Radeon HD 7870 XT 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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce GTX 1060 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 125.1% higher G3D Mark score and 200% more VRAM (6 GB vs 2 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 7870 XT.

Insight	Radeon HD 7870 XT	GeForce GTX 1060
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-125.1%)	✅Leading raw performance (+125.1%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2016 / Pascal (2016−2021))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+200%)
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	Standard Size (267mm)	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

The GeForce GTX 1060 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the GeForce GTX 1060 holds the technical lead. Priced at $60 (vs $270), it costs 78% less, resulting in a 913.2% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon HD 7870 XT	GeForce GTX 1060
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+913.2%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($270)	✅More affordable ($60)

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Radeon HD 7870 XT Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 1060 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 7870 XT and GeForce GTX 1060

Radeon HD 7870 XT

The Radeon HD 7870 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 19 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 925 MHz to 975 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 185W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,470 points. Launch price was $270.

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 Radeon HD 7870 XT scores 4,470 versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 10,064 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 125.1%. The Radeon HD 7870 XT is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce GTX 1060 uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060). Raw compute: 2.995 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060). Boost clocks: 975 MHz vs 1733 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870 XT	GeForce GTX 1060
G3D Mark Score	4,470	10,064+125%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	Pascal
Process Node	28 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	1536	2560+67%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.995 TFLOPS	8.873 TFLOPS+196%
Boost Clock	975 MHz	1733 MHz+78%
ROPs	32	64+100%
TMUs	96	160+67%
L1 Cache	384 KB	960 KB+150%
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	2 MB+300%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 7870 XT	GeForce GTX 1060
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 2.1 (Compatible)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR 3 (Compatible)
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 7870 XT comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1060 has 6 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870 XT	GeForce GTX 1060
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	6 GB+200%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	192 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+33%	192-bit
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	2 MB+300%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 1060). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870 XT	GeForce GTX 1060
DirectX	12 (11_1)	12
Vulkan	1.2	1.3+8%
OpenGL	4.6+2%	4.5
Max Displays	4	4

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060). Decoder: UVD 3.2 vs NVDEC (Pascal). Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060).

Feature	Radeon HD 7870 XT	GeForce GTX 1060
Encoder	VCE 1.0	NVENC (Pascal)
Decoder	UVD 3.2	NVDEC (Pascal)
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,H.265/HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7870 XT draws 185W versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 180W — a 2.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs 400W (GeForce GTX 1060). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 6-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 173mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870 XT	GeForce GTX 1060
TDP	185W	180W-3%
Recommended PSU	500W	400W-20%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	6-pin
Length	267mm	173mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	24.2	55.9+131%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 7870 XT launched at $270 MSRP and currently averages $270, while the GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 and now averages $60. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 77.8% less ($210 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 16.6 (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs 167.7 (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 910.2% better value. The GeForce GTX 1060 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2012).