GeForce GTX 1060 3GB vs Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060 3GB

2016Core: 1506 MHzBoost: 1708 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT

2020Boost: 2100 MHz

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - GPU

About G3D Mark

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

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 49.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (3 GB vs Unknown).

Trade-offs

  • Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
  • 700% higher power demand at 120W vs 15W.

Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT

2020

Why buy it

  • Draws 15W instead of 120W, a 105W reduction.
  • More future proof: Vega (2017−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 3 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Poor future-proofing: 2020-era hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 49.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 3GB better than Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT?
Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 9,815 vs 9,558 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is the overall package: you are getting no meaningful modern upscaling stack.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more VRAM at 3 GB instead of Unknown and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. 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 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $199 MSRP. GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $199 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 2.7% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT is the newer 2020 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture and lower power draw (15W vs 120W) than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.
When does Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060 3GB?
Yes. Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still fine for 1080p, but 1440p and especially 4K require more compromise. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (15W vs 120W), and staying closer to an unclear 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 2.7% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%.

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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060 3GBRadeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
1080p
low95 FPS105 FPS
medium83 FPS91 FPS
high70 FPS74 FPS
ultra58 FPS44 FPS
1440p
low84 FPS92 FPS
medium70 FPS79 FPS
high58 FPS59 FPS
ultra49 FPS34 FPS
4K
low41 FPS30 FPS
medium38 FPS28 FPS
high27 FPS19 FPS
ultra24 FPS17 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1060 3GBRadeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
1080p
low191 FPS121 FPS
medium161 FPS85 FPS
high132 FPS58 FPS
ultra94 FPS39 FPS
1440p
low127 FPS80 FPS
medium101 FPS48 FPS
high80 FPS36 FPS
ultra61 FPS26 FPS
4K
low54 FPS38 FPS
medium45 FPS25 FPS
high43 FPS20 FPS
ultra35 FPS14 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 1060 3GBRadeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
1080p
low379 FPS338 FPS
medium332 FPS294 FPS
high246 FPS225 FPS
ultra204 FPS187 FPS
1440p
low308 FPS249 FPS
medium265 FPS224 FPS
high207 FPS180 FPS
ultra166 FPS141 FPS
4K
low187 FPS153 FPS
medium160 FPS134 FPS
high108 FPS94 FPS
ultra76 FPS64 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 1060 3GBRadeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
1080p
low257 FPS163 FPS
medium206 FPS130 FPS
high186 FPS115 FPS
ultra162 FPS92 FPS
1440p
low196 FPS116 FPS
medium154 FPS95 FPS
high136 FPS81 FPS
ultra113 FPS65 FPS
4K
low97 FPS68 FPS
medium73 FPS54 FPS
high65 FPS44 FPS
ultra51 FPS33 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 3GB and Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT

NVIDIA

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.

AMD

Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT

The Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2020. It features the Vega architecture. The boost clock speed is 2100 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,558 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB scores 9,815 and the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT reaches 9,558 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT uses Vega, both on 16 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 1,152 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 512 (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT). Boost clocks: 1708 MHz vs 2100 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 3GBRadeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
G3D Mark Score
9,815+3%
9,558
Architecture
Pascal
Vega
Process Node
16 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
1152+125%
512
Boost Clock
1708 MHz
2100 MHz+23%

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 RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 3GBRadeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
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 RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT has 0 MB. The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB offers 100+% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs System.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 3GBRadeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
VRAM Capacity
3 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
System
Bus Width
192-bit
System
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 3GBRadeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
DirectX
12.1
12.1
Vulkan
1.1
1.3+18%
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 4.0 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 3GBRadeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
Encoder
NVENC 4.0
VCN 2.0
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP6
VCN 2.0
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB draws 120W versus the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT's 15W — a 155.6% difference. The Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 1W (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Integrated. Card length: 250mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 3GBRadeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
TDP
120W
15W-88%
Recommended PSU
400W
1W-100%
Power Connector
6-pin
Integrated
Length
250mm
0mm
Height
111mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
81.8
637.2+679%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB launched at $199 MSRP, while the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT launched at $0. The Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT costs 100+% less ($199 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 49.3 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs Infinity (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT) — the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT offers Infinity% better value. The Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 3GBRadeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GT
MSRP
$199
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
49.3
Infinity
Codename
GP106
Vega
Release
August 18 2016
January 7 2020
Ranking
#272
#545