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 $2,050 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $2,299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 501.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 6.7 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $2,299 MSRP).
✅Draws 180W instead of 230W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,064 vs 15,443).
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Quadro RTX 5000

2018

Why buy it

✅+53.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
✅166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌
823.3% HIGHER MSRP
$2,299 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 6.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($2,299 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌27.8% higher power demand at 230W vs 180W.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Quadro RTX 5000

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $2,050 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $2,299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 501.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 6.7 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $2,299 MSRP).
✅Draws 180W instead of 230W, a 50W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+53.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
✅166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,064 vs 15,443).
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Trade-offs

❌
823.3% HIGHER MSRP
$2,299 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 6.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($2,299 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌27.8% higher power demand at 230W vs 180W.

Quick Answers

So, is Quadro RTX 5000 better than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. Quadro RTX 5000 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 15,443 vs 10,064 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Quadro RTX 5000 is a 2018 card with DLSS 4 + Multi Frame Gen, 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?

Quadro RTX 5000 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2018 generation instead of 2016, 53.4% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 16 GB instead of 6 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 4 Super Resolution (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025) 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?

Quadro RTX 5000 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Quadro RTX 5000 is about 823.3% more expensive on MSRP at $2,299 MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 53.4% 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.

GeForce GTX 1060 Benchmark Check

Quadro RTX 5000 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 5000
1080p
low	117 FPS	262 FPS
medium	105 FPS	248 FPS
high	91 FPS	217 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	177 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	239 FPS
medium	87 FPS	201 FPS
high	76 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	140 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	135 FPS
medium	49 FPS	113 FPS
high	41 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	82 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Quadro RTX 5000

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 5000
1080p
low	216 FPS	470 FPS
medium	181 FPS	404 FPS
high	148 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	280 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	283 FPS
medium	107 FPS	234 FPS
high	87 FPS	203 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	169 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	127 FPS
medium	51 FPS	107 FPS
high	49 FPS	89 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	70 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Quadro RTX 5000

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 5000
1080p
low	453 FPS	695 FPS
medium	362 FPS	556 FPS
high	302 FPS	463 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	347 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	521 FPS
medium	272 FPS	417 FPS
high	226 FPS	347 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	261 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	347 FPS
medium	181 FPS	278 FPS
high	151 FPS	232 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	174 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Quadro RTX 5000

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 5000
1080p
low	358 FPS	591 FPS
medium	302 FPS	506 FPS
high	260 FPS	428 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	347 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	475 FPS
medium	254 FPS	410 FPS
high	208 FPS	328 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	261 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	296 FPS
medium	133 FPS	278 FPS
high	123 FPS	232 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	174 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Quadro RTX 5000

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Quadro RTX 5000

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 RTX 5000

The Quadro RTX 5000 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 13 2018. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1620 MHz to 1815 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 230W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 48 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 15,443 points. Launch price was $2,299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Quadro RTX 5000's 15,443 — the Quadro RTX 5000 leads by 53.4%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Quadro RTX 5000 uses Turing, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 3,072 (Quadro RTX 5000). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 11.15 TFLOPS (Quadro RTX 5000). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1815 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 5000
G3D Mark Score	10,064	15,443+53%
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)

A critical advantage for the Quadro RTX 5000 is support for DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce GTX 1060 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The Quadro RTX 5000 supports the newer DLSS 4 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 5000
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 4 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	Yes (DLSS 4)
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro RTX 5000 has 16 GB. The Quadro RTX 5000 offers 166.7% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 448 GB/s (Quadro RTX 5000) — a 133.3% advantage for the Quadro RTX 5000. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 4 MB (Quadro RTX 5000) — the Quadro RTX 5000 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 5000
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	16 GB+167%
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 Ultimate (Quadro RTX 5000). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 5000
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) (Quadro RTX 5000). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs NVDEC (4th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (Quadro RTX 5000).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 5000
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	NVENC (7th Gen)
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	NVDEC (4th Gen)
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Quadro RTX 5000's 230W — a 24.4% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 650W (Quadro RTX 5000). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Quadro RTX 5000
TDP	180W-22%	230W
Recommended PSU	400W-38%	650W
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	173mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	75°C
Perf/Watt	55.9	67.1+20%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Quadro RTX 5000 launched at $2299. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 89.2% less ($2050 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 6.7 (Quadro RTX 5000) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 503% better value. The Quadro RTX 5000 is the newer GPU (2018 vs 2016).