GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 6650M

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon RX 6650M

2022Core: 2068 MHzBoost: 2416 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

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 6650M across 30 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 + AFMF (2023).
  • Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
  • 50% higher power demand at 180W vs 120W.

Radeon RX 6650M

2022

Why buy it

  • 18.0% more average FPS across 30 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
  • More future proof: RDNA 2.0 on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
  • Draws 120W instead of 180W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 6650M better than GeForce GTX 1060?
Yes. Radeon RX 6650M is clearly the better overall GPU here. Radeon RX 6650M averages 18.0% more FPS across 30 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 15,171 vs 10,064 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon RX 6650M is a 2022 card with FSR 3 + AFMF, while GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. 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 6650M is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2016, 50.7% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 6 GB, and 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. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
Radeon RX 6650M is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon RX 6650M is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 18.0% more estimated average FPS across 30 tracked games in our benchmark data and 50.7% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1060 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.
Is GeForce GTX 1060 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 1060 is 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM, 10,064 in G3D Mark, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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 6650M
1080p
low117 FPS167 FPS
medium105 FPS148 FPS
high91 FPS131 FPS
ultra77 FPS111 FPS
1440p
low103 FPS140 FPS
medium87 FPS113 FPS
high76 FPS101 FPS
ultra67 FPS91 FPS
4K
low55 FPS84 FPS
medium49 FPS71 FPS
high41 FPS58 FPS
ultra37 FPS50 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6650M
1080p
low216 FPS305 FPS
medium181 FPS255 FPS
high148 FPS201 FPS
ultra113 FPS156 FPS
1440p
low134 FPS195 FPS
medium107 FPS163 FPS
high87 FPS129 FPS
ultra68 FPS103 FPS
4K
low62 FPS105 FPS
medium51 FPS87 FPS
high49 FPS74 FPS
ultra41 FPS56 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6650M
1080p
low453 FPS652 FPS
medium362 FPS518 FPS
high302 FPS435 FPS
ultra226 FPS341 FPS
1440p
low340 FPS495 FPS
medium272 FPS410 FPS
high226 FPS336 FPS
ultra170 FPS256 FPS
4K
low226 FPS333 FPS
medium181 FPS272 FPS
high151 FPS206 FPS
ultra113 FPS166 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6650M
1080p
low358 FPS473 FPS
medium302 FPS394 FPS
high260 FPS330 FPS
ultra226 FPS277 FPS
1440p
low299 FPS371 FPS
medium254 FPS306 FPS
high208 FPS243 FPS
ultra170 FPS198 FPS
4K
low170 FPS212 FPS
medium133 FPS171 FPS
high123 FPS160 FPS
ultra102 FPS124 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon RX 6650M

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 6650M

The Radeon RX 6650M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2068 MHz to 2416 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 15,171 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon RX 6650M's 15,171 — the Radeon RX 6650M leads by 50.7%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 6650M uses RDNA 2.0, both on 16 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1,792 (Radeon RX 6650M). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 8.659 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6650M). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 2416 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6650M
G3D Mark Score
10,064
15,171+51%
Architecture
Pascal
RDNA 2.0
Process Node
16 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
2560+43%
1792
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS+2%
8.659 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1733 MHz
2416 MHz+39%
ROPs
64
64
TMUs
160+43%
112
L1 Cache
960 KB+88%
512 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 6650M 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 6650M relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6650M
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 6650M has 8 GB. The Radeon RX 6650M offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 6650M) — a 16.7% advantage for the Radeon RX 6650M. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6650M
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
8 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
224 GB/s+17%
Bus Width
192-bit+50%
128-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 6650M). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 1.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6650M
DirectX
12
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.3
1.4+8%
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4+300%
1
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs VCN 3.0 (Radeon RX 6650M). 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 6650M).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6650M
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
VCN 3.0
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 6650M's 120W — a 40% difference. The Radeon RX 6650M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 650W (Radeon RX 6650M). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6650M
TDP
180W
120W-33%
Recommended PSU
400W-38%
650W
Power Connector
6-pin
Mobile
Length
173mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
55.9
126.4+126%
💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon RX 6650M is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6650M
MSRP
$249
Codename
GP104
Navi 23
Release
May 27 2016
January 4 2022
Ranking
#137
#148