
500W
Power Connector
6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
173mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
90°C
Perf/Watt
55.9
59.0+6%
💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon RX 5600M is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 5600M
MSRP
$249
Codename
GP104
Navi 10
Release
May 27 2016
July 7 2020
Ranking
#137
#295