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 $150 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 200W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (9,175 vs 20,312).
❌Less VRAM, with 5 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 5 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 36.8 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅+121.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 38.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅60% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 5 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌66.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 120W.

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB

2017

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $150 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 200W, a 80W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+121.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 38.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅60% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 5 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (9,175 vs 20,312).
❌Less VRAM, with 5 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 5 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 36.8 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌66.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 120W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti better than GeForce GTX 1060 5GB?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 20,312 vs 9,175 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is a 2017 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. 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 RTX 3060 Ti is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2017, 121.4% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 5 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. 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 RTX 3060 Ti is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is about 60.2% more expensive on MSRP at $399 MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 121.4% 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

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	119 FPS	152 FPS
medium	106 FPS	137 FPS
high	89 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	66 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	110 FPS	131 FPS
medium	93 FPS	107 FPS
high	75 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	46 FPS	77 FPS
medium	42 FPS	65 FPS
high	30 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	43 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	154 FPS	425 FPS
medium	123 FPS	366 FPS
high	100 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	65 FPS	248 FPS
1440p
low	85 FPS	272 FPS
medium	63 FPS	229 FPS
high	47 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	156 FPS
4K
low	32 FPS	133 FPS
medium	23 FPS	114 FPS
high	19 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	73 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	413 FPS	859 FPS
medium	330 FPS	693 FPS
high	275 FPS	602 FPS
ultra	206 FPS	457 FPS
1440p
low	310 FPS	658 FPS
medium	248 FPS	529 FPS
high	206 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	155 FPS	343 FPS
4K
low	206 FPS	434 FPS
medium	165 FPS	346 FPS
high	132 FPS	275 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	221 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
1080p
low	258 FPS	580 FPS
medium	207 FPS	514 FPS
high	187 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	162 FPS	373 FPS
1440p
low	197 FPS	478 FPS
medium	154 FPS	427 FPS
high	132 FPS	335 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	290 FPS
4K
low	97 FPS	285 FPS
medium	73 FPS	266 FPS
high	64 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	195 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 5GB and GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

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.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 4864 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 38 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,312 points. Launch price was $399.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB scores 9,175 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 121.4%. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Raw compute: 4.375 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Boost clocks: 1709 MHz vs 1665 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score	9,175	20,312+121%
Architecture	Pascal	Ampere
Process Node	16 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1280	4864+280%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.375 TFLOPS	16.2 TFLOPS+270%
Boost Clock	1709 MHz+3%	1665 MHz
ROPs	40	80+100%
TMUs	80	152+90%
L1 Cache	0.47 MB	4.8 MB+921%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB	4 MB+220%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB comes with 5 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 60% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — a 180% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Bus width: 160-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 1.25 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
VRAM Capacity	5 GB	8 GB+60%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s	448 GB/s+180%
Bus Width	160-bit	256-bit+60%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB	4 MB+220%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
DirectX	12 (12_1)	12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (6th Gen) (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: NVDEC (3rd Gen) vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder	NVENC (6th Gen)	NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder	NVDEC (3rd Gen)	NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB draws 120W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 50% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 250mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
TDP	120W-40%	200W
Recommended PSU	400W-33%	600W
Power Connector	6-pin	8-pin
Length	250mm	242mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75	75
Perf/Watt	76.5	101.6+33%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB launched at $249 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB costs 37.6% less ($150 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 36.8 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 38.3% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2017).