GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX Vega 3

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

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

Radeon RX Vega 3

2019Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1001 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX Vega 3 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 Vega 3 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 Vega 3: 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

  • 930.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs Unknown).
  • Radeon RX Vega 3 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1060 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 1100% higher power demand at 180W vs 15W.

Radeon RX Vega 3

2019

Why buy it

  • Draws 15W instead of 180W, a 165W reduction.
  • More future proof: GCN 5.0 (2017−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2019 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 1060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 930.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1371.3% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 684), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 1060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs Unknown of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1060 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon RX Vega 3 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 Vega 3

The Radeon RX Vega 3 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 6 2019. It features the GCN 5.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1001 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 684 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon RX Vega 3's 684 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 1371.3%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX Vega 3 uses GCN 5.0, both on 16 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 192 (Radeon RX Vega 3). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 0.3844 TFLOPS (Radeon RX Vega 3). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1001 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX Vega 3
G3D Mark Score
10,064+1371%
684
Architecture
Pascal
GCN 5.0
Process Node
16 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
2560+1233%
192
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS+2208%
0.3844 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1733 MHz+73%
1001 MHz
ROPs
64+1500%
4
TMUs
160+1233%
12

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX Vega 3 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX Vega 3
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
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 Vega 3 carries 0 MB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and System on the Radeon RX Vega 3.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX Vega 3
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
System
Bus Width
192-bit
System
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (12_1) (Radeon RX Vega 3). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX Vega 3
DirectX
12
12 (12_1)
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4+33%
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX Vega 3). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265,VP9 (Radeon RX Vega 3).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX Vega 3
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
VCE 3.4
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
UVD 6.3
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
H.264,H.265,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon RX Vega 3's 15W — a 169.2% difference. The Radeon RX Vega 3 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1W (Radeon RX Vega 3). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Integrated. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX Vega 3
TDP
180W
15W-92%
Recommended PSU
400W
1W-100%
Power Connector
6-pin
Integrated
Length
173mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75
Perf/Watt
55.9+23%
45.6
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the Radeon RX Vega 3 launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon RX Vega 3 was 100+% cheaper ($249 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs Infinity (Radeon RX Vega 3) — the Radeon RX Vega 3 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX Vega 3 (2019 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060Radeon RX Vega 3
MSRP
$249
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
40.4
Infinity
Codename
GP104
Picasso
Release
May 27 2016
January 6 2019
Ranking
#137
#845

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