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 470 vs GeForce GTX 1060 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 470 vs GeForce GTX 1060: 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 470

2010

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2010 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
40.2% HIGHER MSRP
$349 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 9.0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Why buy it

✅134.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅Delivers 348.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 9.0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅380% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 1 GB).
✅GeForce GTX 470 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1060 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 1060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 134.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 220% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 3,145), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GTX 1060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, a 16nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2016 generation instead of 2010. 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 $100 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $349, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 348.5% (40.4 vs 9.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 470 vs GeForce GTX 1060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 470

The GeForce GTX 470 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 26 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 607 MHz. It has 448 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 215W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,145 points. Launch price was $349.

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.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 470 scores 3,145 versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 10,064 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 220%. The GeForce GTX 470 is built on Fermi while the GeForce GTX 1060 uses Pascal, both on 40 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 448 (GeForce GTX 470) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060). Raw compute: 1.089 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 470) vs 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	GeForce GTX 1060
G3D Mark Score	3,145	10,064+220%
Architecture	Fermi	Pascal
Process Node	40 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	448	2560+471%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.089 TFLOPS	8.873 TFLOPS+715%
ROPs	40	64+60%
TMUs	56	160+186%
L1 Cache	896 KB	960 KB+7%
L2 Cache	0.63 MB	2 MB+217%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	GeForce GTX 1060
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 470 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1060 carries 6 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 380% 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 470 and 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060. L2 Cache: 0.63 MB (GeForce GTX 470) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	GeForce GTX 1060
VRAM Capacity	1.25 GB	6 GB+380%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	192 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	192-bit+50%
L2 Cache	0.63 MB	2 MB+217%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.0 (GeForce GTX 470) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 1060). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	GeForce GTX 1060
DirectX	11.0	12+9%
Vulkan	N/A	1.3
OpenGL	4.6+2%	4.5
Max Displays	2	4+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce GTX 470) vs NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060). Decoder: PureVideo VP4 vs NVDEC (Pascal). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264 (GeForce GTX 470) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	GeForce GTX 1060
Encoder	None	NVENC (Pascal)
Decoder	PureVideo VP4	NVDEC (Pascal)
Codecs	MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264	H.264,H.265/HEVC

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 470 draws 215W versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 180W — a 17.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 470) vs 400W (GeForce GTX 1060). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 6-pin. Card length: 241mm vs 173mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	GeForce GTX 1060
TDP	215W	180W-16%
Recommended PSU	550W	400W-27%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	6-pin
Length	241mm	173mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	93	—
Perf/Watt	14.6	55.9+283%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 470 came in at $349, while the GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 28.7% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 9.0 (GeForce GTX 470) vs 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 348.9% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 (2016 vs 2010).

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	GeForce GTX 1060
MSRP	$349	$249-29%
Performance per Dollar	9.0	40.4+349%
Codename	GF100	GP104
Release	March 26 2010	May 27 2016
Ranking	#572	#137

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