GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon R9 M290X

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

✅+212.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $151 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 402.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 8.0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon R9 M290X: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon R9 M290X is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌80% higher power demand at 180W vs 100W.

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 180W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,218 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
60.6% HIGHER MSRP
$400 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

✅+212.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $151 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 402.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 8.0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon R9 M290X: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon R9 M290X is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 180W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌80% higher power demand at 180W vs 100W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,218 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
60.6% HIGHER MSRP
$400 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than Radeon R9 M290X?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 3,218 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon R9 M290X is a 2014 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?

GeForce GTX 1060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2016 generation instead of 2014, 212.7% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 4 GB, and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. 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 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 $151 cheaper on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $400 MSRP, and you are getting 212.7% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 402.4%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Radeon R9 M290X still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon R9 M290X 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 $400 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

Radeon R9 M290X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	117 FPS	78 FPS
medium	105 FPS	67 FPS
high	91 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	69 FPS
medium	87 FPS	59 FPS
high	76 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	24 FPS
medium	49 FPS	23 FPS
high	41 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	13 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon R9 M290X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	216 FPS	112 FPS
medium	181 FPS	84 FPS
high	148 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	40 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	64 FPS
medium	107 FPS	43 FPS
high	87 FPS	32 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	22 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	24 FPS
medium	51 FPS	16 FPS
high	49 FPS	13 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	9 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon R9 M290X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	453 FPS	145 FPS
medium	362 FPS	116 FPS
high	302 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	72 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	109 FPS
medium	272 FPS	87 FPS
high	226 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	72 FPS
medium	181 FPS	58 FPS
high	151 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	36 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon R9 M290X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	358 FPS	142 FPS
medium	302 FPS	113 FPS
high	260 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	72 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	103 FPS
medium	254 FPS	84 FPS
high	208 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	60 FPS
medium	133 FPS	46 FPS
high	123 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	25 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open Radeon R9 M290X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon R9 M290X

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.

Radeon R9 M290X

The Radeon R9 M290X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 9 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,218 points.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the Radeon R9 M290X's 3,218 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 212.7%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the Radeon R9 M290X uses GCN 1.0, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 M290X). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M290X). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 M290X
G3D Mark Score	10,064+213%	3,218
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 1.0
Process Node	16 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560+100%	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+285%	2.304 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+93%	900 MHz
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	160+100%	80
L1 Cache	960 KB+200%	320 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 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 Radeon R9 M290X relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 M290X
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M290X has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 M290X) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 M290X
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+50%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the Radeon R9 M290X's 100W — a 57.1% difference. The Radeon R9 M290X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Mobile.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	Radeon R9 M290X
TDP	180W	100W-44%
Recommended PSU	400W	350W-13%
Power Connector	6-pin	Mobile
Length	173mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Perf/Watt	55.9+74%	32.2

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 M290X launched at $400. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 37.8% less ($151 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 8.0 (Radeon R9 M290X) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 405% better value. The GeForce GTX 1060 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2014).