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GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 6500

CPUCPUGPUGPU
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz
GTX family
·······
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VS
AMD

Radeon RX 6500

RX family
·······
Buy on Amazon

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 6500 Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 1060
6 GB 180
10,064
+32.2%
brand logoGeForce GTX 680
brand logoGeForce GTX 970XM FORCE
brand logoGeForce RTX 2050 Mobile
brand logoGeForce GTX TITAN Z
brand logoGeForce GTX 980 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 5060 Mobile
brand logoGeForce RTX 2080 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 4080 Mobile
Radeon RX 6500
4 GB 75
7,610
0.0%
brand logoRadeon R9 270 / R7 370
brand logoRadeon RX 5300M
brand logoRadeon HD 6970M Crossfire
brand logoRadeon R9 285
brand logoRadeon RX 7400
brand logoRadeon RX 7700S
brand logoRadeon RX 6700 XT
brand logoRadeon RX 7800 XT

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 6500 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

Path of Exile 2

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low117 FPS
medium105 FPS
high91 FPS
ultra77 FPS
1080P
Radeon RX 6500
low78 FPS
medium68 FPS
high54 FPS
ultra35 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low216 FPS
medium181 FPS
high148 FPS
ultra113 FPS
1080P
Radeon RX 6500
low106 FPS
medium73 FPS
high49 FPS
ultra33 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low453 FPS
medium362 FPS
high302 FPS
ultra226 FPS
1080P
Radeon RX 6500
low299 FPS
medium258 FPS
high196 FPS
ultra160 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low358 FPS
medium302 FPS
high260 FPS
ultra226 FPS
1080P
Radeon RX 6500
low131 FPS
medium107 FPS
high91 FPS
ultra77 FPS
Among Us

Among Us

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low60 FPS
medium60 FPS
high60 FPS
ultra60 FPS
1080P
Radeon RX 6500
low60 FPS
medium60 FPS
high60 FPS
ultra60 FPS
Apex Legends

Apex Legends

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low237 FPS
medium218 FPS
high193 FPS
ultra177 FPS
1080P
Radeon RX 6500
low59 FPS
medium40 FPS
high26 FPS
ultra15 FPS
ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low92 FPS
medium73 FPS
high59 FPS
ultra41 FPS
1080P
Radeon RX 6500
low60 FPS
medium45 FPS
high37 FPS
ultra21 FPS
Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low128 FPS
medium104 FPS
high94 FPS
ultra70 FPS
1080P
Radeon RX 6500
low51 FPS
medium36 FPS
high27 FPS
ultra20 FPS
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low107 FPS
medium91 FPS
high69 FPS
ultra60 FPS
1080P
Radeon RX 6500
low77 FPS
medium60 FPS
high48 FPS
ultra33 FPS
Call of Duty: Warzone

Call of Duty: Warzone

1080P
GeForce GTX 1060
low122 FPS
medium101 FPS
high85 FPS
ultra72 FPS
1080P
Radeon RX 6500
low70 FPS
medium54 FPS
high42 FPS
ultra32 FPS
Check FPS with Custom Builds

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 6500: 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

  • ✅119.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • ✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
  • ✅More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 16nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • ❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
  • ❌2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • ❌140% higher power demand at 180W vs 75W.

Radeon RX 6500

Why buy it

  • ✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • ✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
  • ✅Better long-term bet: Unknown architecture on Unknown node gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • ✅Draws 75W instead of 180W, a 105W reduction.
  • ✅Measures 172mm instead of 173mm, a 1mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • ❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

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 119.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 32.2% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 7,610), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon RX 6500 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer feature stack, with FSR 3 (2023) and FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023), while GeForce GTX 1060 is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support. That still leaves it as the safer long-term option on hardware alone.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 more expensive on MSRP at $249 vs $199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 5.7% (40.4 vs 38.2), 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 6500 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 6500 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

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 6500

The Radeon RX 6500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in sem dados. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,610 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon RX 6500's 7,610 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 32.2%.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6500
G3D Mark Score
10,064+32%
7,610
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 6500 is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. 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 6500 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6500
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 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 6500 carries 4 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 50% 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 144 GB/s (Radeon RX 6500) — a 33.3% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1060. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 64-bit on the Radeon RX 6500.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6500
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+50%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s+33%
144 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit+200%
64-bit
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 6500). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6500
DirectX
12
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4+100%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs None (Radeon RX 6500). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs VCN 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 6500).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6500
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
None
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
VCN 3.0
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon RX 6500's 75W — a 82.4% difference. The Radeon RX 6500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 400W (Radeon RX 6500). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 172mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6500
TDP
180W
75W-58%
Recommended PSU
400W
400W
Power Connector
6-pin
1x 6-pin
Length
173mm
172mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
—
85°C
Perf/Watt
55.9
101.5+82%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the Radeon RX 6500 launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon RX 6500 was 20.1% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 38.2 (Radeon RX 6500) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 5.8% better value.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6500
MSRP
$249
$199-20%
Performance per Dollar
40.4+6%
38.2
Codename
GP104
—
Release
May 27 2016
sem dados
Ranking
#137
#335
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