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 3GB

2016

Why buy it

✅21.5% more average FPS across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $201 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 102.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 49.3 vs 24.4 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌118.2% higher power demand at 120W vs 55W.

Radeon 8040S

2025

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.5 (2024−2025) on 4nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 55W instead of 120W, a 65W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 3GB across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌
101% HIGHER MSRP
$400 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 24.4 vs 49.3 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060 3GB

2016

Radeon 8040S

2025

Why buy it

✅21.5% more average FPS across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $201 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 102.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 49.3 vs 24.4 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.5 (2024−2025) on 4nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 55W instead of 120W, a 65W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌118.2% higher power demand at 120W vs 55W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 3GB across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌
101% HIGHER MSRP
$400 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 24.4 vs 49.3 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 3GB better than Radeon 8040S?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce GTX 1060 3GB averages 21.5% more FPS across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 9,815 vs 9,756 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon 8040S is a 2025 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. 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?

Radeon 8040S is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2025 generation instead of 2016, more VRAM at 4 GB instead of 3 GB, better upscaling support with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 4nm process instead of 16nm. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

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

GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is about $201 cheaper on MSRP at $199 MSRP versus $400 MSRP, and you are getting 21.5% more estimated average FPS across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data and 0.6% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 102.2%. Radeon 8040S is the newer 2025 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture, lower power draw (55W vs 120W), and future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does Radeon 8040S make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060 3GB?

Yes. Radeon 8040S is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (55W vs 120W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $400 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060 3GB. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 3GB currently gives you 0.6% higher G3D Mark and 21.5% more estimated average FPS across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 102.2%.

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 3GB Benchmark Check

Radeon 8040S Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Radeon 8040S
1080p
low	95 FPS	100 FPS
medium	83 FPS	90 FPS
high	70 FPS	76 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	63 FPS
1440p
low	84 FPS	91 FPS
medium	70 FPS	78 FPS
high	58 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	53 FPS
4K
low	41 FPS	45 FPS
medium	38 FPS	41 FPS
high	27 FPS	30 FPS
ultra	24 FPS	27 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Open Radeon 8040S

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Radeon 8040S
1080p
low	191 FPS	135 FPS
medium	161 FPS	101 FPS
high	132 FPS	73 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	49 FPS
1440p
low	127 FPS	88 FPS
medium	101 FPS	59 FPS
high	80 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	61 FPS	32 FPS
4K
low	54 FPS	40 FPS
medium	45 FPS	29 FPS
high	43 FPS	24 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	17 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Open Radeon 8040S

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Radeon 8040S
1080p
low	379 FPS	320 FPS
medium	332 FPS	274 FPS
high	246 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	165 FPS
1440p
low	308 FPS	235 FPS
medium	265 FPS	208 FPS
high	207 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	166 FPS	125 FPS
4K
low	187 FPS	140 FPS
medium	160 FPS	122 FPS
high	108 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	57 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Open Radeon 8040S

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Radeon 8040S
1080p
low	257 FPS	242 FPS
medium	206 FPS	179 FPS
high	186 FPS	149 FPS
ultra	162 FPS	126 FPS
1440p
low	196 FPS	186 FPS
medium	154 FPS	140 FPS
high	136 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	91 FPS
4K
low	97 FPS	90 FPS
medium	73 FPS	68 FPS
high	65 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	51 FPS	46 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Open Radeon 8040S

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 3GB and Radeon 8040S

GeForce GTX 1060 3GB

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 18 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1506 MHz to 1708 MHz. It has 1152 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,815 points. Launch price was $199.

Radeon 8040S

The Radeon 8040S is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 6 2025. It features the RDNA 3.5 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1295 MHz to 2800 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 55W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,756 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB scores 9,815 and the Radeon 8040S reaches 9,756 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is built on Pascal while the Radeon 8040S uses RDNA 3.5, both on 16 nm vs 4 nm. Shader units: 1,152 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 1,024 (Radeon 8040S). Raw compute: 3.935 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 5.734 TFLOPS (Radeon 8040S). Boost clocks: 1708 MHz vs 2800 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Radeon 8040S
G3D Mark Score	9,815	9,756
Architecture	Pascal	RDNA 3.5
Process Node	16 nm	4 nm
Shading Units	1152+13%	1024
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.935 TFLOPS	5.734 TFLOPS+46%
Boost Clock	1708 MHz	2800 MHz+64%
ROPs	48+50%	32
TMUs	72+13%	64
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	8 MB+433%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon 8040S relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Radeon 8040S
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon 8040S has 4 GB. The Radeon 8040S offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs System. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 8 MB (Radeon 8040S) — the Radeon 8040S has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Radeon 8040S
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	System
Bus Width	192-bit	System
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	8 MB+433%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 12.2 (Radeon 8040S). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Radeon 8040S
DirectX	12.1	12.2
Vulkan	1.1	1.4+27%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 4.0 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs VCN 4.5 (Radeon 8040S). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs VCN 4.5. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Radeon 8040S).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Radeon 8040S
Encoder	NVENC 4.0	VCN 4.5
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	VCN 4.5
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB draws 120W versus the Radeon 8040S's 55W — a 74.3% difference. The Radeon 8040S is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 500W (Radeon 8040S). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 250mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	Radeon 8040S
TDP	120W	55W-54%
Recommended PSU	400W-20%	500W
Power Connector	6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	250mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75°C-12%	85°C
Perf/Watt	81.8	177.4+117%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB launched at $199 MSRP, while the Radeon 8040S launched at $400. The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB costs 50.2% less ($201 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 49.3 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 24.4 (Radeon 8040S) — the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB offers 102% better value. The Radeon 8040S is the newer GPU (2025 vs 2016).