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

✅Costs $130 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 170W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅97.9% more average FPS across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Measures 242mm instead of 250mm, a 8mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌41.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 120W.

GeForce GTX 1060 3GB

2016

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $130 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 170W, a 50W reduction.

Why buy it

✅97.9% more average FPS across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Measures 242mm instead of 250mm, a 8mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Trade-offs

❌41.7% higher power demand at 170W vs 120W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than GeForce GTX 1060 3GB?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 averages 97.9% more FPS across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 9,815 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is a 2016 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 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2016, 73.2% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 3 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 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3060 is about 65.3% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and you are getting 97.9% more estimated average FPS across 37 tracked games in our benchmark data and 73.2% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1060 3GB really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is GeForce GTX 1060 3GB still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is 2016 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM, 9,815 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 3GB Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	95 FPS	149 FPS
medium	83 FPS	131 FPS
high	70 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	84 FPS	126 FPS
medium	70 FPS	104 FPS
high	58 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	41 FPS	67 FPS
medium	38 FPS	58 FPS
high	27 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	24 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Open GeForce RTX 3060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	191 FPS	354 FPS
medium	161 FPS	310 FPS
high	132 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	127 FPS	222 FPS
medium	101 FPS	196 FPS
high	80 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	61 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	54 FPS	110 FPS
medium	45 FPS	94 FPS
high	43 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	60 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Open GeForce RTX 3060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	379 FPS	765 FPS
medium	332 FPS	612 FPS
high	246 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	382 FPS
1440p
low	308 FPS	535 FPS
medium	265 FPS	432 FPS
high	207 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	166 FPS	287 FPS
4K
low	187 FPS	367 FPS
medium	160 FPS	298 FPS
high	108 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	176 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Open GeForce RTX 3060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	257 FPS	523 FPS
medium	206 FPS	452 FPS
high	186 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	162 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	196 FPS	428 FPS
medium	154 FPS	371 FPS
high	136 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	97 FPS	279 FPS
medium	73 FPS	259 FPS
high	65 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	51 FPS	186 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Open GeForce RTX 3060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 3GB and GeForce RTX 3060

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.

GeForce RTX 3060

The GeForce RTX 3060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,995 points. Launch price was $329.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB scores 9,815 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 73.2%. The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,152 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 3.935 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1708 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	9,815	16,995+73%
Architecture	Pascal	Ampere
Process Node	16 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1152	3584+211%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.935 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+224%
Boost Clock	1708 MHz	1777 MHz+4%
ROPs	48	48
TMUs	72	112+56%
L1 Cache	0.42 MB	3.5 MB+733%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	3 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce RTX 3060
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 3GB comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 87.5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	12 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	360 GB/s+88%
Bus Width	192-bit	192-bit
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	3 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate
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 NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	NVENC 4.0	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB draws 120W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 34.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 250mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	120W-29%	170W
Recommended PSU	400W-27%	550W
Power Connector	6-pin	8-pin
Length	250mm	242mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C	75
Perf/Watt	81.8	100.0+22%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB launched at $199 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB costs 39.5% less ($130 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 49.3 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 4.9% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2016).