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

✅25% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (5 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 5 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
39.1% HIGHER MSRP
$249 MSRPvs$179 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 36.8 vs 49.4 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
❌38.9% longer card at 250mm vs 180mm.

Radeon RX 5500

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $70 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Delivers 34% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 49.4 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Measures 180mm instead of 250mm, a 70mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 5 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB

2017

Radeon RX 5500

2019

Why buy it

✅25% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (5 GB vs 4 GB).

Why buy it

✅Costs $70 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Delivers 34% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 49.4 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Measures 180mm instead of 250mm, a 70mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 5 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
39.1% HIGHER MSRP
$249 MSRPvs$179 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 36.8 vs 49.4 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
❌38.9% longer card at 250mm vs 180mm.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 5 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 5GB better than Radeon RX 5500?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 9,175 vs 8,837 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is a 2017 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon RX 5500 is a 2019 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation. 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 RX 5500 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2019 generation instead of 2017, better upscaling support with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 7nm process instead of 16nm. 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?

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is about 39.1% more expensive on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $179 MSRP, and you are getting 3.8% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 5500 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does Radeon RX 5500 make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060 5GB?

Yes. Radeon RX 5500 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, future-proofing, and staying closer to $179 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060 5GB. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 5GB currently gives you 3.8% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 5500 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 RX 5500 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 5500
1080p
low	119 FPS	106 FPS
medium	106 FPS	92 FPS
high	89 FPS	76 FPS
ultra	66 FPS	45 FPS
1440p
low	110 FPS	94 FPS
medium	93 FPS	81 FPS
high	75 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	35 FPS
4K
low	46 FPS	32 FPS
medium	42 FPS	29 FPS
high	30 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	17 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open Radeon RX 5500

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 5500
1080p
low	146 FPS	113 FPS
medium	118 FPS	79 FPS
high	95 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	61 FPS	37 FPS
1440p
low	83 FPS	76 FPS
medium	62 FPS	47 FPS
high	46 FPS	34 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	25 FPS
4K
low	32 FPS	36 FPS
medium	23 FPS	24 FPS
high	19 FPS	19 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open Radeon RX 5500

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 5500
1080p
low	379 FPS	349 FPS
medium	330 FPS	304 FPS
high	246 FPS	238 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	198 FPS
1440p
low	308 FPS	285 FPS
medium	248 FPS	239 FPS
high	206 FPS	199 FPS
ultra	155 FPS	149 FPS
4K
low	187 FPS	176 FPS
medium	160 FPS	151 FPS
high	108 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	74 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open Radeon RX 5500

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 5500
1080p
low	258 FPS	170 FPS
medium	207 FPS	140 FPS
high	187 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	162 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	197 FPS	121 FPS
medium	154 FPS	100 FPS
high	132 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	69 FPS
4K
low	97 FPS	69 FPS
medium	73 FPS	56 FPS
high	64 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	34 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open Radeon RX 5500

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 5GB and Radeon RX 5500

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 RX 5500

The Radeon RX 5500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 7 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1845 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 110W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,837 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB scores 9,175 and the Radeon RX 5500 reaches 8,837 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 5500 uses RDNA 1.0, both on 16 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500). Raw compute: 4.375 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 5.196 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500). Boost clocks: 1709 MHz vs 1845 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 5500
G3D Mark Score	9,175+4%	8,837
Architecture	Pascal	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	16 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	1280	1408+10%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.375 TFLOPS	5.196 TFLOPS+19%
Boost Clock	1709 MHz	1845 MHz+8%
ROPs	40+25%	32
TMUs	80	88+10%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 5500 is support for FSR 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 5GB lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.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 RX 5500 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 5500
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation
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 RX 5500 has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB offers 25% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500) — a 40% advantage for the Radeon RX 5500. Bus width: 160-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 5500
VRAM Capacity	5 GB+25%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s	224 GB/s+40%
Bus Width	160-bit+25%	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX 5500). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 5500
DirectX	12 (12_1)	12.1
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 VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5500). Decoder: NVDEC (3rd Gen) vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 5500
Encoder	NVENC (6th Gen)	VCN 2.0
Decoder	NVDEC (3rd Gen)	VCN 2.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB draws 120W versus the Radeon RX 5500's 110W — a 8.7% difference. The Radeon RX 5500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 450W (Radeon RX 5500). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 250mm vs 180mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 5500
TDP	120W	110W-8%
Recommended PSU	400W-11%	450W
Power Connector	6-pin	8-pin
Length	250mm	180mm
Height	111mm	110mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75	75°C
Perf/Watt	76.5	80.3+5%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 5500 launched at $179. The Radeon RX 5500 costs 28.1% less ($70 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 36.8 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 49.4 (Radeon RX 5500) — the Radeon RX 5500 offers 34.2% better value. The Radeon RX 5500 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2017).