GeForce GTX 560 SE vs GeForce GTX 1060

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 560 SE

2012Core: 736 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz
GTX family
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GeForce GTX 560 SE vs GeForce GTX 1060 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

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 560 SE 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 560 SE 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 560 SE

2012

Why buy it

  • Costs $99 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • Draws 150W instead of 180W, a 30W reduction.

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.
  • 2012 hardware with 1 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 12.3 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • 21.4% longer card at 210mm vs 173mm.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Why buy it

  • 473.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 228.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 12.3 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • 500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 1 GB).
  • GeForce GTX 560 SE is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1060 is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Measures 173mm instead of 210mm, a 37mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 20% higher power demand at 180W vs 150W.

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 473.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 444.9% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 1,847), 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 2012. 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 $99 more expensive on MSRP at $249 vs $150, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 228.2% (40.4 vs 12.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 560 SE vs GeForce GTX 1060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 560 SE

The GeForce GTX 560 SE is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 20 2012. It features the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 736 MHz. It has 288 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,847 points. Launch price was $89.99.

NVIDIA

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.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 560 SE scores 1,847 versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 10,064 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 444.9%. The GeForce GTX 560 SE is built on Fermi 2.0 while the GeForce GTX 1060 uses Pascal, both on 40 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 288 (GeForce GTX 560 SE) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060). Raw compute: 0.8479 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 560 SE) vs 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060).

FeatureGeForce GTX 560 SEGeForce GTX 1060
G3D Mark Score
1,847
10,064+445%
Architecture
Fermi 2.0
Pascal
Process Node
40 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
288
2560+789%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.8479 TFLOPS
8.873 TFLOPS+946%
ROPs
24
64+167%
TMUs
48
160+233%
L1 Cache
384 KB
960 KB+150%
L2 Cache
0.38 MB
2 MB+426%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce GTX 560 SEGeForce GTX 1060
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 560 SE has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1060 carries 6 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 500% 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 560 SE and 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060. L2 Cache: 0.38 MB (GeForce GTX 560 SE) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 560 SEGeForce GTX 1060
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
6 GB+500%
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%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_0 (GeForce GTX 560 SE) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 1060). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 560 SEGeForce GTX 1060
DirectX
12_0
12
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 560 SE) vs NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060). Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs NVDEC (Pascal).

FeatureGeForce GTX 560 SEGeForce GTX 1060
Encoder
NVENC 1st Gen
NVENC (Pascal)
Decoder
NVDEC 1st Gen
NVDEC (Pascal)
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 560 SE draws 150W versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 180W — a 18.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 560 SE is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 560 SE) vs 400W (GeForce GTX 1060). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 6-pin. Card length: 210mm vs 173mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 560 SEGeForce GTX 1060
TDP
150W-17%
180W
Recommended PSU
500W
400W-20%
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
6-pin
Length
210mm
173mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
2
Perf/Watt
12.3
55.9+354%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 560 SE came in at $150, while the GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 560 SE was 39.8% cheaper ($99 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 12.3 (GeForce GTX 560 SE) vs 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 228.5% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 (2016 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce GTX 560 SEGeForce GTX 1060
MSRP
$150-40%
$249
Performance per Dollar
12.3
40.4+228%
Codename
GF114
GP104
Release
February 20 2012
May 27 2016
Ranking
#706
#137

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