GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 580 2048SP

CPU

GPU

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

GTX family

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Radeon RX 580 2048SP

2018Core: 1168 MHzBoost: 1284 MHz

Similar parts

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GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 580 2048SP Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 1060

6 GB 180

10,064

+31.8%

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 580 2048SP

16 GB 150

7,633

0.0%

Radeon R9 270 / R7 370

Radeon RX 5300M

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

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 580 2048SP 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 580 2048SP: 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

✅22.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 21.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 33.3 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Measures 173mm instead of 241mm, a 68mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 16 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.
❌20% higher power demand at 180W vs 150W.

Radeon RX 580 2048SP

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $20 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 6 GB).
✅GeForce GTX 1060 is already legacy-tier future-proofing, so Radeon RX 580 2048SP is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 150W instead of 180W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Older hardware, 16 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 33.3 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌39.3% longer card at 241mm vs 173mm.

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 22.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 31.8% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 7,633), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon RX 580 2048SP is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 16 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 14nm process instead of 16nm, and a newer 2018 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 $20 more expensive on MSRP at $249 vs $229, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 21.3% (40.4 vs 33.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. 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 580 2048SP has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 580 2048SP 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 580 2048SP

The Radeon RX 580 2048SP is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 15 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1168 MHz to 1284 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,633 points.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon RX 580 2048SP's 7,633 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 31.8%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 580 2048SP uses GCN 4.0, both on 16 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,048 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 5.259 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1284 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 580 2048SP
G3D Mark Score	10,064+32%	7,633
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 4.0
Process Node	16 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	2560+25%	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+69%	5.259 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+35%	1284 MHz
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	160+25%	128
L1 Cache	960 KB+88%	512 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 580 2048SP 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 580 2048SP leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 580 2048SP
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 580 2048SP carries 16 GB. Radeon RX 580 2048SP gives you 166.7% 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 580 2048SP) — a 16.7% advantage for the Radeon RX 580 2048SP. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 256-bit on the Radeon RX 580 2048SP.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 580 2048SP
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	16 GB+167%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	224 GB/s+17%
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 580 2048SP
DirectX	12	12
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 VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 580 2048SP
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	VCE 3.4
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	UVD 6.3
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon RX 580 2048SP's 150W — a 18.2% difference. The Radeon RX 580 2048SP is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 450W (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 580 2048SP
TDP	180W	150W-17%
Recommended PSU	400W-11%	450W
Power Connector	6-pin	8-pin
Length	173mm	241mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	75°C
Perf/Watt	55.9+10%	50.9

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the Radeon RX 580 2048SP launched at $229. On MSRP, Radeon RX 580 2048SP was 8% cheaper ($20 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 33.3 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 21.3% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 580 2048SP (2018 vs 2016).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 580 2048SP
MSRP	$249	$229-8%
Performance per Dollar	40.4+21%	33.3
Codename	GP104	Polaris 20
Release	May 27 2016	October 15 2018
Ranking	#137	#334

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