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

✅Costs $250 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Draws 180W instead of 263W, a 83W reduction.
✅Measures 173mm instead of 267mm, a 94mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 7800 XT across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 16 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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 40.4 vs 48.6 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Radeon RX 7800 XT

2023

Why buy it

✅73.1% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 20.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 48.6 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌46.1% higher power demand at 263W vs 180W.
❌54.3% longer card at 267mm vs 173mm.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Radeon RX 7800 XT

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $250 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Draws 180W instead of 263W, a 83W reduction.
✅Measures 173mm instead of 267mm, a 94mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅73.1% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 20.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 48.6 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 7800 XT across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 16 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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 40.4 vs 48.6 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌46.1% higher power demand at 263W vs 180W.
❌54.3% longer card at 267mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 7800 XT better than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. Radeon RX 7800 XT is clearly the better overall GPU here. Radeon RX 7800 XT averages 73.1% more FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 24,253 vs 10,064 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon RX 7800 XT is a 2023 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 7800 XT is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2016, 141.0% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 16 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 7800 XT is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon RX 7800 XT is about 100.4% more expensive on MSRP at $499 MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 73.1% more estimated average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data and 141.0% 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.

GeForce GTX 1060 Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 7800 XT Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7800 XT
1080p
low	117 FPS	210 FPS
medium	105 FPS	193 FPS
high	91 FPS	166 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	152 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	192 FPS
medium	87 FPS	160 FPS
high	76 FPS	130 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	120 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	127 FPS
medium	49 FPS	105 FPS
high	41 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	73 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 7800 XT

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7800 XT
1080p
low	216 FPS	450 FPS
medium	181 FPS	393 FPS
high	148 FPS	319 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	281 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	351 FPS
medium	107 FPS	295 FPS
high	87 FPS	237 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	197 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	169 FPS
medium	51 FPS	145 FPS
high	49 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	96 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 7800 XT

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7800 XT
1080p
low	453 FPS	895 FPS
medium	362 FPS	727 FPS
high	302 FPS	631 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	541 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	691 FPS
medium	272 FPS	556 FPS
high	226 FPS	472 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	398 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	481 FPS
medium	181 FPS	389 FPS
high	151 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	262 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 7800 XT

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7800 XT
1080p
low	358 FPS	582 FPS
medium	302 FPS	514 FPS
high	260 FPS	453 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	386 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	461 FPS
medium	254 FPS	413 FPS
high	208 FPS	345 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	295 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	322 FPS
medium	133 FPS	292 FPS
high	123 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	198 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 7800 XT

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon RX 7800 XT

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 7800 XT

The Radeon RX 7800 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 25 2023. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1295 MHz to 2430 MHz. It has 3840 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 263W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 60 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 24,253 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon RX 7800 XT's 24,253 — the Radeon RX 7800 XT leads by 141%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 7800 XT uses RDNA 3.0, both on 16 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 3,840 (Radeon RX 7800 XT). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 37.32 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 7800 XT). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 2430 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7800 XT
G3D Mark Score	10,064	24,253+141%
Architecture	Pascal	RDNA 3.0
Process Node	16 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	2560	3840+50%
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS	37.32 TFLOPS+321%
Boost Clock	1733 MHz	2430 MHz+40%
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 7800 XT 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 7800 XT relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7800 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 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 7800 XT has 16 GB. The Radeon RX 7800 XT offers 166.7% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 624 GB/s (Radeon RX 7800 XT) — a 225% advantage for the Radeon RX 7800 XT. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4 MB (Radeon RX 7800 XT) — the Radeon RX 7800 XT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7800 XT
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	16 GB+167%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	624 GB/s+225%
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 Ultimate (Radeon RX 7800 XT). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7800 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 Dual VCN 4.0 (Radeon RX 7800 XT). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs VCN 4.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9 (Radeon RX 7800 XT).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7800 XT
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	Dual VCN 4.0
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	VCN 4.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon RX 7800 XT's 263W — a 37.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 700W (Radeon RX 7800 XT). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7800 XT
TDP	180W-32%	263W
Recommended PSU	400W-43%	700W
Power Connector	6-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	173mm	267mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	75°C
Perf/Watt	55.9	92.2+65%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 7800 XT 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 48.6 (Radeon RX 7800 XT) — the Radeon RX 7800 XT offers 20.3% better value. The Radeon RX 7800 XT is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2016).