GeForce GTX 1060
Radeon RX 590
GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 590 Performance Spectrum
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 590 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 590: 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
2016Why buy it
- ✅8.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Costs $30 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 21.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 33.4 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
- ✅Measures 173mm instead of 241mm, a 68mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
Trade-offs
- ❌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 590
2018Why buy it
- ✅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).
- ✅GeForce GTX 1060 is already legacy-tier future-proofing, so Radeon RX 590 is the less risky modern option long term.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌Older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
- ❌12% HIGHER MSRP$279 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 33.4 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
- ❌39.3% longer card at 241mm vs 173mm.
Quick Answers
Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 590 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 590
The Radeon RX 590 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 15 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1469 MHz to 1545 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 175W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,315 points. Launch price was $279.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon RX 590's 9,315 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 8%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 590 uses GCN 4.0, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 590). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 7.119 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 590). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1545 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 10,064+8% | 9,315 |
| Architecture | Pascal | GCN 4.0 |
| Process Node | 16 nm | 12 nm |
| Shading Units | 2560+11% | 2304 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 8.873 TFLOPS+25% | 7.119 TFLOPS |
| Boost Clock | 1733 MHz+12% | 1545 MHz |
| ROPs | 64+100% | 32 |
| TMUs | 160+11% | 144 |
| L1 Cache | 960 KB+67% | 576 KB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB | 2 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 590 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 590 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 590 carries 8 GB. Radeon RX 590 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 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 590) — a 33.3% advantage for the Radeon RX 590. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 256-bit on the Radeon RX 590.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 6 GB | 8 GB+33% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 192 GB/s | 256 GB/s+33% |
| Bus Width | 192-bit | 256-bit+33% |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB | 2 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.0 (Radeon RX 590). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 | 12.0 |
| 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 3.4 (Radeon RX 590). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX 590).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC (Pascal) | VCE 3.4 |
| Decoder | NVDEC (Pascal) | UVD 6.3 |
| Codecs | H.264,H.265/HEVC | MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon RX 590's 175W — a 2.8% difference. The Radeon RX 590 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 500W (Radeon RX 590). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 180W | 175W-3% |
| Recommended PSU | 400W-20% | 500W |
| Power Connector | 6-pin | 8-pin |
| Length | 173mm | 241mm |
| Height | 111mm | 111mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | — | 80°C |
| Perf/Watt | 55.9+5% | 53.2 |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the Radeon RX 590 launched at $279. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 10.8% cheaper ($30 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 33.4 (Radeon RX 590) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 21% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 590 (2018 vs 2016).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $249-11% | $279 |
| Performance per Dollar | 40.4+21% | 33.4 |
| Codename | GP104 | Polaris 30 |
| Release | May 27 2016 | November 15 2018 |
| Ranking | #137 | #285 |
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.
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar GPU comparisons based on GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon RX 590
