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

✅Costs $751 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
✅Delivers 188.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 14.0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RadeonT RX 6850M XT across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

RadeonT RX 6850M XT

2022

Why buy it

✅39.0% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌
301.6% HIGHER MSRP
$1,000 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 14.0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($1,000 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

RadeonT RX 6850M XT

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $751 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
✅Delivers 188.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 14.0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅39.0% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RadeonT RX 6850M XT across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Trade-offs

❌
301.6% HIGHER MSRP
$1,000 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 14.0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($1,000 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is RadeonT RX 6850M XT better than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. RadeonT RX 6850M XT is clearly the better overall GPU here. RadeonT RX 6850M XT averages 39.0% more FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 13,992 vs 10,064 in G3D Mark. On top of that, RadeonT RX 6850M XT is a 2022 card with FSR upscaling, while GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. 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?

RadeonT RX 6850M XT is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2016, 39.0% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 6 GB, and better upscaling support with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. 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?

RadeonT RX 6850M XT is the smarter buy by a wide margin. RadeonT RX 6850M XT is about 301.6% more expensive on MSRP at $1,000 MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 39.0% more estimated average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data and 39.0% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1060 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is GeForce GTX 1060 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 1060 is 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM, 10,064 in G3D Mark, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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

RadeonT RX 6850M XT Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
1080p
low	117 FPS	179 FPS
medium	105 FPS	159 FPS
high	91 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	122 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	145 FPS
medium	87 FPS	117 FPS
high	76 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	97 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	87 FPS
medium	49 FPS	73 FPS
high	41 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	52 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open RadeonT RX 6850M XT

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
1080p
low	216 FPS	446 FPS
medium	181 FPS	365 FPS
high	148 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	243 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	281 FPS
medium	107 FPS	229 FPS
high	87 FPS	195 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	162 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	126 FPS
medium	51 FPS	107 FPS
high	49 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	69 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open RadeonT RX 6850M XT

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
1080p
low	453 FPS	630 FPS
medium	362 FPS	504 FPS
high	302 FPS	420 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	315 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	472 FPS
medium	272 FPS	378 FPS
high	226 FPS	315 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	236 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	315 FPS
medium	181 FPS	252 FPS
high	151 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	157 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open RadeonT RX 6850M XT

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
1080p
low	358 FPS	630 FPS
medium	302 FPS	504 FPS
high	260 FPS	420 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	315 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	472 FPS
medium	254 FPS	378 FPS
high	208 FPS	315 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	236 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	315 FPS
medium	133 FPS	252 FPS
high	123 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	157 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open RadeonT RX 6850M XT

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and RadeonT RX 6850M XT

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.

RadeonT RX 6850M XT

The RadeonT RX 6850M XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2321 MHz to 2581 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 165W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 40 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,992 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the RadeonT RX 6850M XT's 13,992 — the RadeonT RX 6850M XT leads by 39%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the RadeonT RX 6850M XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 16 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,560 (RadeonT RX 6850M XT). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 13.21 TFLOPS (RadeonT RX 6850M XT). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 2581 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
G3D Mark Score	10,064	13,992+39%
Architecture	Pascal	RDNA 2.0
Process Node	16 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	2560	2560
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS	13.21 TFLOPS+49%
Boost Clock	1733 MHz	2581 MHz+49%
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	160	160
L1 Cache	960 KB+88%	512 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

✨

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 RadeonT RX 6850M XT relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
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 RadeonT RX 6850M XT has 12 GB. The RadeonT RX 6850M XT offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 3 MB (RadeonT RX 6850M XT) — the RadeonT RX 6850M XT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	12 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.2 (RadeonT RX 6850M XT). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 1.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
DirectX	12	12.2+2%
Vulkan	1.3	1.4+8%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4+300%	1

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs VCN 3.0 (RadeonT RX 6850M XT). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs VCN 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (RadeonT RX 6850M XT).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	VCN 3.0
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	VCN 3.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the RadeonT RX 6850M XT's 165W — a 8.7% difference. The RadeonT RX 6850M XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 500W (RadeonT RX 6850M XT). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
TDP	180W	165W-8%
Recommended PSU	400W-20%	500W
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	173mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	—	85°C
Perf/Watt	55.9	84.8+52%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the RadeonT RX 6850M XT launched at $1000. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 75.1% less ($751 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 14.0 (RadeonT RX 6850M XT) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 188.6% better value. The RadeonT RX 6850M XT is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2016).