GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design is positioned at rank #9 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Excellent cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

#6

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

111%

#8

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

100%

#9

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

100%

#13

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

91%

#14

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

90%

#18

Radeon RX 560X (móvel)

MSRP: $55|Avg: $55

89%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

#1

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

MSRP: $399|Avg: $280

106%

#2

GeForce RTX 5060

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

102%

#3

Radeon RX 5600 XT

MSRP: $279|Avg: $180

101%

#4

Radeon RX 9060

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

101%

#5

GeForce RTX 5050

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

101%

#6

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

MSRP: $249|Avg: $150

100%

#7

Arc A580

MSRP: $179|Avg: $179

99%

#8

Radeon RX 9060 XT

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

98%

#9

Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

97%

#10

Radeon RX 7600

MSRP: $269|Avg: $250

97%

#11

Radeon RX 6600

MSRP: $329|Avg: $180

96%

#12

GeForce RTX 4060

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

96%

#13

Arc B570

MSRP: $219|Avg: $219

94%

#14

Arc B580

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

94%

#15

Radeon RX 6500 XT

MSRP: $199|Avg: $150

94%

#16

GeForce RTX 3070

MSRP: $499|Avg: $200

93%

#17

Radeon RX 6700

MSRP: $379|Avg: $300

92%

#18

Radeon RX 6600 XT

MSRP: $379|Avg: $170

91%

#19

Radeon RX590 GME

MSRP: $173|Avg: $115

91%

#20

Radeon RX 6650 XT

MSRP: $399|Avg: $230

90%

#21

GeForce RTX 5060 Ti

MSRP: $379|Avg: $379

89%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM uses modern memory architecture. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 51.4% higher G3D Mark score and 33.3% more VRAM (8 GB vs 6 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design.

Insight	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-51.4%)	✅Leading raw performance (+51.4%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2017 / Pascal (2016−2021))	🏆Elite Architecture (Ampere (2020−2025) / 8nm)
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	✨ DLSS 3/4 + Frame Gen Support
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	🎮 High Capacity (8 GB)
Efficiency	Normal Efficiency	Normal Efficiency
Case Fit	—	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Although it costs $150 (vs $100), its significant performance lead justifies the premium, offering 1% better value per dollar than the GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design.

Insight	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+1%)
Upfront Cost	✅More affordable ($100)	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($150)

Performance Check

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 7800X3D 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 with Max-Q Design Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design and GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 27 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1063 MHz to 1480 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 80W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,853 points.

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1515 MHz to 1755 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 20 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,892 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design scores 7,853 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM's 11,892 — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM leads by 51.4%. The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 2,560 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Raw compute: 3.789 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 8.986 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Boost clocks: 1480 MHz vs 1755 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
G3D Mark Score	7,853	11,892+51%
Architecture	Pascal	Ampere
Process Node	16 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1280	2560+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.789 TFLOPS	8.986 TFLOPS+137%
Boost Clock	1480 MHz	1755 MHz+19%
ROPs	48+50%	32
TMUs	80	80
L1 Cache	0.47 MB	2.5 MB+432%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	2 MB+33%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
Upscaling Tech	FSR 2.1 (Compatible)	DLSS 2.0
Frame Generation	FSR 3 (Compatible)	FSR 3 / AFMF (Compatible)
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 128 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 224 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) — a 75% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	8 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	128 GB/s	224 GB/s+75%
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	2 MB+33%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
DirectX	12.1	12.2
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6.0 (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 8th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP8 vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
Encoder	NVENC 6.0	8th Gen NVENC
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP8	5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design draws 80W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM's 130W — a 47.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 450W (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 235mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
TDP	80W-38%	130W
Recommended PSU	350W-22%	450W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	8-pin
Length	0mm	235mm
Height	0mm	124mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	—	75°C
Perf/Watt	98.2+7%	91.5

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design costs 33.3% less ($50 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 78.5 (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 79.3 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM offers 1% better value. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2017).