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

✅+156.6% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 54.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 26.1 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs Unknown).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌176.9% higher power demand at 180W vs 65W.

Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $99 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 180W, a 115W reduction.
✅More future proof: Vega (2017−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,922 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2018-era hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.1 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870

2018

Why buy it

✅+156.6% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 54.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 26.1 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs Unknown).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Why buy it

✅Costs $99 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 180W, a 115W reduction.
✅More future proof: Vega (2017−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌176.9% higher power demand at 180W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,922 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2018-era hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.1 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 3,922 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 is a 2018 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. 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?

GeForce GTX 1060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 156.6% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of Unknown, and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. 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?

GeForce GTX 1060 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 1060 is about 66.0% more expensive on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $150 MSRP, and you are getting 156.6% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still fine for 1080p, but 1440p and especially 4K require more compromise. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (65W vs 180W), and staying closer to $150 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 currently gives you 156.6% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 54.6%.

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 Vega M GL / 870 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870
1080p
low	117 FPS	76 FPS
medium	105 FPS	65 FPS
high	91 FPS	51 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	34 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	68 FPS
medium	87 FPS	58 FPS
high	76 FPS	41 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	26 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	24 FPS
medium	49 FPS	23 FPS
high	41 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	13 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870
1080p
low	216 FPS	110 FPS
medium	181 FPS	76 FPS
high	148 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	75 FPS
medium	107 FPS	45 FPS
high	87 FPS	33 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	24 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	34 FPS
medium	51 FPS	23 FPS
high	49 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	13 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870
1080p
low	453 FPS	176 FPS
medium	362 FPS	141 FPS
high	302 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	132 FPS
medium	272 FPS	106 FPS
high	226 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	66 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	88 FPS
medium	181 FPS	71 FPS
high	151 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	44 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870
1080p
low	358 FPS	128 FPS
medium	302 FPS	104 FPS
high	260 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	72 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	97 FPS
medium	254 FPS	80 FPS
high	208 FPS	68 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	57 FPS
medium	133 FPS	45 FPS
high	123 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	27 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870

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 Vega M GL / 870

The Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2018. It features the Vega architecture. The core clock ranges from 931 MHz to 1011 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,922 points.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870's 3,922 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 156.6%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 uses Vega, both on 16 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1,280 (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1011 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870
G3D Mark Score	10,064+157%	3,922
Architecture	Pascal	Vega
Process Node	16 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	2560+100%	1280
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+71%	1011 MHz

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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 Vega M GL / 870 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870
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 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 has 0 MB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 100+% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 179.2 GB/s (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870) — a 7.1% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 1024-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	Shared System RAM
Memory Type	GDDR5	HBM2
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s+7%	179.2 GB/s
Bus Width	192-bit	1024-bit+433%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (12_1) (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870
DirectX	12	12 (12_1)
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870). 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 M GL / 870).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	VCE 3.0
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 M GL / 870's 65W — a 93.9% difference. The Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1W (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Integrated. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870
TDP	180W	65W-64%
Recommended PSU	400W	1W-100%
Power Connector	6-pin	Integrated
Length	173mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	—	80
Perf/Watt	55.9	60.3+8%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 launched at $150. The Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 costs 39.8% less ($99 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 26.1 (Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 54.8% better value. The Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 is the newer GPU (2018 vs 2016).