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 980 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 980 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 980 Ti

2015

Why buy it

✅+36.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅GeForce GTX 1060 is already legacy-tier future-proofing, so GeForce GTX 980 Ti is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2015 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
160.6% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.1 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌38.9% higher power demand at 250W vs 180W.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Why buy it

✅4.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $400 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 91.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Draws 180W instead of 250W, a 70W reduction.
✅Measures 173mm instead of 267mm, a 94mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,064 vs 13,711).
❌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 4.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 980 Ti instead at 13,711 vs 10,064, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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

GeForce GTX 980 Ti 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 $400 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $649, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 91.3% (40.4 vs 21.1), 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 lighter 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 980 Ti has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs GeForce GTX 1060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 2 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1000 MHz to 1075 MHz. It has 2816 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,711 points. Launch price was $649.

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 980 Ti scores 13,711 versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 10,064 — the GeForce GTX 980 Ti leads by 36.2%. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce GTX 1060 uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 2,816 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060). Raw compute: 6.06 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060). Boost clocks: 1075 MHz vs 1733 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce GTX 1060
G3D Mark Score	13,711+36%	10,064
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Pascal
Process Node	28 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	2816+10%	2560
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.06 TFLOPS	8.873 TFLOPS+46%
Boost Clock	1075 MHz	1733 MHz+61%
ROPs	96+50%	64
TMUs	176+10%	160
L1 Cache	1 MB+6%	0.94 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 6 GB of GDDR5. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) — a 75% advantage for the GeForce GTX 980 Ti. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the GeForce GTX 980 Ti and 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 980 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce GTX 1060
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s+75%	192 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+100%	192-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 1060). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce GTX 1060
DirectX	12.1	12
Vulkan	1.1	1.3+18%
OpenGL	4.5	4.5
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 3.0 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC (Pascal). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce GTX 1060
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	NVENC (Pascal)
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	NVDEC (Pascal)
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	H.264,H.265/HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti draws 250W versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 180W — a 32.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 400W (GeForce GTX 1060). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 6-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 173mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce GTX 1060
TDP	250W	180W-28%
Recommended PSU	600W	400W-33%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	6-pin
Length	267mm	173mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	—
Perf/Watt	54.8	55.9+2%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 980 Ti came in at $649, while the GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 61.6% cheaper ($400 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 91.5% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 (2016 vs 2015).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce GTX 1060
MSRP	$649	$249-62%
Performance per Dollar	21.1	40.4+91%
Codename	GM200	GP104
Release	June 2 2015	May 27 2016
Ranking	#179	#137

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