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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 1060 3GB

2016

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,681 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $1,880 MSRP).
✅Delivers 813.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 49.3 vs 5.4 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $1,880 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌71.4% higher power demand at 120W vs 70W.
❌48.8% longer card at 250mm vs 168mm.

Tesla T4

2018

Why buy it

✅166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than GeForce GTX 1060 3GB: it remains the more sensible modern option while GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
✅Draws 70W instead of 120W, a 50W reduction.
✅Measures 168mm instead of 250mm, a 82mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌
844.7% HIGHER MSRP
$1,880 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.4 vs 49.3 G3D/$ ($1,880 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060 3GB

2016

Tesla T4

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,681 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $1,880 MSRP).
✅Delivers 813.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 49.3 vs 5.4 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $1,880 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than GeForce GTX 1060 3GB: it remains the more sensible modern option while GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
✅Draws 70W instead of 120W, a 50W reduction.
✅Measures 168mm instead of 250mm, a 82mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌71.4% higher power demand at 120W vs 70W.
❌48.8% longer card at 250mm vs 168mm.

Trade-offs

❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌
844.7% HIGHER MSRP
$1,880 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.4 vs 49.3 G3D/$ ($1,880 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Tesla T4 better than GeForce GTX 1060 3GB?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 9,815 vs 10,153 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Tesla T4 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, no meaningful modern upscaling stack, plus much lower power draw (70W vs 120W).

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Tesla T4 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2018 generation instead of 2016, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 3 GB, 100.0% more ray-tracing hardware, and a 12nm process instead of 16nm. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

Tesla T4 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Tesla T4 is about 844.7% more expensive on MSRP at $1,880 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and you are getting 3.4% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1060 3GB really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is GeForce GTX 1060 3GB still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is 2016 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM, 9,815 in G3D Mark, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

Games Benchmarks

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 9800X3D 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.

GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Benchmark Check

Tesla T4 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Tesla T4
1080p
low	95 FPS	165 FPS
medium	83 FPS	144 FPS
high	70 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	75 FPS
1440p
low	84 FPS	132 FPS
medium	70 FPS	110 FPS
high	58 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	41 FPS	51 FPS
medium	38 FPS	44 FPS
high	27 FPS	32 FPS
ultra	24 FPS	27 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Open Tesla T4

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Tesla T4
1080p
low	191 FPS	180 FPS
medium	161 FPS	143 FPS
high	132 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	103 FPS
1440p
low	127 FPS	135 FPS
medium	101 FPS	105 FPS
high	80 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	61 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	54 FPS	79 FPS
medium	45 FPS	63 FPS
high	43 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	39 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Open Tesla T4

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Tesla T4
1080p
low	379 FPS	457 FPS
medium	332 FPS	366 FPS
high	246 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	228 FPS
1440p
low	308 FPS	343 FPS
medium	265 FPS	274 FPS
high	207 FPS	228 FPS
ultra	166 FPS	171 FPS
4K
low	187 FPS	228 FPS
medium	160 FPS	183 FPS
high	108 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	114 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Open Tesla T4

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Tesla T4
1080p
low	257 FPS	307 FPS
medium	206 FPS	265 FPS
high	186 FPS	220 FPS
ultra	162 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	196 FPS	226 FPS
medium	154 FPS	202 FPS
high	136 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	125 FPS
4K
low	97 FPS	132 FPS
medium	73 FPS	112 FPS
high	65 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	51 FPS	67 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Open Tesla T4

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 3GB and Tesla T4

GeForce GTX 1060 3GB

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 18 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1506 MHz to 1708 MHz. It has 1152 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,815 points. Launch price was $199.

Tesla T4

The Tesla T4 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 13 2018. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 585 MHz to 1590 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 40 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,153 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB scores 9,815 and the Tesla T4 reaches 10,153 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is built on Pascal while the Tesla T4 uses Turing, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 1,152 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 2,560 (Tesla T4). Raw compute: 3.935 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 8.141 TFLOPS (Tesla T4). Boost clocks: 1708 MHz vs 1590 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Tesla T4
G3D Mark Score	9,815	10,153+3%
Architecture	Pascal	Turing
Process Node	16 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	1152	2560+122%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.935 TFLOPS	8.141 TFLOPS+107%
Boost Clock	1708 MHz+7%	1590 MHz
ROPs	48	64+33%
TMUs	72	160+122%
L1 Cache	0.42 MB	2.5 MB+495%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	4 MB+167%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Tesla T4 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Tesla T4
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the Tesla T4 has 8 GB. The Tesla T4 offers 166.7% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 4 MB (Tesla T4) — the Tesla T4 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Tesla T4
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	8 GB+167%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	4 MB+167%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 12 Ultimate (Tesla T4). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Tesla T4
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.1	1.4+27%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 4.0 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs NVENC (Turing) (Tesla T4). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC (Turing). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,MPEG-2,VC-1,VP8,VP9 (Tesla T4).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Tesla T4
Encoder	NVENC 4.0	NVENC (Turing)
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	NVDEC (Turing)
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	H.264,H.265/HEVC,MPEG-2,VC-1,VP8,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB draws 120W versus the Tesla T4's 70W — a 52.6% difference. The Tesla T4 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 500W (Tesla T4). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 250mm vs 168mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 76°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Tesla T4
TDP	120W	70W-42%
Recommended PSU	400W-20%	500W
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	250mm	168mm
Height	111mm	69mm
Slots	2	1-50%
Temp (Load)	75°C-1%	76°C
Perf/Watt	81.8	145.0+77%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB launched at $199 MSRP, while the Tesla T4 launched at $1880. The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB costs 89.4% less ($1681 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 49.3 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 5.4 (Tesla T4) — the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB offers 813% better value. The Tesla T4 is the newer GPU (2018 vs 2016).