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 970 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 970 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 970

2014

Why buy it

✅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 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
32.1% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 29.3 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Why buy it

✅47.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $80 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 37.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 29.3 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Measures 173mm instead of 267mm, a 94mm 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 47.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 4.4% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 9,640), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GTX 970 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 1060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $80 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $329, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 37.9% (40.4 vs 29.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 1060 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 970 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 970 vs GeForce GTX 1060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 970

The GeForce GTX 970 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 19 2014. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1050 MHz to 1178 MHz. It has 1664 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,640 points. Launch price was $329.

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

The GeForce GTX 970 scores 9,640 and the GeForce GTX 1060 reaches 10,064 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 970 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce GTX 1060 uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060). Raw compute: 3.92 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970) vs 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 1733 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce GTX 1060
G3D Mark Score	9,640	10,064+4%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Pascal
Process Node	28 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	1664	2560+54%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.92 TFLOPS	8.873 TFLOPS+126%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	1733 MHz+47%
ROPs	56	64+14%
TMUs	104	160+54%
L1 Cache	624 KB	960 KB+54%
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 970 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1060 carries 6 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 970) vs 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) — a 16.7% advantage for the GeForce GTX 970. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 970 and 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce GTX 1060
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	6 GB+50%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s+17%	192 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+33%	192-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 970) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 1060). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce GTX 1060
DirectX	12 (FL 12_1)	12
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6+2%	4.5
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2nd gen (GeForce GTX 970) vs NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060). Decoder: PureVideo VP6 vs NVDEC (Pascal). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce GTX 1060
Encoder	NVENC 2nd gen	NVENC (Pascal)
Decoder	PureVideo VP6	NVDEC (Pascal)
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,H.265/HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970 draws 150W versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 180W — a 18.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 970 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 970) vs 400W (GeForce GTX 1060). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 6-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 173mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce GTX 1060
TDP	150W-17%	180W
Recommended PSU	500W	400W-20%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	6-pin
Length	267mm	173mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	—
Perf/Watt	64.3+15%	55.9

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 970 came in at $329, while the GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 24.3% cheaper ($80 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 29.3 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 37.9% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 (2016 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce GTX 1060
MSRP	$329	$249-24%
Performance per Dollar	29.3	40.4+38%
Codename	GM204	GP104
Release	September 19 2014	May 27 2016
Ranking	#269	#137

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