GeForce GTX 1060 vs RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

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

RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

2023Core: 1155 MHzBoost: 2550 MHz
RTX family
·······

GeForce GTX 1060 vs RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU 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 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU 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 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU: 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).
  • Draws 180W instead of 250W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
  • 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

2023

Why buy it

  • 53.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • 38.9% higher power demand at 250W vs 180W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 53.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 10.8% in PassMark G3D (11,153 vs 10,064), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with DLSS 4 Super Resolution (2025) and DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025), 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 100 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 some 1440p headroom, RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU 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 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

The RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 9 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1155 MHz to 2550 MHz. It has 12800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 100 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,153 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU's 11,153 — the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU leads by 10.8%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU uses Ada Lovelace, both on 16 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12,800 (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 65.28 TFLOPS (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 2550 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score
10,064
11,153+11%
Architecture
Pascal
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
16 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
2560
12800+400%
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS
65.28 TFLOPS+636%
Boost Clock
1733 MHz
2550 MHz+47%
ROPs
64
176+175%
TMUs
160
400+150%
L1 Cache
0.94 MB
12.5 MB+1230%
L2 Cache
2 MB
72 MB+3500%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is support for DLSS 4 Multi 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 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 4 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 4 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 4)
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU carries 8 GB. RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU gives you 33.3% 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 128 GB/s (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU) — a 50% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1060. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 64-bit on the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 72 MB (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU) — the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
8 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s+50%
128 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit+200%
64-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
72 MB+3500%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.2 (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
DirectX
12
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 8th Gen NVENC (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). 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 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
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 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU's 250W — a 32.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 500W (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
TDP
180W-28%
250W
Recommended PSU
400W-20%
500W
Power Connector
6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
173mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
55.9+25%
44.6
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU (2023 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
MSRP
$249
Codename
GP104
AD102
Release
May 27 2016
August 9 2023
Ranking
#137
#16

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