Page Index

GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

CPUCPUGPUGPU
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

Popular choices:

•••••••••
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

2017Core: 1215 MHzBoost: 1379 MHz

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - GPU

GeForce GTX 1060
6 GB 180
10,064
+2.3%
brand logoGeForce GTX 680
brand logoGeForce GTX 970XM FORCE
brand logoGeForce RTX 2050 Mobile
brand logoGeForce GTX TITAN Z
brand logoGeForce GTX 980 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 5060 Mobile
brand logoGeForce RTX 2080 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 4080 Mobile
GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
8 GB 115
9,842
0.0%
brand logoGeForce GTX 570 Rev. 2
brand logoGeForce GTX 1650 Ti with Max-Q Design
brand logoGeForce GTX 1650 Ti
brand logoGeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design
brand logoGeForce GTX 1070
brand logoRTX 2000 Ada Generation
brand logoGeForce RTX 5060
brand logoGeForce RTX 4080 Mobile

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.

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

2016

Why buy it

  • ✅13.0% more average FPS across 44 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • ✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • ❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • ❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
  • ❌56.5% higher power demand at 180W vs 115W.

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

2017

Why buy it

  • ✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
  • ✅Draws 115W instead of 180W, a 65W reduction.
  • ✅More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 16nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 44 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • ❌Poor future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design?
Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 13.0% more average FPS across 44 tracked games in our benchmark data and 2.3% higher PassMark G3D performance. It also comes from 2016 instead of 2017, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 1060 is the safer long-term GPU choice because it gives you the stronger overall hardware and feature outlook for modern games.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
GeForce GTX 1060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce GTX 1060 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $249 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 13.0% more estimated average FPS across 44 tracked games in our benchmark data and 2.3% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design is the newer 2017 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture and lower power draw (115W vs 180W) than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.
When does GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060?
Yes. GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (115W vs 180W), and staying closer to an unclear MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 currently gives you 2.3% higher G3D Mark and 13.0% more estimated average FPS across 44 tracked games in our benchmark data. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%.

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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
1080p
low117 FPS108 FPS
medium105 FPS91 FPS
high91 FPS78 FPS
ultra77 FPS52 FPS
1440p
low103 FPS92 FPS
medium87 FPS77 FPS
high76 FPS59 FPS
ultra67 FPS39 FPS
4K
low55 FPS36 FPS
medium49 FPS33 FPS
high41 FPS21 FPS
ultra37 FPS18 FPS
Open GeForce GTX 1060Open GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
1080p
low216 FPS189 FPS
medium181 FPS160 FPS
high148 FPS133 FPS
ultra113 FPS102 FPS
1440p
low134 FPS124 FPS
medium107 FPS99 FPS
high87 FPS80 FPS
ultra68 FPS62 FPS
4K
low62 FPS59 FPS
medium51 FPS48 FPS
high49 FPS45 FPS
ultra41 FPS37 FPS
Open GeForce GTX 1060Open GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
1080p
low453 FPS443 FPS
medium362 FPS354 FPS
high302 FPS295 FPS
ultra226 FPS221 FPS
1440p
low340 FPS332 FPS
medium272 FPS266 FPS
high226 FPS221 FPS
ultra170 FPS166 FPS
4K
low226 FPS221 FPS
medium181 FPS177 FPS
high151 FPS148 FPS
ultra113 FPS111 FPS
Open GeForce GTX 1060Open GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
1080p
low358 FPS296 FPS
medium302 FPS260 FPS
high260 FPS219 FPS
ultra226 FPS170 FPS
1440p
low299 FPS214 FPS
medium254 FPS190 FPS
high208 FPS154 FPS
ultra170 FPS117 FPS
4K
low170 FPS121 FPS
medium133 FPS100 FPS
high123 FPS83 FPS
ultra102 FPS63 FPS
Open GeForce GTX 1060Open GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

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.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 27 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1215 MHz to 1379 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,842 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 and the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design reaches 9,842 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design uses Pascal, both on a 16 nm process. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,048 (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 5.648 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1379 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
G3D Mark Score
10,064+2%
9,842
Architecture
Pascal
Pascal
Process Node
16 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
2560+25%
2048
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS+57%
5.648 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1733 MHz+26%
1379 MHz
ROPs
64
64
TMUs
160+25%
128
L1 Cache
960 KB+25%
768 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
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 1060 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design has 8 GB. The GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 256 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) — a 33.3% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
8 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
256 GB/s+33%
Bus Width
192-bit
256-bit+33%
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
DirectX
12
12.1
Vulkan
1.3+18%
1.1
OpenGL
4.5
4.5
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs NVENC 4.0 (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
NVENC 4.0
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design's 115W — a 44.1% difference. The GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 500W (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
TDP
180W
115W-36%
Recommended PSU
400W-20%
500W
Power Connector
6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
173mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
—
85°C
Perf/Watt
55.9
85.6+53%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design is the newer GPU (2017 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design
MSRP
$249
—
Codename
GP104
GP104
Release
May 27 2016
June 27 2017
Ranking
#137
#358