GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 6700 XT

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

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

Radeon RX 6700 XT

2021Core: 2321 MHzBoost: 2581 MHz
RX family
·······

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 6700 XT 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 6700 XT 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 6700 XT: 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

  • Costs $230 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $479 MSRP).
  • Draws 180W instead of 230W, a 50W reduction.
  • Measures 173mm instead of 267mm, a 94mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 6700 XT across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 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.

Radeon RX 6700 XT

2021

Why buy it

  • 51.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 6 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 7nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 27.8% higher power demand at 230W vs 180W.
  • 54.3% longer card at 267mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon RX 6700 XT is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 51.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 96.3% in PassMark G3D (19,754 vs 10,064), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon RX 6700 XT is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, 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, a 7nm process instead of 16nm, and 40 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon RX 6700 XT makes the most sense to buy today. It is $230 more expensive on MSRP at $479 vs $249, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 2% (41.2 vs 40.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 6700 XT 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 6700 XT

The Radeon RX 6700 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 3 2021. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2321 MHz to 2581 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 230W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 40 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 19,754 points. Launch price was $479.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon RX 6700 XT's 19,754 — the Radeon RX 6700 XT leads by 96.3%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 6700 XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 16 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,560 (Radeon RX 6700 XT). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 13.21 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6700 XT). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 2581 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6700 XT
G3D Mark Score
10,064
19,754+96%
Architecture
Pascal
RDNA 2.0
Process Node
16 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
2560
2560
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS
13.21 TFLOPS+49%
Boost Clock
1733 MHz
2581 MHz+49%
ROPs
64
64
TMUs
160
160
L1 Cache
960 KB+88%
512 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB
3 MB+50%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 6700 XT 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 6700 XT leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6700 XT
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 6700 XT carries 12 GB. Radeon RX 6700 XT gives you 100% 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 384 GB/s (Radeon RX 6700 XT) — a 100% advantage for the Radeon RX 6700 XT. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 192-bit on the Radeon RX 6700 XT. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 3 MB (Radeon RX 6700 XT) — the Radeon RX 6700 XT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6700 XT
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
12 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
384 GB/s+100%
Bus Width
192-bit
192-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
3 MB+50%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 Ultimate (Radeon RX 6700 XT). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6700 XT
DirectX
12
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.3
1.4+8%
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs VCE (Radeon RX 6700 XT). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs UVD. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (Radeon RX 6700 XT).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6700 XT
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
VCE
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
UVD
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon RX 6700 XT's 230W — a 24.4% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 650W (Radeon RX 6700 XT). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6700 XT
TDP
180W-22%
230W
Recommended PSU
400W-38%
650W
Power Connector
6-pin
6-pin + 8-pin
Length
173mm
267mm
Height
111mm
110mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
55.9
85.9+54%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the Radeon RX 6700 XT launched at $479. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 48% cheaper ($230 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 41.2 (Radeon RX 6700 XT) — the Radeon RX 6700 XT offers 2% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 6700 XT (2021 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX 6700 XT
MSRP
$249-48%
$479
Performance per Dollar
40.4
41.2+2%
Codename
GP104
Navi 22
Release
May 27 2016
March 3 2021
Ranking
#137
#80

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