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 with Max-Q Design vs Quadro M5500 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 with Max-Q Design vs Quadro M5500: 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 with Max-Q Design

2017

Why buy it

✅Draws 80W instead of 150W, a 70W reduction.
✅More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 16nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Quadro M5500 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2017 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 9.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $800 MSRP).

Quadro M5500

2016

Why buy it

✅14.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

❌2016 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌87.5% higher power demand at 150W vs 80W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Quadro M5500 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 14.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.8% in PassMark G3D (7,915 vs 7,853), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 16nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2017 generation instead of 2016. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Quadro M5500 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, Quadro M5500 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design vs Quadro M5500 Technical Specifications

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

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.

Quadro M5500

The Quadro M5500 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 8 2016. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1140 MHz to 1165 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,915 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design scores 7,853 and the Quadro M5500 reaches 7,915 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design is built on Pascal while the Quadro M5500 uses Maxwell 2.0, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 2,048 (Quadro M5500). Raw compute: 3.789 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 4.772 TFLOPS (Quadro M5500). Boost clocks: 1480 MHz vs 1165 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	Quadro M5500
G3D Mark Score	7,853	7,915
Architecture	Pascal	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	16 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1280	2048+60%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.789 TFLOPS	4.772 TFLOPS+26%
Boost Clock	1480 MHz+27%	1165 MHz
ROPs	48	64+33%
TMUs	80	128+60%
L1 Cache	480 KB	768 KB+60%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	2 MB+33%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Quadro M5500 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	Quadro M5500
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro M5500 carries 8 GB. Quadro M5500 gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design and 256-bit on the Quadro M5500. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 2 MB (Quadro M5500) — the Quadro M5500 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	Quadro M5500
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	8 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit+100%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	2 MB+33%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 12 (12_1) (Quadro M5500). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	Quadro M5500
DirectX	12.1	12 (12_1)
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6.0 (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs NVENC (Maxwell) (Quadro M5500). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP8 vs NVDEC (Maxwell). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Quadro M5500).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	Quadro M5500
Encoder	NVENC 6.0	NVENC (Maxwell)
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP8	NVDEC (Maxwell)
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9	H.264,H.265,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design draws 80W versus the Quadro M5500's 150W — a 60.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 350W (Quadro M5500). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	Quadro M5500
TDP	80W-47%	150W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Length	0mm	0mm
Height	0mm	0mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	—	85
Perf/Watt	98.2+86%	52.8

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design (2017 vs 2016).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	Quadro M5500
MSRP	—	$800
Codename	GP106	GM204
Release	June 27 2017	April 8 2016
Ranking	#401	#321

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