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

✅+31.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $250 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 163.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 15.3 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $499 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.

Radeon RX 780

2024

Why buy it

✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (7,658 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌
100.4% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 15.3 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Radeon RX 780

2024

Why buy it

✅+31.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $250 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 163.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 15.3 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).

Why buy it

✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

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.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (7,658 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌
100.4% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 15.3 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Radeon RX 780?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 7,658 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon RX 780 is a 2024 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 780 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2024 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 5nm 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 today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce GTX 1060 is about $250 cheaper on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and you are getting 31.4% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 163.4%. Radeon RX 780 is the newer 2024 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture and future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does Radeon RX 780 make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. Radeon RX 780 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, future-proofing, and staying closer to $499 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 currently gives you 31.4% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 163.4%.

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.

GeForce GTX 1060 Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 780 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 780
1080p
low	117 FPS	159 FPS
medium	105 FPS	148 FPS
high	91 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	95 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	138 FPS
medium	87 FPS	118 FPS
high	76 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	66 FPS
medium	49 FPS	57 FPS
high	41 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	41 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 780

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 780
1080p
low	216 FPS	345 FPS
medium	181 FPS	276 FPS
high	148 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	172 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	258 FPS
medium	107 FPS	207 FPS
high	87 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	129 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	163 FPS
medium	51 FPS	133 FPS
high	49 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	86 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 780

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 780
1080p
low	453 FPS	345 FPS
medium	362 FPS	276 FPS
high	302 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	172 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	258 FPS
medium	272 FPS	207 FPS
high	226 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	129 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	172 FPS
medium	181 FPS	138 FPS
high	151 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	86 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 780

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 780
1080p
low	358 FPS	345 FPS
medium	302 FPS	276 FPS
high	260 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	172 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	258 FPS
medium	254 FPS	207 FPS
high	208 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	129 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	163 FPS
medium	133 FPS	138 FPS
high	123 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	86 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 780

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon RX 780

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 780

The Radeon RX 780 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 11 2024. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1295 MHz to 2335 MHz. It has 3840 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 60 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,658 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon RX 780's 7,658 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 31.4%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 780 uses RDNA 3.0, both on 16 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 3,840 (Radeon RX 780). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 35.87 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 780). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 2335 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 780
G3D Mark Score	10,064+31%	7,658
Architecture	Pascal	RDNA 3.0
Process Node	16 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	2560	3840+50%
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS	35.87 TFLOPS+304%
Boost Clock	1733 MHz	2335 MHz+35%
ROPs	64	96+50%
TMUs	160	240+50%
L1 Cache	960 KB+25%	768 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 780 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 780 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 780
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 780 has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs System. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4 MB (Radeon RX 780) — the Radeon RX 780 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 780
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+50%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	System
Bus Width	192-bit	System
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (12_2) (Radeon RX 780). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 780
DirectX	12	12 (12_2)
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 RDNA 3 Dual Media Engine (Radeon RX 780). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs VCN 4.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Radeon RX 780).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 780
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	RDNA 3 Dual Media Engine
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	VCN 4.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon RX 780's 180W — a 0% difference. The Radeon RX 780 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (Radeon RX 780). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 780
TDP	180W	180W
Recommended PSU	400W	350W-13%
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	173mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	—	85°C
Perf/Watt	55.9+32%	42.5

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 780 launched at $499. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 50.1% less ($250 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 15.3 (Radeon RX 780) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 164.1% better value. The Radeon RX 780 is the newer GPU (2024 vs 2016).