GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon Vega Frontier Edition

CPU

GPU

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

GTX family

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Radeon Vega Frontier Edition

2017Core: 1382 MHzBoost: 1600 MHz

Similar parts

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GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon Vega Frontier Edition 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 Vega Frontier Edition

Shared System RAM 300

12,753

+26.7%

Radeon RX 470 (móvel)

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 Vega Frontier Edition 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 Vega Frontier Edition: 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

✅3.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $750 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 216.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 12.8 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs Unknown).
✅Radeon Vega Frontier Edition is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1060 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,064 vs 12,753).
❌2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Radeon Vega Frontier Edition

2017

Why buy it

✅+26.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅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.
❌2017 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
301.2% HIGHER MSRP
$999 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 12.8 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($999 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 3.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon Vega Frontier Edition instead at 12,753 vs 10,064, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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 to buy today. It is $750 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 216.6% (40.4 vs 12.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon Vega Frontier Edition 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 Vega Frontier Edition

The Radeon Vega Frontier Edition is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 27 2017. It features the GCN 5.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1382 MHz to 1600 MHz. It has 4096 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12,753 points. Launch price was $999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon Vega Frontier Edition's 12,753 — the Radeon Vega Frontier Edition leads by 26.7%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon Vega Frontier Edition uses GCN 5.0, both on 16 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4,096 (Radeon Vega Frontier Edition). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 13.11 TFLOPS (Radeon Vega Frontier Edition). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1600 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Vega Frontier Edition
G3D Mark Score	10,064	12,753+27%
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 5.0
Process Node	16 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	2560	4096+60%
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS	13.11 TFLOPS+48%
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+8%	1600 MHz
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	160	256+60%
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	1 MB+6%
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Vega Frontier Edition
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 Vega Frontier Edition 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 Vega Frontier Edition. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4 MB (Radeon Vega Frontier Edition) — the Radeon Vega Frontier Edition has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Vega Frontier Edition
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	Shared System RAM
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	System
Bus Width	192-bit	System
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.1 (Radeon Vega Frontier Edition). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Vega Frontier Edition
DirectX	12	12.1
Vulkan	1.3+18%	1.1
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs VCE 4.0 (Radeon Vega Frontier Edition). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs UVD 7.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon Vega Frontier Edition).

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

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon Vega Frontier Edition's 300W — a 50% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1W (Radeon Vega Frontier Edition). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Integrated. Card length: 173mm vs 268mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Vega Frontier Edition
TDP	180W-40%	300W
Recommended PSU	400W	1W-100%
Power Connector	6-pin	Integrated
Length	173mm	268mm
Height	111mm	105mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	85°C
Perf/Watt	55.9+32%	42.5

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the Radeon Vega Frontier Edition launched at $999. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 75.1% cheaper ($750 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.8 (Radeon Vega Frontier Edition) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 215.6% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Vega Frontier Edition (2017 vs 2016).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon Vega Frontier Edition
MSRP	$249-75%	$999
Performance per Dollar	40.4+216%	12.8
Codename	GP104	Vega 10
Release	May 27 2016	June 27 2017
Ranking	#137	#203

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