GeForce GTX 1060 vs RTX A4000

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

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

RTX A4000

2021Core: 735 MHzBoost: 1560 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 1060 vs RTX A4000 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 A4000 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 A4000: 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

  • Costs $862 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $1,111 MSRP).
  • Delivers 130.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 17.5 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $1,111 MSRP).
  • Measures 173mm instead of 241mm, a 68mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than RTX A4000 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 28.6% higher power demand at 180W vs 140W.

RTX A4000

2021

Why buy it

  • 61.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 6 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 140W instead of 180W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 346.2% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,111 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 17.5 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($1,111 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • 39.3% longer card at 241mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
RTX A4000 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 61.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 93.4% in PassMark G3D (19,463 vs 10,064), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
RTX A4000 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 16 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, a 8nm process instead of 16nm, 48 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2016. 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 $862 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $1,111, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 130.7% (40.4 vs 17.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 1060 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and lighter 1440p headroom, RTX A4000 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 vs RTX A4000 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 A4000

The RTX A4000 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 735 MHz to 1560 MHz. It has 6144 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 140W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 48 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 19,463 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the RTX A4000's 19,463 — the RTX A4000 leads by 93.4%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the RTX A4000 uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 6,144 (RTX A4000). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 19.17 TFLOPS (RTX A4000). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1560 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX A4000
G3D Mark Score
10,064
19,463+93%
Architecture
Pascal
Ampere
Process Node
16 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
2560
6144+140%
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS
19.17 TFLOPS+116%
Boost Clock
1733 MHz+11%
1560 MHz
ROPs
64
96+50%
TMUs
160
192+20%
L1 Cache
0.94 MB
6 MB+538%
L2 Cache
2 MB
4 MB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX A4000
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the RTX A4000 carries 16 GB. RTX A4000 gives you 166.7% 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 448 GB/s (RTX A4000) — a 133.3% advantage for the RTX A4000. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 and 192-bit on the RTX A4000. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4 MB (RTX A4000) — the RTX A4000 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX A4000
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
16 GB+167%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
448 GB/s+133%
Bus Width
192-bit
192-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
4 MB+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.2 (RTX A4000). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX A4000
DirectX
12
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 7th Gen NVENC (RTX A4000). 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 (Decode) (RTX A4000).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX A4000
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
7th Gen NVENC
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the RTX A4000's 140W — a 25% difference. The RTX A4000 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 650W (RTX A4000). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX A4000
TDP
180W
140W-22%
Recommended PSU
400W-38%
650W
Power Connector
6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
173mm
241mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
2
1-50%
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
55.9
139.0+149%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the RTX A4000 launched at $1111. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 77.6% cheaper ($862 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 17.5 (RTX A4000) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 130.9% better value. The newer card here is RTX A4000 (2021 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060RTX A4000
MSRP
$249-78%
$1111
Performance per Dollar
40.4+131%
17.5
Codename
GP104
GA104
Release
May 27 2016
April 12 2021
Ranking
#137
#85

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