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 $1,250 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 127.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 17.7 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Draws 180W instead of 350W, a 170W reduction.
✅Measures 173mm instead of 312mm, a 139mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,064 vs 26,594).
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 24 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 3090

2020

Why buy it

✅+164.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌
502% HIGHER MSRP
$1,499 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 17.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌94.4% higher power demand at 350W vs 180W.
❌80.3% longer card at 312mm vs 173mm.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

GeForce RTX 3090

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,250 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 127.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 17.7 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Draws 180W instead of 350W, a 170W reduction.
✅Measures 173mm instead of 312mm, a 139mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅+164.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,064 vs 26,594).
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 24 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

❌
502% HIGHER MSRP
$1,499 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 17.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌94.4% higher power demand at 350W vs 180W.
❌80.3% longer card at 312mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3090 better than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3090 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 26,594 vs 10,064 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3090 is a 2020 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 3090 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2016, 164.2% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 24 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 3090 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3090 is about 502.0% more expensive on MSRP at $1,499 MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 164.2% 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 3090 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3090
1080p
low	117 FPS	328 FPS
medium	105 FPS	313 FPS
high	91 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	203 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	313 FPS
medium	87 FPS	262 FPS
high	76 FPS	202 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	161 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	181 FPS
medium	49 FPS	149 FPS
high	41 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	94 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 3090

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3090
1080p
low	216 FPS	702 FPS
medium	181 FPS	599 FPS
high	148 FPS	472 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	413 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	500 FPS
medium	107 FPS	420 FPS
high	87 FPS	331 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	276 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	242 FPS
medium	51 FPS	201 FPS
high	49 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	141 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 3090

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3090
1080p
low	453 FPS	999 FPS
medium	362 FPS	957 FPS
high	302 FPS	798 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	598 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	898 FPS
medium	272 FPS	718 FPS
high	226 FPS	598 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	449 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	569 FPS
medium	181 FPS	479 FPS
high	151 FPS	399 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	299 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 3090

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3090
1080p
low	358 FPS	904 FPS
medium	302 FPS	841 FPS
high	260 FPS	733 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	598 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	707 FPS
medium	254 FPS	658 FPS
high	208 FPS	570 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	449 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	513 FPS
medium	133 FPS	479 FPS
high	123 FPS	399 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	299 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open GeForce RTX 3090

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and GeForce RTX 3090

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 3090

The GeForce RTX 3090 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1395 MHz to 1695 MHz. It has 10496 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 82 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,594 points. Launch price was $1,499.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce RTX 3090's 26,594 — the GeForce RTX 3090 leads by 164.2%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3090 uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 10,496 (GeForce RTX 3090). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 35.58 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3090). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1695 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3090
G3D Mark Score	10,064	26,594+164%
Architecture	Pascal	Ampere
Process Node	16 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2560	10496+310%
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS	35.58 TFLOPS+301%
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+2%	1695 MHz
ROPs	64	112+75%
TMUs	160	328+105%
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	10.3 MB+996%
L2 Cache	2 MB	6 MB+200%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3090 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3090
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 3090 has 24 GB. The GeForce RTX 3090 offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 936 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3090) — a 387.5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3090. Bus width: 192-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3090) — the GeForce RTX 3090 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3090
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	24 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	936 GB/s+388%
Bus Width	192-bit	384-bit+100%
L2 Cache	2 MB	6 MB+200%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3090). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3090
DirectX	12	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.3	1.4+8%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3090). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3090).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3090
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	NVENC 7th gen
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 3090's 350W — a 64.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 750W (GeForce RTX 3090). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 312mm, occupying 2 vs 3 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 3090
TDP	180W-49%	350W
Recommended PSU	400W-47%	750W
Power Connector	6-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	173mm	312mm
Height	111mm	140mm
Slots	2-33%	3
Temp (Load)	—	85°C
Perf/Watt	55.9	76.0+36%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3090 launched at $1499. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 83.4% less ($1250 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 17.7 (GeForce RTX 3090) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 128.2% better value. The GeForce RTX 3090 is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2016).