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

✅Costs $350 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Delivers 50.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 26.8 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Measures 173mm instead of 267mm, a 94mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2070 across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

GeForce RTX 2070

2018

Why buy it

✅26.5% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
✅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.

Trade-offs

❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌
140.6% HIGHER MSRP
$599 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.8 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌54.3% longer card at 267mm vs 173mm.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

GeForce RTX 2070

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $350 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Delivers 50.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 26.8 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Measures 173mm instead of 267mm, a 94mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅26.5% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
✅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.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2070 across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Trade-offs

❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌
140.6% HIGHER MSRP
$599 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.8 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌54.3% longer card at 267mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 2070 better than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. GeForce RTX 2070 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 26.5% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data, 59.7% higher PassMark G3D performance, DLSS 2 Super Resolution, and 8 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM. It also comes from 2018 instead of 2016, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

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

GeForce RTX 2070 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2018 generation instead of 2016, 59.7% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 6 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

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

GeForce RTX 2070 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 2070 is about 140.6% more expensive on MSRP at $599 MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 26.5% more estimated average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data and 59.7% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1060 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

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

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 1060 is 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM, 10,064 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 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 2070 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2070
1080p
low	117 FPS	152 FPS
medium	105 FPS	134 FPS
high	91 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	131 FPS
medium	87 FPS	107 FPS
high	76 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	74 FPS
medium	49 FPS	63 FPS
high	41 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	42 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 2070

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2070
1080p
low	216 FPS	321 FPS
medium	181 FPS	269 FPS
high	148 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	184 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	218 FPS
medium	107 FPS	182 FPS
high	87 FPS	150 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	122 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	123 FPS
medium	51 FPS	105 FPS
high	49 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	64 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 2070

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2070
1080p
low	453 FPS	723 FPS
medium	362 FPS	578 FPS
high	302 FPS	482 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	362 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	542 FPS
medium	272 FPS	434 FPS
high	226 FPS	362 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	271 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	362 FPS
medium	181 FPS	289 FPS
high	151 FPS	241 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	181 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 2070

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2070
1080p
low	358 FPS	434 FPS
medium	302 FPS	367 FPS
high	260 FPS	297 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	257 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	361 FPS
medium	254 FPS	309 FPS
high	208 FPS	239 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	199 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	206 FPS
medium	133 FPS	170 FPS
high	123 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	124 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 2070

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and GeForce RTX 2070

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 RTX 2070

The GeForce RTX 2070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 17 2018. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1620 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 175W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 36 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,068 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce RTX 2070's 16,068 — the GeForce RTX 2070 leads by 59.7%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 2070 uses Turing, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,304 (GeForce RTX 2070). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 7.465 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2070). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1620 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2070
G3D Mark Score	10,064	16,068+60%
Architecture	Pascal	Turing
Process Node	16 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	2560+11%	2304
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+19%	7.465 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+7%	1620 MHz
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	160+11%	144
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	2.3 MB+145%
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2070 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2070
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
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 RTX 2070 has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 2070 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2070) — a 133.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2070. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 2070) — the GeForce RTX 2070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2070
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	8 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	448 GB/s+133%
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.1 (GeForce RTX 2070). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2070
DirectX	12	12.1
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs NVENC 6.0 (GeForce RTX 2070). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs PureVideo HD VP9. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce RTX 2070).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2070
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	NVENC 6.0
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	PureVideo HD VP9
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 2070's 175W — a 2.8% difference. The GeForce RTX 2070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 2070). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2070
TDP	180W	175W-3%
Recommended PSU	400W-27%	550W
Power Connector	6-pin	8-pin
Length	173mm	267mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	80°C
Perf/Watt	55.9	91.8+64%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 2070 launched at $599. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 58.4% less ($350 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 26.8 (GeForce RTX 2070) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 50.7% better value. The GeForce RTX 2070 is the newer GPU (2018 vs 2016).