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

✅+533.8% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅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).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon Vega 9: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon Vega 9 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.
❌300% higher power demand at 180W vs 45W.

Radeon Vega 9

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 180W, a 135W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 5.1 (2018−2022) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,588 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2021-era hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Radeon Vega 9

2021

Why buy it

✅+533.8% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅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).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon Vega 9: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon Vega 9 is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 180W, a 135W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 5.1 (2018−2022) on 7nm 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.
❌300% higher power demand at 180W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,588 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2021-era hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Radeon Vega 9?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 1,588 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon Vega 9 is a 2021 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 533.8% 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 today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce GTX 1060 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $249 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 533.8% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. Radeon Vega 9 is the newer 2021 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture and lower power draw (45W vs 180W) than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does Radeon Vega 9 make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. Radeon Vega 9 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 (45W vs 180W), and staying closer to an unclear MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 currently gives you 533.8% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%.

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 Vega 9 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Vega 9
1080p
low	117 FPS	28 FPS
medium	105 FPS	20 FPS
high	91 FPS	13 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	8 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	21 FPS
medium	87 FPS	13 FPS
high	76 FPS	7 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	4 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	9 FPS
medium	49 FPS	6 FPS
high	41 FPS	3 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	3 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon Vega 9

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Vega 9
1080p
low	216 FPS	71 FPS
medium	181 FPS	50 FPS
high	148 FPS	33 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	24 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	48 FPS
medium	107 FPS	26 FPS
high	87 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	15 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	23 FPS
medium	51 FPS	14 FPS
high	49 FPS	11 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	8 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon Vega 9

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Vega 9
1080p
low	453 FPS	71 FPS
medium	362 FPS	57 FPS
high	302 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	36 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	54 FPS
medium	272 FPS	43 FPS
high	226 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	36 FPS
medium	181 FPS	29 FPS
high	151 FPS	24 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	18 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon Vega 9

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Vega 9
1080p
low	358 FPS	71 FPS
medium	302 FPS	57 FPS
high	260 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	36 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	54 FPS
medium	254 FPS	43 FPS
high	208 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	36 FPS
medium	133 FPS	29 FPS
high	123 FPS	24 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	18 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon Vega 9

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon Vega 9

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 Vega 9

The Radeon Vega 9 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 13 2021. It features the GCN 5.1 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1900 MHz. It has 448 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,588 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon Vega 9's 1,588 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 533.8%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon Vega 9 uses GCN 5.1, both on 16 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 448 (Radeon Vega 9). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1.702 TFLOPS (Radeon Vega 9). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1900 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Vega 9
G3D Mark Score	10,064+534%	1,588
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 5.1
Process Node	16 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	2560+471%	448
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+421%	1.702 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz	1900 MHz+10%
ROPs	64+700%	8
TMUs	160+471%	28

✨

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 Vega 9 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Vega 9
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 Vega 9 has 0 MB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 100+% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs System.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Vega 9
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 Vega 9). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Vega 9
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 4.0 (Radeon Vega 9). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs UVD 7.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon Vega 9).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Vega 9
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	VCE 4.0
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	UVD 7.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,H.265,VP9,MPEG-2,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon Vega 9's 45W — a 120% difference. The Radeon Vega 9 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1W (Radeon Vega 9). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Integrated. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Vega 9
TDP	180W	45W-75%
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+58%	35.3

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon Vega 9 launched at $0. The Radeon Vega 9 costs 100+% less ($249 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs Infinity (Radeon Vega 9) — the Radeon Vega 9 offers Infinity% better value. The Radeon Vega 9 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2016).