GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 5700 XT

CPU

GPU

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

GTX family

·······

Buy on Amazon

Radeon RX 5700 XT

2019Core: 1605 MHzBoost: 1905 MHz

RX family

·······

Buy on Amazon

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 5700 XT Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 1060

6 GB 180

10,064

0.0%

GeForce GTX 680

GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE

GeForce RTX 2050 Mobile

GeForce GTX TITAN Z

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile

GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile

Radeon RX 5700 XT

8 GB 225

16,183

+60.8%

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 5700 XT 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 5700 XT: 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

✅Costs $200 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Delivers 12.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 36.0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Draws 180W instead of 225W, a 45W reduction.
✅Measures 173mm instead of 272mm, a 99mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 5700 XT across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌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.

Radeon RX 5700 XT

2019

Why buy it

✅8.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌
80.3% HIGHER MSRP
$449 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 36.0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌25% higher power demand at 225W vs 180W.
❌57.2% longer card at 272mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon RX 5700 XT is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 8.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 60.8% in PassMark G3D (16,183 vs 10,064), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon RX 5700 XT is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, 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 gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 1060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $200 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $449, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 12.1% (40.4 vs 36.0), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 1060 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and lighter 1440p headroom, Radeon RX 5700 XT has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 5700 XT 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 5700 XT

The Radeon RX 5700 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in July 7 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1605 MHz to 1905 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,183 points. Launch price was $399.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon RX 5700 XT's 16,183 — the Radeon RX 5700 XT leads by 60.8%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 5700 XT uses RDNA 1.0, both on 16 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,560 (Radeon RX 5700 XT). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 9.754 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5700 XT). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1905 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5700 XT
G3D Mark Score	10,064	16,183+61%
Architecture	Pascal	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	16 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	2560	2560
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS	9.754 TFLOPS+10%
Boost Clock	1733 MHz	1905 MHz+10%
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	160	160
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 5700 XT 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 5700 XT leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5700 XT
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 5700 XT carries 8 GB. Radeon RX 5700 XT gives you 33.3% 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 448 GB/s (Radeon RX 5700 XT) — a 133.3% advantage for the Radeon RX 5700 XT. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 256-bit on the Radeon RX 5700 XT. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4 MB (Radeon RX 5700 XT) — the Radeon RX 5700 XT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5700 XT
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	8 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	448 GB/s+133%
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (Radeon RX 5700 XT). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5700 XT
DirectX	12	12
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 VCE (Radeon RX 5700 XT). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs UVD. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (Radeon RX 5700 XT).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5700 XT
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	VCE
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	UVD
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,H.265/HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon RX 5700 XT's 225W — a 22.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 600W (Radeon RX 5700 XT). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 272mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5700 XT
TDP	180W-20%	225W
Recommended PSU	400W-33%	600W
Power Connector	6-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	173mm	272mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	75°C
Perf/Watt	55.9	71.9+29%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the Radeon RX 5700 XT launched at $449. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 44.5% cheaper ($200 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 36.0 (Radeon RX 5700 XT) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 12.2% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 5700 XT (2019 vs 2016).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 5700 XT
MSRP	$249-45%	$449
Performance per Dollar	40.4+12%	36.0
Codename	GP104	Navi 10
Release	May 27 2016	July 7 2019
Ranking	#137	#128

Search GeForce GTX 1060 on Amazon

Search Radeon RX 5700 XT on Amazon

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.