GeForce GTX 550 Ti vs GeForce GTX 1060

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 550 Ti 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 550 Ti 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 550 Ti

2011

Why buy it

✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Draws 116W instead of 180W, a 64W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2011 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 10.5 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Why buy it

✅662.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 286.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 10.5 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 3 GB).
✅GeForce GTX 550 Ti 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.
❌55.2% higher power demand at 180W vs 116W.

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 662.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 546% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 1,558), 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 3 GB of VRAM, a 16nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2016 generation instead of 2011. 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 more expensive on MSRP at $249 vs $149, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 286.5% (40.4 vs 10.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 550 Ti vs GeForce GTX 1060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 550 Ti

The GeForce GTX 550 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 15 2011. It features the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 900 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 116W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,558 points. Launch price was $149.

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 550 Ti scores 1,558 versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 10,064 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 546%. The GeForce GTX 550 Ti is built on Fermi 2.0 while the GeForce GTX 1060 uses Pascal, both on 40 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTX 550 Ti) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060). Raw compute: 0.6912 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 550 Ti) vs 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 550 Ti	GeForce GTX 1060
G3D Mark Score	1,558	10,064+546%
Architecture	Fermi 2.0	Pascal
Process Node	40 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	192	2560+1233%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6912 TFLOPS	8.873 TFLOPS+1184%
ROPs	24	64+167%
TMUs	32	160+400%
L1 Cache	256 KB	960 KB+275%
L2 Cache	0.38 MB	2 MB+426%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 550 Ti	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 550 Ti has 3 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1060 carries 6 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 100% 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 550 Ti and 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060. L2 Cache: 0.38 MB (GeForce GTX 550 Ti) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 550 Ti	GeForce GTX 1060
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	6 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	192 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	192-bit+50%
L2 Cache	0.38 MB	2 MB+426%

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Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: H.264 (GeForce GTX 550 Ti) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 550 Ti	GeForce GTX 1060
Encoder	—	NVENC (Pascal)
Decoder	—	NVDEC (Pascal)
Codecs	H.264	H.264,H.265/HEVC

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 550 Ti draws 116W versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 180W — a 43.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 550 Ti is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 550 Ti) vs 400W (GeForce GTX 1060). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTX 550 Ti	GeForce GTX 1060
TDP	116W-36%	180W
Recommended PSU	400W	400W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	6-pin
Length	—	173mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	—	2
Perf/Watt	13.4	55.9+317%

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Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 550 Ti came in at $149, while the GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 550 Ti was 40.2% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 10.5 (GeForce GTX 550 Ti) vs 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 284.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 (2016 vs 2011).

Feature	GeForce GTX 550 Ti	GeForce GTX 1060
MSRP	$149-40%	$249
Performance per Dollar	10.5	40.4+285%
Codename	GF116	GP104
Release	March 15 2011	May 27 2016
Ranking	#761	#137

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