GeForce GTX 1060 vs GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER

2019Core: 1650 MHzBoost: 1815 MHz

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - GPU

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

  • Costs $450 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
  • Delivers 45.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 27.8 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
  • Draws 180W instead of 250W, a 70W reduction.
  • Measures 173mm instead of 267mm, a 94mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 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 2080 SUPER

2019

Why buy it

  • 46.4% 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).
  • More future proof: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 180.7% HIGHER MSRP
    $699 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 27.8 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • 38.9% higher power demand at 250W vs 180W.
  • 54.3% longer card at 267mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER better than GeForce GTX 1060?
Yes. GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER averages 46.4% more FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 19,467 vs 10,064 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is a 2019 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2019 generation instead of 2016, 93.4% 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 2080 SUPER is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is about 180.7% more expensive on MSRP at $699 MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 46.4% more estimated average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data and 93.4% 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER
1080p
low117 FPS168 FPS
medium105 FPS148 FPS
high91 FPS131 FPS
ultra77 FPS110 FPS
1440p
low103 FPS139 FPS
medium87 FPS113 FPS
high76 FPS100 FPS
ultra67 FPS90 FPS
4K
low55 FPS85 FPS
medium49 FPS72 FPS
high41 FPS58 FPS
ultra37 FPS50 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER
1080p
low216 FPS455 FPS
medium181 FPS392 FPS
high148 FPS319 FPS
ultra113 FPS270 FPS
1440p
low134 FPS281 FPS
medium107 FPS235 FPS
high87 FPS206 FPS
ultra68 FPS170 FPS
4K
low62 FPS128 FPS
medium51 FPS110 FPS
high49 FPS93 FPS
ultra41 FPS73 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER
1080p
low453 FPS823 FPS
medium362 FPS663 FPS
high302 FPS584 FPS
ultra226 FPS438 FPS
1440p
low340 FPS624 FPS
medium272 FPS504 FPS
high226 FPS433 FPS
ultra170 FPS329 FPS
4K
low226 FPS430 FPS
medium181 FPS347 FPS
high151 FPS292 FPS
ultra113 FPS219 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER
1080p
low358 FPS546 FPS
medium302 FPS466 FPS
high260 FPS399 FPS
ultra226 FPS330 FPS
1440p
low299 FPS447 FPS
medium254 FPS384 FPS
high208 FPS310 FPS
ultra170 FPS255 FPS
4K
low170 FPS278 FPS
medium133 FPS260 FPS
high123 FPS227 FPS
ultra102 FPS187 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER

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 RTX 2080 SUPER

The GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 23 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1650 MHz to 1815 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 48 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 19,467 points. Launch price was $699.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER's 19,467 — the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER leads by 93.4%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER uses Turing, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 3,072 (GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 11.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1815 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER
G3D Mark Score
10,064
19,467+93%
Architecture
Pascal
Turing
Process Node
16 nm
12 nm
Shading Units
2560
3072+20%
Compute (TFLOPS)
8.873 TFLOPS
11.15 TFLOPS+26%
Boost Clock
1733 MHz
1815 MHz+5%
ROPs
64
64
TMUs
160
192+20%
L1 Cache
0.94 MB
3 MB+219%
L2 Cache
2 MB
4 MB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER
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 2080 SUPER has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 496 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER) — a 158.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER) — the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
8 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
496 GB/s+158%
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 2080 SUPER). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER
DirectX
12
12.1
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 6th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs 4th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
6th Gen NVENC
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
4th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER's 250W — a 32.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER
TDP
180W-28%
250W
Recommended PSU
400W-38%
650W
Power Connector
6-pin
6-pin + 8-pin
Length
173mm
267mm
Height
111mm
116mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
55.9
77.9+39%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER launched at $699. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 64.4% less ($450 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 27.8 (GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 45.3% better value. The GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER
MSRP
$249-64%
$699
Performance per Dollar
40.4+45%
27.8
Codename
GP104
TU104
Release
May 27 2016
July 23 2019
Ranking
#137
#86