GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon Steam Deck 8CU

CPU

GPU

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

GTX family

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Radeon Steam Deck 8CU

2023Boost: 1900 MHz

Similar parts

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GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon Steam Deck 8CU Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 1060

6 GB 180

10,064

+235.5%

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 Steam Deck 8CU

2 GB 30

3,000

0.0%

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 Steam Deck 8CU 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 Steam Deck 8CU: 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

✅120.1% 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).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌500% higher power demand at 180W vs 30W.
❌17200% longer card at 173mm vs 1mm.

Radeon Steam Deck 8CU

2023

Why buy it

✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 2 (2022−2023) on 6nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 30W instead of 180W, a 150W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 173mm, a 172mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌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 120.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 235.5% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 3,000), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 6nm process instead of 16nm, and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2016. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

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. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 1060 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon Steam Deck 8CU has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon Steam Deck 8CU 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 Steam Deck 8CU

The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 9 2023. It features the RDNA 2 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1900 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,000 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU's 3,000 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 235.5%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU uses RDNA 2, both on 16 nm vs 6 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 512 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1900 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
G3D Mark Score	10,064+235%	3,000
Architecture	Pascal	RDNA 2
Process Node	16 nm	6 nm
Shading Units	2560+400%	512
Boost Clock	1733 MHz	1900 MHz+10%
L1 Cache	960 KB+88%	512 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
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 Steam Deck 8CU carries 2 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 200% 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 64-bit on the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1 MB (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+200%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	192-bit+200%	64-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12_0 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
DirectX	12	12_0
Max Displays	4	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs VCN 3.0 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs VCN 3.0.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	VCN 3.0
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	VCN 3.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU's 30W — a 142.9% difference. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
TDP	180W	30W-83%
Recommended PSU	400W	350W-13%
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	173mm	1mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Perf/Watt	55.9	100.0+79%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon Steam Deck 8CU was 100+% cheaper ($249 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs Infinity (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) — the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Steam Deck 8CU (2023 vs 2016).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
MSRP	$249	$0-100%
Performance per Dollar	40.4	Infinity
Codename	GP104	RDNA 2 Sephiroth
Release	May 27 2016	November 9 2023
Ranking	#137	#480

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