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

✅3.8% 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).

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 with Max-Q Design

2017

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.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 6 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 with Max-Q Design

2017

Why buy it

✅3.8% 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).

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.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 6 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 780 better than GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. GeForce GTX 780 averages 3.8% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 7,957 vs 7,853 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 780 is the overall package: you are getting no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

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

GeForce GTX 780 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 780 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $499 MSRP. GeForce GTX 780 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce GTX 780 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $499 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 3.8% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 1.3% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1060 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 (80W vs 250W) than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design make more sense than GeForce GTX 780?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 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 (80W vs 250W), and staying closer to an unclear MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 780. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 780 currently gives you 1.3% higher G3D Mark and 3.8% more estimated average FPS across 50 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.

GeForce GTX 780 Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design
1080p
low	78 FPS	82 FPS
medium	67 FPS	70 FPS
high	54 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	39 FPS
1440p
low	68 FPS	72 FPS
medium	60 FPS	62 FPS
high	43 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	30 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	26 FPS
medium	24 FPS	25 FPS
high	16 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design
1080p
low	181 FPS	167 FPS
medium	152 FPS	142 FPS
high	115 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	83 FPS
1440p
low	123 FPS	115 FPS
medium	92 FPS	92 FPS
high	68 FPS	73 FPS
ultra	48 FPS	52 FPS
4K
low	53 FPS	50 FPS
medium	42 FPS	41 FPS
high	36 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	30 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design
1080p
low	358 FPS	353 FPS
medium	286 FPS	283 FPS
high	239 FPS	236 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	177 FPS
1440p
low	269 FPS	265 FPS
medium	215 FPS	212 FPS
high	179 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	179 FPS	177 FPS
medium	143 FPS	141 FPS
high	119 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	88 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design
1080p
low	214 FPS	214 FPS
medium	179 FPS	182 FPS
high	143 FPS	147 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	125 FPS
1440p
low	166 FPS	164 FPS
medium	141 FPS	142 FPS
high	109 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	90 FPS
4K
low	94 FPS	90 FPS
medium	73 FPS	72 FPS
high	58 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	42 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 780 and GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

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 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce GTX 1060 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 1063 MHz to 1480 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 80W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,853 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 780 scores 7,957 and the GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design reaches 7,853 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 780 is built on Kepler while the GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce GTX 780) vs 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design). Raw compute: 4.156 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 780) vs 3.789 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1480 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design
G3D Mark Score	7,957+1%	7,853
Architecture	Kepler	Pascal
Process Node	28 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	2304+80%	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.156 TFLOPS+10%	3.789 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	900 MHz	1480 MHz+64%
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 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)

Both cards feature 6 GB of GDDR5. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s (GeForce GTX 780) vs 128 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) — a 125% advantage for the GeForce GTX 780. Bus width: 384-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s+125%	128 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+200%	128-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 with Max-Q Design). Vulkan: 1.0 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12.1
Vulkan	1.0	1.3+30%
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 with Max-Q Design). 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 with Max-Q Design).

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design
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 with Max-Q Design's 80W — a 103% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 780) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design
TDP	250W	80W-68%
Recommended PSU	600W	350W-42%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	31.8	98.2+209%