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

2016

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,450 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $1,699 MSRP).
✅Delivers 225.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 12.4 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $1,699 MSRP).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Measures 173mm instead of 267mm, a 94mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RTX A4500 across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

RTX A4500

2021

Why buy it

✅27.2% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌
582.3% HIGHER MSRP
$1,699 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 12.4 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($1,699 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌54.3% longer card at 267mm vs 173mm.

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

RTX A4500

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,450 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $1,699 MSRP).
✅Delivers 225.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 12.4 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $1,699 MSRP).
✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Measures 173mm instead of 267mm, a 94mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅27.2% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RTX A4500 across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌
582.3% HIGHER MSRP
$1,699 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 12.4 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($1,699 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌54.3% longer card at 267mm vs 173mm.

Quick Answers

So, is RTX A4500 better than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. RTX A4500 is clearly the better overall GPU here. RTX A4500 averages 27.2% more FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 21,094 vs 10,064 in G3D Mark. On top of that, RTX A4500 is a 2021 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while GeForce GTX 1060 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?

RTX A4500 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2016, 109.6% more raw performance headroom, 100.0% more ray-tracing hardware, and a 8nm process instead of 16nm. That extra performance headroom should help it hold higher settings and newer game demands for longer.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

RTX A4500 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. RTX A4500 is about 582.3% more expensive on MSRP at $1,699 MSRP versus $249 MSRP, and you are getting 27.2% more estimated average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data and 109.6% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1060 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

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

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 1060 is 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM, 10,064 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 Benchmark Check

RTX A4500 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A4500
1080p
low	117 FPS	104 FPS
medium	105 FPS	88 FPS
high	91 FPS	73 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	51 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	82 FPS
medium	87 FPS	68 FPS
high	76 FPS	51 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	35 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	34 FPS
medium	49 FPS	31 FPS
high	41 FPS	23 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	20 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open RTX A4500

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A4500
1080p
low	216 FPS	441 FPS
medium	181 FPS	377 FPS
high	148 FPS	299 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	260 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	332 FPS
medium	107 FPS	276 FPS
high	87 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	184 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	166 FPS
medium	51 FPS	140 FPS
high	49 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	96 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open RTX A4500

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A4500
1080p
low	453 FPS	564 FPS
medium	362 FPS	477 FPS
high	302 FPS	407 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	339 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	442 FPS
medium	272 FPS	372 FPS
high	226 FPS	323 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	260 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	287 FPS
medium	181 FPS	237 FPS
high	151 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	149 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open RTX A4500

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A4500
1080p
low	358 FPS	174 FPS
medium	302 FPS	144 FPS
high	260 FPS	125 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	109 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	128 FPS
medium	254 FPS	109 FPS
high	208 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	83 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	75 FPS
medium	133 FPS	63 FPS
high	123 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	39 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open RTX A4500

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and RTX A4500

GeForce GTX 1060

The GeForce GTX 1060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 27 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1733 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,064 points. Launch price was $599.

RTX A4500

The RTX A4500 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 23 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1050 MHz to 1650 MHz. It has 7168 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 56 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 21,094 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the RTX A4500's 21,094 — the RTX A4500 leads by 109.6%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the RTX A4500 uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 7,168 (RTX A4500). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 23.65 TFLOPS (RTX A4500). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1650 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A4500
G3D Mark Score	10,064	21,094+110%
Architecture	Pascal	Ampere
Process Node	16 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2560	7168+180%
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS	23.65 TFLOPS+167%
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+5%	1650 MHz
ROPs	64	96+50%
TMUs	160	224+40%
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	7 MB+645%
L2 Cache	2 MB	6 MB+200%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A4500
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the RTX A4500 has 2 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 448 GB/s (RTX A4500) — a 133.3% advantage for the RTX A4500. Bus width: 192-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 6 MB (RTX A4500) — the RTX A4500 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A4500
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+200%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	448 GB/s+133%
Bus Width	192-bit	192-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	6 MB+200%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.1 (RTX A4500). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A4500
DirectX	12	12.1
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 7th Gen NVENC (2x) (RTX A4500). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (RTX A4500).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A4500
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	7th Gen NVENC (2x)
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the RTX A4500's 200W — a 10.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 450W (RTX A4500). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A4500
TDP	180W-10%	200W
Recommended PSU	400W-11%	450W
Power Connector	6-pin	8-pin
Length	173mm	267mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	80°C
Perf/Watt	55.9	105.5+89%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 MSRP, while the RTX A4500 launched at $1699. The GeForce GTX 1060 costs 85.3% less ($1450 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12.4 (RTX A4500) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 225.8% better value. The RTX A4500 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2016).