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

✅22.3% more average FPS across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $551 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 308.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 9.9 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌20% higher power demand at 180W vs 150W.

Quadro M5500

2016

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
✅Draws 150W instead of 180W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
221.3% HIGHER MSRP
$800 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 9.9 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Quadro M5500

2016

Why buy it

✅22.3% more average FPS across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $551 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 308.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 9.9 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
✅Draws 150W instead of 180W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌20% higher power demand at 180W vs 150W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
221.3% HIGHER MSRP
$800 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 9.9 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Quadro M5500?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 22.3% more average FPS across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data and 27.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.

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

GeForce GTX 1060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 27.2% more raw performance headroom and a 16nm process instead of 28nm. That extra performance headroom should help it hold higher settings and newer game demands for longer.

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

GeForce GTX 1060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce GTX 1060 is about $551 cheaper on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $800 MSRP, and you are getting 22.3% more estimated average FPS across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data and 27.2% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 308.5%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Quadro M5500 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Quadro M5500 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $800 MSRP, even if GeForce GTX 1060 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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

Quadro M5500 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro M5500
1080p
low	117 FPS	108 FPS
medium	105 FPS	91 FPS
high	91 FPS	78 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	52 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	92 FPS
medium	87 FPS	77 FPS
high	76 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	38 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	36 FPS
medium	49 FPS	33 FPS
high	41 FPS	21 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	18 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Quadro M5500

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro M5500
1080p
low	216 FPS	229 FPS
medium	181 FPS	198 FPS
high	148 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	120 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	170 FPS
medium	107 FPS	144 FPS
high	87 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	91 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	98 FPS
medium	51 FPS	82 FPS
high	49 FPS	69 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	52 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Quadro M5500

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro M5500
1080p
low	453 FPS	356 FPS
medium	362 FPS	285 FPS
high	302 FPS	237 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	178 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	267 FPS
medium	272 FPS	214 FPS
high	226 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	178 FPS
medium	181 FPS	142 FPS
high	151 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	89 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Quadro M5500

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro M5500
1080p
low	358 FPS	234 FPS
medium	302 FPS	202 FPS
high	260 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	140 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	183 FPS
medium	254 FPS	159 FPS
high	208 FPS	125 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	104 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	100 FPS
medium	133 FPS	80 FPS
high	123 FPS	63 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	50 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Quadro M5500

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Quadro M5500

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.

Quadro M5500

The Quadro M5500 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 8 2016. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1140 MHz to 1165 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,915 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Quadro M5500's 7,915 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 27.2%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Quadro M5500 uses Maxwell 2.0, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,048 (Quadro M5500). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4.772 TFLOPS (Quadro M5500). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1165 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro M5500
G3D Mark Score	10,064+27%	7,915
Architecture	Pascal	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	16 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560+25%	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+86%	4.772 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+49%	1165 MHz
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	160+25%	128
L1 Cache	960 KB+25%	768 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1060 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Quadro M5500 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro M5500
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro M5500 has 8 GB. The Quadro M5500 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro M5500
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	8 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 (12_1) (Quadro M5500). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro M5500
DirectX	12	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 NVENC (Maxwell) (Quadro M5500). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs NVDEC (Maxwell). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Quadro M5500).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro M5500
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	NVENC (Maxwell)
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	NVDEC (Maxwell)
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,H.265,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Quadro M5500's 150W — a 18.2% difference. The Quadro M5500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (Quadro M5500). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro M5500
TDP	180W	150W-17%
Recommended PSU	400W	350W-13%
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	173mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	—	85
Perf/Watt	55.9+6%	52.8

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Quadro M5500 launched at $800. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 68.9% less ($551 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 9.9 (Quadro M5500) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 308.1% better value.