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 780

2013

Why buy it

✅5.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 15.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌212.5% higher power demand at 250W vs 80W.

GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)

2016

Why buy it

✅Draws 80W instead of 250W, a 170W reduction.
✅More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 16nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 780 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 15.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 780

2013

GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)

2016

Why buy it

✅5.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 15.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).

Why buy it

✅Draws 80W instead of 250W, a 170W reduction.
✅More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 16nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌212.5% higher power demand at 250W vs 80W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 780 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 15.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) better than GeForce GTX 780?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. GeForce GTX 780 averages 5.5% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 7,957 vs 8,160 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, no meaningful modern upscaling stack, plus much lower power draw (80W vs 250W).

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

GeForce GTX 780 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 4 GB. 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?

GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and you are getting lower estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 2.6% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 780 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does GeForce GTX 780 make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)?

Yes. GeForce GTX 780 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 future-proofing and staying closer to $499 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel). The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) currently gives you 2.6% higher G3D Mark and lower estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. GeForce GTX 780 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 780 Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)
1080p
low	78 FPS	96 FPS
medium	67 FPS	85 FPS
high	54 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	60 FPS
1440p
low	68 FPS	89 FPS
medium	60 FPS	75 FPS
high	43 FPS	63 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	52 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	43 FPS
medium	24 FPS	40 FPS
high	16 FPS	29 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	25 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)
1080p
low	181 FPS	188 FPS
medium	152 FPS	158 FPS
high	115 FPS	130 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	123 FPS	125 FPS
medium	92 FPS	99 FPS
high	68 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	48 FPS	60 FPS
4K
low	53 FPS	54 FPS
medium	42 FPS	44 FPS
high	36 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	34 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)
1080p
low	358 FPS	364 FPS
medium	286 FPS	294 FPS
high	239 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	184 FPS
1440p
low	269 FPS	269 FPS
medium	215 FPS	220 FPS
high	179 FPS	184 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	179 FPS	172 FPS
medium	143 FPS	147 FPS
high	119 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	69 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)
1080p
low	214 FPS	252 FPS
medium	179 FPS	201 FPS
high	143 FPS	182 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	159 FPS
1440p
low	166 FPS	195 FPS
medium	141 FPS	152 FPS
high	109 FPS	134 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	114 FPS
4K
low	94 FPS	97 FPS
medium	73 FPS	73 FPS
high	58 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	52 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 780 and GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)

GeForce GTX 780

The GeForce GTX 780 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 23 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 863 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,957 points. Launch price was $649.

GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)

The GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 15 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1506 MHz to 1708 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 80W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,160 points. Launch price was $237.11.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 780 scores 7,957 and the GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) reaches 8,160 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 780 is built on Kepler while the GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce GTX 780) vs 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)). Raw compute: 4.156 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 780) vs 4.275 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1708 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)
G3D Mark Score	7,957	8,160+3%
Architecture	Kepler	Pascal
Process Node	28 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	2304+80%	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.156 TFLOPS	4.275 TFLOPS+3%
Boost Clock	900 MHz	1708 MHz+90%
ROPs	48	48
TMUs	192+140%	80
L1 Cache	192 KB	480 KB+150%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	1.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)
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 780 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 780 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s (GeForce GTX 780) vs 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)) — a 50% advantage for the GeForce GTX 780. Bus width: 384-bit vs 192-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+50%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s+50%	192 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+100%	192-bit
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	1.5 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 780) vs 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)). Vulkan: 1.0 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12.1
Vulkan	1.0	1.1+10%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 780) vs NVENC 6.0 (GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)). Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs PureVideo HD VP8. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 780) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)).

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)
Encoder	NVENC 1st Gen	NVENC 6.0
Decoder	NVDEC 1st Gen	PureVideo HD VP8
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 780 draws 250W versus the GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)'s 80W — a 103% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 780) vs 500W (GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)
TDP	250W	80W-68%
Recommended PSU	600W	500W-17%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	80-6%	85°C
Perf/Watt	31.8	102.0+221%