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 5GB

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $180 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $429 MSRP).
✅Delivers 70.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 36.8 vs 21.6 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $429 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 275W, a 155W reduction.
✅Measures 250mm instead of 277mm, a 27mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 5 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 5 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Radeon R9 390X

2015

Why buy it

✅60% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 5 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
72.3% HIGHER MSRP
$429 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.6 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($429 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌129.2% higher power demand at 275W vs 120W.
❌10.8% longer card at 277mm vs 250mm.

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB

2017

Radeon R9 390X

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $180 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $429 MSRP).
✅Delivers 70.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 36.8 vs 21.6 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $429 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 275W, a 155W reduction.
✅Measures 250mm instead of 277mm, a 27mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅60% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 5 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 5 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 5 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
72.3% HIGHER MSRP
$429 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.6 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($429 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌129.2% higher power demand at 275W vs 120W.
❌10.8% longer card at 277mm vs 250mm.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon R9 390X better than GeForce GTX 1060 5GB?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 9,175 vs 9,278 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Radeon R9 390X is the overall package: you are getting FSR upscaling.

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

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2017 generation instead of 2015, the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling, and a 16nm process instead of 28nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

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

Radeon R9 390X is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon R9 390X is about 72.3% more expensive on MSRP at $429 MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 1.1% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1060 5GB really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does GeForce GTX 1060 5GB make more sense than Radeon R9 390X?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 5GB 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 (120W vs 275W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $249 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Radeon R9 390X. The trade-off is that Radeon R9 390X currently gives you 1.1% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1060 5GB still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

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 5GB Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 390X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390X
1080p
low	119 FPS	135 FPS
medium	106 FPS	115 FPS
high	89 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	66 FPS	57 FPS
1440p
low	110 FPS	113 FPS
medium	93 FPS	96 FPS
high	75 FPS	70 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	42 FPS
4K
low	46 FPS	39 FPS
medium	42 FPS	36 FPS
high	30 FPS	22 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	19 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open Radeon R9 390X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390X
1080p
low	146 FPS	187 FPS
medium	118 FPS	165 FPS
high	95 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	61 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	83 FPS	131 FPS
medium	62 FPS	106 FPS
high	46 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	65 FPS
4K
low	32 FPS	60 FPS
medium	23 FPS	50 FPS
high	19 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	37 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open Radeon R9 390X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390X
1080p
low	379 FPS	418 FPS
medium	330 FPS	334 FPS
high	246 FPS	278 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	209 FPS
1440p
low	308 FPS	313 FPS
medium	248 FPS	251 FPS
high	206 FPS	209 FPS
ultra	155 FPS	157 FPS
4K
low	187 FPS	209 FPS
medium	160 FPS	167 FPS
high	108 FPS	139 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	104 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open Radeon R9 390X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390X
1080p
low	258 FPS	283 FPS
medium	207 FPS	247 FPS
high	187 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	162 FPS	163 FPS
1440p
low	197 FPS	204 FPS
medium	154 FPS	180 FPS
high	132 FPS	144 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	110 FPS
4K
low	97 FPS	115 FPS
medium	73 FPS	94 FPS
high	64 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	57 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open Radeon R9 390X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 5GB and Radeon R9 390X

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 26 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1506 MHz to 1709 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,175 points.

Radeon R9 390X

The Radeon R9 390X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 18 2015. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1050 MHz. It has 2816 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,278 points. Launch price was $429.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB scores 9,175 and the Radeon R9 390X reaches 9,278 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is built on Pascal while the Radeon R9 390X uses GCN 2.0, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 2,816 (Radeon R9 390X). Raw compute: 4.375 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 5.914 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 390X). Boost clocks: 1709 MHz vs 1050 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390X
G3D Mark Score	9,175	9,278+1%
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 2.0
Process Node	16 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1280	2816+120%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.375 TFLOPS	5.914 TFLOPS+35%
Boost Clock	1709 MHz+63%	1050 MHz
ROPs	40	64+60%
TMUs	80	176+120%
L1 Cache	480 KB	704 KB+47%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB+25%	1 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon R9 390X relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390X
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 5GB comes with 5 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 390X has 8 GB. The Radeon R9 390X offers 60% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 384 GB/s (Radeon R9 390X) — a 140% advantage for the Radeon R9 390X. Bus width: 160-bit vs 512-bit. L2 Cache: 1.25 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 390X) — the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390X
VRAM Capacity	5 GB	8 GB+60%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s	384 GB/s+140%
Bus Width	160-bit	512-bit+220%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB+25%	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon R9 390X). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390X
DirectX	12 (12_1)	12 (12_0)
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (6th Gen) (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 390X). Decoder: NVDEC (3rd Gen) vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon R9 390X).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390X
Encoder	NVENC (6th Gen)	VCE 2.0
Decoder	NVDEC (3rd Gen)	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB draws 120W versus the Radeon R9 390X's 275W — a 78.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 750W (Radeon R9 390X). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 250mm vs 277mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 80.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390X
TDP	120W-56%	275W
Recommended PSU	400W-47%	750W
Power Connector	6-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	250mm	277mm
Height	111mm	129mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75-6%	80
Perf/Watt	76.5+127%	33.7

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 390X launched at $429. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB costs 42% less ($180 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 36.8 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 21.6 (Radeon R9 390X) — the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB offers 70.4% better value. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is the newer GPU (2017 vs 2015).