GeForce GTX 1060 vs RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz
GTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile

2023Core: 1290 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz
RTX family
·······

GeForce GTX 1060 vs RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile Performance Spectrum

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 RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile 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 RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile: 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

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 63.6% higher power demand at 180W vs 110W.

RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile

2023

Why buy it

  • 72.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 6 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 110W instead of 180W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 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?
RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 72.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 120.3% in PassMark G3D (22,167 vs 10,064), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce GTX 1060 is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 16nm, and 58 vs 0 ray-tracing units. 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 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 strong 1440p headroom, RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

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.

NVIDIA

RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile

The RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 21 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1290 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 7424 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 110W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 58 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,167 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile's 22,167 — the RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile leads by 120.3%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile uses Ada Lovelace, both on 16 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 7,424 (RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 24.72 TFLOPS (RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1665 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile
G3D Mark Score
10,064
22,167+120%
Architecture
Pascal
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
16 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
2560
7424+190%
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS
24.72 TFLOPS+179%
Boost Clock
1733 MHz+4%
1665 MHz
ROPs
64
80+25%
TMUs
160
232+45%
L1 Cache
0.94 MB
7.3 MB+677%
L2 Cache
2 MB
48 MB+2300%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GTX 1060 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile carries 12 GB. RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 432 GB/s (RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile) — a 125% advantage for the RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 192-bit on the RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 48 MB (RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile) — the RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
12 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
432 GB/s+125%
Bus Width
192-bit
192-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
48 MB+2300%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.2 (RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 1.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile
DirectX
12
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4+300%
1
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 8th Gen NVENC (RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
8th Gen NVENC
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile's 110W — a 48.3% difference. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 150W (RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile
TDP
180W
110W-39%
Recommended PSU
400W
150W-63%
Power Connector
6-pin
Mobile
Length
173mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
55.9
201.5+260%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile (2023 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX 4000 Ada Generation Mobile
MSRP
$249
Codename
GP104
AD104
Release
May 27 2016
March 21 2023
Ranking
#137
#64

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