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 $30 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
✅Delivers 10.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 36.8 vs 33.4 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 175W, a 55W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 5 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌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.

Radeon RX 590

2018

Why buy it

✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅60% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 5 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than GeForce GTX 1060 5GB: it remains the more sensible modern option while GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
✅Measures 241mm instead of 250mm, a 9mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌
12% HIGHER MSRP
$279 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 33.4 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌45.8% higher power demand at 175W vs 120W.

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB

2017

Radeon RX 590

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $30 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
✅Delivers 10.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 36.8 vs 33.4 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 175W, a 55W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅60% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 5 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than GeForce GTX 1060 5GB: it remains the more sensible modern option while GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
✅Measures 241mm instead of 250mm, a 9mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 5 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌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.

Trade-offs

❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌
12% HIGHER MSRP
$279 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 33.4 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌45.8% higher power demand at 175W vs 120W.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 590 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 9,315 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Radeon RX 590 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation.

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

Radeon RX 590 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2018 generation instead of 2017, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 5 GB, 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 12nm 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?

Radeon RX 590 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon RX 590 is about 12.0% more expensive on MSRP at $279 MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 1.5% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1060 5GB really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is GeForce GTX 1060 5GB still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is 2017 hardware with 5 GB of VRAM, 9,175 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 5GB Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 590 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 590
1080p
low	119 FPS	139 FPS
medium	106 FPS	124 FPS
high	89 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	66 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	110 FPS	122 FPS
medium	93 FPS	100 FPS
high	75 FPS	84 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	46 FPS	71 FPS
medium	42 FPS	60 FPS
high	30 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	40 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open Radeon RX 590

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 590
1080p
low	146 FPS	164 FPS
medium	118 FPS	141 FPS
high	95 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	61 FPS	95 FPS
1440p
low	83 FPS	95 FPS
medium	62 FPS	76 FPS
high	46 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	49 FPS
4K
low	32 FPS	46 FPS
medium	23 FPS	37 FPS
high	19 FPS	32 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	27 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open Radeon RX 590

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 590
1080p
low	379 FPS	419 FPS
medium	330 FPS	335 FPS
high	246 FPS	279 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	210 FPS
1440p
low	308 FPS	314 FPS
medium	248 FPS	252 FPS
high	206 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	155 FPS	157 FPS
4K
low	187 FPS	210 FPS
medium	160 FPS	168 FPS
high	108 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	105 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open Radeon RX 590

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 590
1080p
low	258 FPS	403 FPS
medium	207 FPS	335 FPS
high	187 FPS	279 FPS
ultra	162 FPS	210 FPS
1440p
low	197 FPS	314 FPS
medium	154 FPS	252 FPS
high	132 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	157 FPS
4K
low	97 FPS	176 FPS
medium	73 FPS	138 FPS
high	64 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	101 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open Radeon RX 590

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 5GB and Radeon RX 590

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 590

The Radeon RX 590 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 15 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1469 MHz to 1545 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 175W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,315 points. Launch price was $279.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB scores 9,175 and the Radeon RX 590 reaches 9,315 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX 590 uses GCN 4.0, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 590). Raw compute: 4.375 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 7.119 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 590). Boost clocks: 1709 MHz vs 1545 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 590
G3D Mark Score	9,175	9,315+2%
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 4.0
Process Node	16 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	1280	2304+80%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.375 TFLOPS	7.119 TFLOPS+63%
Boost Clock	1709 MHz+11%	1545 MHz
ROPs	40+25%	32
TMUs	80	144+80%
L1 Cache	480 KB	576 KB+20%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB	2 MB+60%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 590 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 590 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 590
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 590 has 8 GB. The Radeon RX 590 offers 60% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 590) — a 60% advantage for the Radeon RX 590. Bus width: 160-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 1.25 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 590) — the Radeon RX 590 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 590
VRAM Capacity	5 GB	8 GB+60%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s	256 GB/s+60%
Bus Width	160-bit	256-bit+60%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB	2 MB+60%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 12.0 (Radeon RX 590). 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 590
DirectX	12 (12_1)	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 3.4 (Radeon RX 590). Decoder: NVDEC (3rd Gen) vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX 590).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 590
Encoder	NVENC (6th Gen)	VCE 3.4
Decoder	NVDEC (3rd Gen)	UVD 6.3
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB draws 120W versus the Radeon RX 590's 175W — a 37.3% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 500W (Radeon RX 590). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 250mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon RX 590
TDP	120W-31%	175W
Recommended PSU	400W-20%	500W
Power Connector	6-pin	8-pin
Length	250mm	241mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75-6%	80°C
Perf/Watt	76.5+44%	53.2

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 590 launched at $279. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB costs 10.8% less ($30 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 36.8 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 33.4 (Radeon RX 590) — the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB offers 10.2% better value. The Radeon RX 590 is the newer GPU (2018 vs 2017).