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 $750 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 29.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 31.3 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Draws 180W instead of 355W, a 175W reduction.
✅Measures 173mm instead of 287mm, a 114mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,064 vs 31,285).
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 24 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.

Radeon RX 7900 XTX

2022

Why buy it

✅+210.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌
301.2% HIGHER MSRP
$999 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 31.3 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌97.2% higher power demand at 355W vs 180W.
❌65.9% longer card at 287mm vs 173mm.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Radeon RX 7900 XTX

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $750 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 29.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 31.3 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Draws 180W instead of 355W, a 175W reduction.
✅Measures 173mm instead of 287mm, a 114mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅+210.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,064 vs 31,285).
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 24 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.

Trade-offs

❌
301.2% HIGHER MSRP
$999 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 31.3 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌97.2% higher power demand at 355W vs 180W.
❌65.9% longer card at 287mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 7900 XTX better than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. Radeon RX 7900 XTX is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 31,285 vs 10,064 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon RX 7900 XTX 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 7900 XTX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2016, 210.9% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 24 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 7900 XTX is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon RX 7900 XTX is about 301.2% more expensive on MSRP at $999 MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 210.9% 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 7900 XTX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7900 XTX
1080p
low	117 FPS	325 FPS
medium	105 FPS	310 FPS
high	91 FPS	265 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	209 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	307 FPS
medium	87 FPS	258 FPS
high	76 FPS	208 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	168 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	188 FPS
medium	49 FPS	156 FPS
high	41 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	106 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 7900 XTX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7900 XTX
1080p
low	216 FPS	881 FPS
medium	181 FPS	690 FPS
high	148 FPS	534 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	472 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	678 FPS
medium	107 FPS	545 FPS
high	87 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	362 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	375 FPS
medium	51 FPS	308 FPS
high	49 FPS	276 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	237 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 7900 XTX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7900 XTX
1080p
low	453 FPS	999 FPS
medium	362 FPS	999 FPS
high	302 FPS	939 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	704 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	964 FPS
medium	272 FPS	845 FPS
high	226 FPS	704 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	528 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	580 FPS
medium	181 FPS	504 FPS
high	151 FPS	438 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	352 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 7900 XTX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7900 XTX
1080p
low	358 FPS	999 FPS
medium	302 FPS	884 FPS
high	260 FPS	779 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	672 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	772 FPS
medium	254 FPS	655 FPS
high	208 FPS	563 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	483 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	547 FPS
medium	133 FPS	475 FPS
high	123 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	352 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX 7900 XTX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon RX 7900 XTX

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 7900 XTX

The Radeon RX 7900 XTX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 3 2022. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1929 MHz to 2498 MHz. It has 6144 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 355W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 96 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 31,285 points. Launch price was $999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon RX 7900 XTX's 31,285 — the Radeon RX 7900 XTX leads by 210.9%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 7900 XTX uses RDNA 3.0, both on 16 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 6,144 (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 61.39 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 2498 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7900 XTX
G3D Mark Score	10,064	31,285+211%
Architecture	Pascal	RDNA 3.0
Process Node	16 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	2560	6144+140%
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS	61.39 TFLOPS+592%
Boost Clock	1733 MHz	2498 MHz+44%
ROPs	64	192+200%
TMUs	160	384+140%
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	3 MB+219%
L2 Cache	2 MB	6 MB+200%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 7900 XTX 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 7900 XTX relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7900 XTX
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 7900 XTX has 24 GB. The Radeon RX 7900 XTX offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 960 GB/s (Radeon RX 7900 XTX) — a 400% advantage for the Radeon RX 7900 XTX. Bus width: 192-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 6 MB (Radeon RX 7900 XTX) — the Radeon RX 7900 XTX has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7900 XTX
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	24 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	960 GB/s+400%
Bus Width	192-bit	384-bit+100%
L2 Cache	2 MB	6 MB+200%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 Ultimate (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7900 XTX
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 AMD Dual Media Engine (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs AMD Dual Media Engine. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (Radeon RX 7900 XTX).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7900 XTX
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	AMD Dual Media Engine
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	AMD Dual Media Engine
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon RX 7900 XTX's 355W — a 65.4% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 800W (Radeon RX 7900 XTX). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 287mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 7900 XTX
TDP	180W-49%	355W
Recommended PSU	400W-50%	800W
Power Connector	6-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	173mm	287mm
Height	111mm	110mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	68°C
Perf/Watt	55.9	88.1+58%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 7900 XTX launched at $999. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 75.1% less ($750 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 31.3 (Radeon RX 7900 XTX) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 29.1% better value. The Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2016).