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 $80 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 170W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 5 GB vs 12 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 51.7 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅103.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 40.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅140% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 5 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

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

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB

2017

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $80 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 170W, a 50W reduction.

Why buy it

✅103.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 40.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅140% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 5 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 5 GB vs 12 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 51.7 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

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

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 averages 103.3% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 9,175 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 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 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2017, 85.2% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 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 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3060 is about 32.1% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 103.3% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 85.2% 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 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	95 FPS	149 FPS
medium	84 FPS	131 FPS
high	71 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	88 FPS	126 FPS
medium	75 FPS	104 FPS
high	61 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	51 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	42 FPS	67 FPS
medium	39 FPS	58 FPS
high	28 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	24 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open GeForce RTX 3060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	146 FPS	354 FPS
medium	118 FPS	310 FPS
high	95 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	61 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	83 FPS	222 FPS
medium	62 FPS	196 FPS
high	46 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	32 FPS	110 FPS
medium	23 FPS	94 FPS
high	19 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	60 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open GeForce RTX 3060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	379 FPS	765 FPS
medium	330 FPS	612 FPS
high	246 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	382 FPS
1440p
low	308 FPS	535 FPS
medium	248 FPS	432 FPS
high	206 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	155 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 5GB Open GeForce RTX 3060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	258 FPS	523 FPS
medium	207 FPS	452 FPS
high	187 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	162 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	197 FPS	428 FPS
medium	154 FPS	371 FPS
high	132 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	97 FPS	279 FPS
medium	73 FPS	259 FPS
high	64 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	186 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open GeForce RTX 3060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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

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 5GB scores 9,175 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 85.2%. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 4.375 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1709 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	9,175	16,995+85%
Architecture	Pascal	Ampere
Process Node	16 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1280	3584+180%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.375 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+191%
Boost Clock	1709 MHz	1777 MHz+4%
ROPs	40	48+20%
TMUs	80	112+40%
L1 Cache	0.47 MB	3.5 MB+645%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB	3 MB+140%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 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
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 has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 140% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 125% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 160-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 1.25 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	5 GB	12 GB+140%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s	360 GB/s+125%
Bus Width	160-bit	192-bit+20%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB	3 MB+140%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). 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
DirectX	12 (12_1)	12 Ultimate
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 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: NVDEC (3rd Gen) vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	NVENC (6th Gen)	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	NVDEC (3rd Gen)	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB draws 120W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 34.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) 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 vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	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	75
Perf/Watt	76.5	100.0+31%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB launched at $249 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB costs 24.3% less ($80 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 36.8 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 40.5% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2017).