GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB

CPU

GPU

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

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Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB

2025Core: 1700 MHzBoost: 3130 MHz

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GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 1060

6 GB 180

10,064

0.0%

GeForce GTX 680

GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE

GeForce RTX 2050 Mobile

GeForce GTX TITAN Z

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile

GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile

Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB

16 GB 160

20,352

+102.2%

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 9060 XT 16 GB 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 9060 XT 16 GB: 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 $100 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅Measures 173mm instead of 260mm, a 87mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB across 50 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 2.1 (2025).
❌2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 40.4 vs 58.3 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB

2025

Why buy it

✅34.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 44.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 58.3 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1 (2025).
✅166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 6 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 4.0 (2025) on 4nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌50.3% longer card at 260mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 34.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 102.2% in PassMark G3D (20,352 vs 10,064), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 16 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) and FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1 (2025), while GeForce GTX 1060 is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 4nm process instead of 16nm, and 32 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 9060 XT 16 GB makes the most sense to buy today. It is $100 more expensive on MSRP at $349 vs $249, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 44.3% (58.3 vs 40.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

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 9060 XT 16 GB

The Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 4 2025. It features the RDNA 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1700 MHz to 3130 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 32 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,352 points. Launch price was $349.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB's 20,352 — the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB leads by 102.2%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB uses RDNA 4.0, both on 16 nm vs 4 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,048 (Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 25.64 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 3130 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB
G3D Mark Score	10,064	20,352+102%
Architecture	Pascal	RDNA 4.0
Process Node	16 nm	4 nm
Shading Units	2560+25%	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS	25.64 TFLOPS+189%
Boost Clock	1733 MHz	3130 MHz+81%
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	160+25%	128
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1. 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 9060 XT 16 GB leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1
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 9060 XT 16 GB carries 16 GB. Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB gives you 166.7% 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 320 GB/s (Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB) — a 66.7% advantage for the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4 MB (Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB) — the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	16 GB+167%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	320 GB/s+67%
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 Ultimate (Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB
DirectX	12	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.3	1.4+8%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4+33%	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs VCN 5.0 (Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs VCN 5.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265,AV1,VP9 (Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	VCN 5.0
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	VCN 5.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,H.265,AV1,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB's 160W — a 11.8% difference. The Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 550W (Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 260mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB
TDP	180W	160W-11%
Recommended PSU	400W-27%	550W
Power Connector	6-pin	8-pin
Length	173mm	260mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	78
Perf/Watt	55.9	127.2+128%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB launched at $349. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 28.7% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 58.3 (Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB) — the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB offers 44.3% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB (2025 vs 2016).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB
MSRP	$249-29%	$349
Performance per Dollar	40.4	58.3+44%
Codename	GP104	Navi 44
Release	May 27 2016	June 4 2025
Ranking	#137	#77

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