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

✅56.0% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Measures 173mm instead of 229mm, a 56mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
67.1% HIGHER MSRP
$249 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 40.4 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌140% higher power demand at 180W vs 75W.

GeForce GTX 1650

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Delivers 30.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Less risky long-term buy than GeForce GTX 1060: it remains the more sensible modern option while GeForce GTX 1060 is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
✅Draws 75W instead of 180W, a 105W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌32.4% longer card at 229mm vs 173mm.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

GeForce GTX 1650

2019

Why buy it

✅56.0% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Measures 173mm instead of 229mm, a 56mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Delivers 30.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Less risky long-term buy than GeForce GTX 1060: it remains the more sensible modern option while GeForce GTX 1060 is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
✅Draws 75W instead of 180W, a 105W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
67.1% HIGHER MSRP
$249 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 40.4 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌140% higher power demand at 180W vs 75W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌32.4% longer card at 229mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than GeForce GTX 1650?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 56.0% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data, 27.9% higher PassMark G3D performance, and 6 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM. It also comes from 2016 instead of 2019, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

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

GeForce GTX 1650 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2019 generation instead of 2016 and a 12nm process instead of 16nm. That makes it the safer long-run choice for modern games.

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

GeForce GTX 1060 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 1060 is about 67.1% more expensive on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $149 MSRP, and you are getting 56.0% more estimated average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data and 27.9% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1650 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does GeForce GTX 1650 make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1650 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 (75W vs 180W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $149 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 currently gives you 27.9% higher G3D Mark and 56.0% more estimated average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data. GeForce GTX 1650 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

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 Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 1650 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1650
1080p
low	117 FPS	94 FPS
medium	105 FPS	83 FPS
high	91 FPS	70 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	58 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	87 FPS
medium	87 FPS	74 FPS
high	76 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	50 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	41 FPS
medium	49 FPS	39 FPS
high	41 FPS	27 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	24 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce GTX 1650

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1650
1080p
low	216 FPS	136 FPS
medium	181 FPS	113 FPS
high	148 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	71 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	79 FPS
medium	107 FPS	62 FPS
high	87 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	35 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	36 FPS
medium	51 FPS	27 FPS
high	49 FPS	21 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	15 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce GTX 1650

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1650
1080p
low	453 FPS	323 FPS
medium	362 FPS	283 FPS
high	302 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	169 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	225 FPS
medium	272 FPS	202 FPS
high	226 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	117 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	130 FPS
medium	181 FPS	117 FPS
high	151 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	50 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce GTX 1650

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1650
1080p
low	358 FPS	261 FPS
medium	302 FPS	211 FPS
high	260 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	166 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	201 FPS
medium	254 FPS	158 FPS
high	208 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	113 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	99 FPS
medium	133 FPS	74 FPS
high	123 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	51 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce GTX 1650

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and GeForce GTX 1650

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.

GeForce GTX 1650

The GeForce GTX 1650 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 23 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1485 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,869 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce GTX 1650's 7,869 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 27.9%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce GTX 1650 uses Turing, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 896 (GeForce GTX 1650). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2.984 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1650). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1665 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1650
G3D Mark Score	10,064+28%	7,869
Architecture	Pascal	Turing
Process Node	16 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	2560+186%	896
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+197%	2.984 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+4%	1665 MHz
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	160+186%	56
L1 Cache	960 KB+7%	896 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1650
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 1650 has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 128 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1650) — a 50% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1650) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1650
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+50%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s+50%	128 GB/s
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 1650). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1650
DirectX	12	12
Vulkan	1.3	1.4+8%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4+33%	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs NVENC 5th gen (Volta) (GeForce GTX 1650). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs NVDEC 4th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1650).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1650
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	NVENC 5th gen (Volta)
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	NVDEC 4th gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce GTX 1650's 75W — a 82.4% difference. The GeForce GTX 1650 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 300W (GeForce GTX 1650). Power connectors: 6-pin vs None. Card length: 173mm vs 229mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1650
TDP	180W	75W-58%
Recommended PSU	400W	300W-25%
Power Connector	6-pin	None
Length	173mm	229mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	70°C
Perf/Watt	55.9	104.9+88%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the GeForce GTX 1650 launched at $149. The GeForce GTX 1650 costs 40.2% less ($100 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 52.8 (GeForce GTX 1650) — the GeForce GTX 1650 offers 30.7% better value. The GeForce GTX 1650 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2016).