GeForce GTX 1060 vs RTX A500 Embedded GPU

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

✅+62.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌800% higher power demand at 180W vs 20W.
❌111% longer card at 173mm vs 82mm.

RTX A500 Embedded GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 20W instead of 180W, a 160W reduction.
✅Measures 82mm instead of 173mm, a 91mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,197 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

RTX A500 Embedded GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅+62.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).

Why buy it

✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 20W instead of 180W, a 160W reduction.
✅Measures 82mm instead of 173mm, a 91mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌800% higher power demand at 180W vs 20W.
❌111% longer card at 173mm vs 82mm.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,197 vs 10,064).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 better than RTX A500 Embedded GPU?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 10,064 vs 6,197 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1060 is a 2016 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while RTX A500 Embedded GPU is a 2022 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 A500 Embedded GPU is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2016, 100.0% more ray-tracing hardware, and a 8nm process instead of 16nm. That makes it the safer long-run choice for modern games.

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

GeForce GTX 1060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce GTX 1060 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $249 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 62.4% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. RTX A500 Embedded GPU is the newer 2022 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture, lower power draw (20W vs 180W), and future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does RTX A500 Embedded GPU make more sense than GeForce GTX 1060?

Yes. RTX A500 Embedded GPU is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (20W vs 180W), future-proofing, and staying closer to an unclear MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1060. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1060 currently gives you 62.4% 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.

GeForce GTX 1060 Benchmark Check

RTX A500 Embedded GPU Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
1080p
low	117 FPS	81 FPS
medium	105 FPS	70 FPS
high	91 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	37 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	71 FPS
medium	87 FPS	62 FPS
high	76 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	55 FPS	26 FPS
medium	49 FPS	24 FPS
high	41 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open RTX A500 Embedded GPU

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
1080p
low	216 FPS	115 FPS
medium	181 FPS	90 FPS
high	148 FPS	70 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	53 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	86 FPS
medium	107 FPS	64 FPS
high	87 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	40 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	51 FPS
medium	51 FPS	39 FPS
high	49 FPS	31 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	23 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open RTX A500 Embedded GPU

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
1080p
low	453 FPS	279 FPS
medium	362 FPS	223 FPS
high	302 FPS	186 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	139 FPS
1440p
low	340 FPS	209 FPS
medium	272 FPS	167 FPS
high	226 FPS	139 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	105 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	139 FPS
medium	181 FPS	112 FPS
high	151 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	70 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open RTX A500 Embedded GPU

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
1080p
low	358 FPS	156 FPS
medium	302 FPS	127 FPS
high	260 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	112 FPS
medium	254 FPS	93 FPS
high	208 FPS	80 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	66 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	66 FPS
medium	133 FPS	54 FPS
high	123 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 Open RTX A500 Embedded GPU

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 and RTX A500 Embedded GPU

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 A500 Embedded GPU

The RTX A500 Embedded GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 30 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 435 MHz to 1335 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 20W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,197 points.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1060 scores 10,064 versus the RTX A500 Embedded GPU's 6,197 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 62.4%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the RTX A500 Embedded GPU uses Ampere, both on 16 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 2,048 (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 5.468 TFLOPS (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1335 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
G3D Mark Score	10,064+62%	6,197
Architecture	Pascal	Ampere
Process Node	16 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2560+25%	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+62%	5.468 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+30%	1335 MHz
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	160+150%	64
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	2 MB+113%
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
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 A500 Embedded GPU has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+50%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12_2 (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
DirectX	12	12_2
Max Displays	4	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs NVENC 7th Gen (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs NVDEC 5th Gen.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the RTX A500 Embedded GPU's 20W — a 160% difference. The RTX A500 Embedded GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 350W (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Power connectors: 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 173mm vs 82mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.