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 $3,472 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $3,721 MSRP).
✅Delivers 555.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 6.2 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $3,721 MSRP).
✅Draws 180W instead of 230W, a 50W reduction.
✅Measures 173mm instead of 267mm, a 94mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RTX A5000 across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 24 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.

RTX A5000

2021

Why buy it

✅96.9% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌
1394.4% HIGHER MSRP
$3,721 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 6.2 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($3,721 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌27.8% higher power demand at 230W vs 180W.
❌54.3% longer card at 267mm vs 173mm.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

RTX A5000

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $3,472 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $3,721 MSRP).
✅Delivers 555.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 6.2 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $3,721 MSRP).
✅Draws 180W instead of 230W, a 50W reduction.
✅Measures 173mm instead of 267mm, a 94mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅96.9% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RTX A5000 across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 24 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

❌
1394.4% HIGHER MSRP
$3,721 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 6.2 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($3,721 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌27.8% higher power demand at 230W vs 180W.
❌54.3% longer card at 267mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

So, is RTX A5000 better than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. RTX A5000 is clearly the better overall GPU here. RTX A5000 averages 96.9% more FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 22,951 vs 10,064 in G3D Mark. On top of that, RTX A5000 is a 2021 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, 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?

RTX A5000 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2016, 128.1% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 24 GB instead of 6 GB, and 100.0% more ray-tracing hardware. 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?

RTX A5000 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. RTX A5000 is about 1394.4% more expensive on MSRP at $3,721 MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 96.9% more estimated average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data and 128.1% 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

RTX A5000 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A5000
1080p
low	117 FPS	178 FPS
medium	105 FPS	157 FPS
high	91 FPS	136 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	154 FPS
medium	87 FPS	131 FPS
high	76 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	71 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	77 FPS
medium	49 FPS	66 FPS
high	41 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	42 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open RTX A5000

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A5000
1080p
low	216 FPS	531 FPS
medium	181 FPS	459 FPS
high	148 FPS	350 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	310 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	382 FPS
medium	107 FPS	312 FPS
high	87 FPS	241 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	204 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	190 FPS
medium	51 FPS	158 FPS
high	49 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	109 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open RTX A5000

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A5000
1080p
low	453 FPS	893 FPS
medium	362 FPS	726 FPS
high	302 FPS	631 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	516 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	700 FPS
medium	272 FPS	564 FPS
high	226 FPS	480 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	387 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	480 FPS
medium	181 FPS	391 FPS
high	151 FPS	327 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	258 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open RTX A5000

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A5000
1080p
low	358 FPS	307 FPS
medium	302 FPS	268 FPS
high	260 FPS	223 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	196 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	238 FPS
medium	254 FPS	213 FPS
high	208 FPS	179 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	153 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	145 FPS
medium	133 FPS	123 FPS
high	123 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	81 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open RTX A5000

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and RTX A5000

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.

RTX A5000

The RTX A5000 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1170 MHz to 1695 MHz. It has 8192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 230W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 64 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,951 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the RTX A5000's 22,951 — the RTX A5000 leads by 128.1%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the RTX A5000 uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 8,192 (RTX A5000). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 27.77 TFLOPS (RTX A5000). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1695 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A5000
G3D Mark Score	10,064	22,951+128%
Architecture	Pascal	Ampere
Process Node	16 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2560	8192+220%
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS	27.77 TFLOPS+213%
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+2%	1695 MHz
ROPs	64	96+50%
TMUs	160	256+60%
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	8 MB+751%
L2 Cache	2 MB	6 MB+200%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A5000
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 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the RTX A5000 has 24 GB. The RTX A5000 offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 768 GB/s (RTX A5000) — a 300% advantage for the RTX A5000. Bus width: 192-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 6 MB (RTX A5000) — the RTX A5000 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A5000
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	24 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	768 GB/s+300%
Bus Width	192-bit	384-bit+100%
L2 Cache	2 MB	6 MB+200%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.1 (RTX A5000). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A5000
DirectX	12	12.1
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 7th Gen NVENC (2x) (RTX A5000). 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 A5000).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A5000
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	7th Gen NVENC (2x)
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 A5000's 230W — a 24.4% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 650W (RTX A5000). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A5000
TDP	180W-22%	230W
Recommended PSU	400W-38%	650W
Power Connector	6-pin	8-pin
Length	173mm	267mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	80°C
Perf/Watt	55.9	99.8+79%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the RTX A5000 launched at $3721. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 93.3% less ($3472 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 6.2 (RTX A5000) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 551.6% better value. The RTX A5000 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2016).