GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 640

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon RX 640

2019Core: 1082 MHzBoost: 1218 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

  • +363.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Delivers 195.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 13.7 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
  • Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
  • 260% higher power demand at 180W vs 50W.

Radeon RX 640

2019

Why buy it

  • Costs $90 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
  • Less risky long-term buy than GeForce GTX 1060: it remains the more sensible modern option while GeForce GTX 1060 is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
  • Draws 50W instead of 180W, a 130W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (2,172 vs 10,064).
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 13.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Radeon RX 640?
Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 2,172 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon RX 640 is a 2019 model from an older generation with FSR 3 + AFMF. 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 640 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2019 generation instead of 2016, better upscaling support with FSR 3 (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 14nm 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 by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 1060 is about 56.6% more expensive on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $159 MSRP, and you are getting 363.4% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 640 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.
When does Radeon RX 640 make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060?
Yes. Radeon RX 640 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 (50W vs 180W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $159 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 currently gives you 363.4% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 195.9%.

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 640
1080p
low117 FPS40 FPS
medium105 FPS26 FPS
high91 FPS19 FPS
ultra77 FPS11 FPS
1440p
low103 FPS28 FPS
medium87 FPS17 FPS
high76 FPS9 FPS
ultra67 FPS5 FPS
4K
low55 FPS10 FPS
medium49 FPS7 FPS
high41 FPS4 FPS
ultra37 FPS3 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 640
1080p
low216 FPS77 FPS
medium181 FPS48 FPS
high148 FPS35 FPS
ultra113 FPS21 FPS
1440p
low134 FPS35 FPS
medium107 FPS26 FPS
high87 FPS17 FPS
ultra68 FPS11 FPS
4K
low62 FPS10 FPS
medium51 FPS7 FPS
high49 FPS6 FPS
ultra41 FPS4 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 640
1080p
low453 FPS98 FPS
medium362 FPS78 FPS
high302 FPS65 FPS
ultra226 FPS49 FPS
1440p
low340 FPS73 FPS
medium272 FPS59 FPS
high226 FPS49 FPS
ultra170 FPS37 FPS
4K
low226 FPS49 FPS
medium181 FPS39 FPS
high151 FPS33 FPS
ultra113 FPS24 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 640
1080p
low358 FPS98 FPS
medium302 FPS78 FPS
high260 FPS65 FPS
ultra226 FPS49 FPS
1440p
low299 FPS73 FPS
medium254 FPS59 FPS
high208 FPS49 FPS
ultra170 FPS37 FPS
4K
low170 FPS49 FPS
medium133 FPS39 FPS
high123 FPS33 FPS
ultra102 FPS24 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon RX 640

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 640

The Radeon RX 640 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 13 2019. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1082 MHz to 1218 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,172 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon RX 640's 2,172 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 363.4%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 640 uses GCN 4.0, both on 16 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 640 (Radeon RX 640). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1.559 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 640). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1218 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 640
G3D Mark Score
10,064+363%
2,172
Architecture
Pascal
GCN 4.0
Process Node
16 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
2560+300%
640
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS+469%
1.559 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1733 MHz+42%
1218 MHz
ROPs
64+300%
16
TMUs
160+300%
40
L1 Cache
960 KB+500%
160 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 640 is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. 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 640 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 640
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR 3
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 640 has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon RX 640) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 640
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+50%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
Unknown
Bus Width
192-bit+50%
128-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (FL 12_0) (Radeon RX 640). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 640
DirectX
12
12 (FL 12_0)
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4
6+50%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 640). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (Radeon RX 640).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 640
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
VCE 3.4
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
UVD 6.3
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
H.264,H.265/HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon RX 640's 50W — a 113% difference. The Radeon RX 640 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (Radeon RX 640). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 640
TDP
180W
50W-72%
Recommended PSU
400W
350W-13%
Power Connector
6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
173mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
1-50%
Perf/Watt
55.9+29%
43.4
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 640 launched at $159. The Radeon RX 640 costs 36.1% less ($90 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 13.7 (Radeon RX 640) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 194.9% better value. The Radeon RX 640 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 640
MSRP
$249
$159-36%
Performance per Dollar
40.4+195%
13.7
Codename
GP104
Polaris 23
Release
May 27 2016
May 13 2019
Ranking
#137
#665