NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB vs NVIDIA T400 4 GB Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark database records two direct comparisons between the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB and the NVIDIA T400 4 GB. In both tests, the GTX 1060 3 GB comes out ahead, but the margin varies significantly depending on the workload.

The largest gap appears in the Geekbench OpenCL test. The GTX 1060 3 GB scores 27,001, while the T400 4 GB scores 17,320. That is a 55.9% advantage for the GTX 1060, a substantial lead that reflects the older card's much higher raw compute throughput. OpenCL is a general-purpose compute API, and the data shows the GTX 1060 is clearly the stronger performer in that domain.

The Vulkan test tells a different story. Here the GTX 1060 scores 17,475 against the T400's 16,263, a much narrower 7.5% margin. Vulkan is a low-overhead graphics API, and the results indicate that the T400, despite its smaller compute footprint, is able to keep pace far more closely in this scenario. The gap is still in favor of the GTX 1060, but the competitive picture is notably tighter.

Looking at the aggregate benchmark scores, the GTX 1060 records an average of 19,334 across all tests, while the T400 averages 16,792. The GTX 1060's advantage in the overall average is 15.1%, which is between the two individual test deltas. The OpenCL result pulls the average up, while the Vulkan result tempers it.

The T400 does secure a win in one area: memory capacity. It carries 4 GB of GDDR6 memory, whereas the GTX 1060 has 3 GB of GDDR5. In absolute terms, the T400 offers 33% more memory. However, the GTX 1060's memory subsystem is wider and faster overall, with a 192-bit bus delivering 192.2 GB/s of bandwidth compared to the T400's 64-bit bus and 80.00 GB/s. The GTX 1060 has 140% more memory bandwidth, which is a decisive factor in many workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 1060 3 GB is the clear winner in raw compute and graphics throughput. Its shading unit count of 1,152 versus the T400's 384 means it has three times the parallel processing capacity. This translates directly into higher pixel and texture rates: 81.98 GPixel/s and 123.0 GTexel/s for the GTX 1060, against 22.80 GPixel/s and 34.20 GTexel/s for the T400. For gaming, video editing, or any GPU-accelerated rendering, the GTX 1060 is the stronger choice.

The T400 4 GB wins in efficiency and physical footprint. Its thermal design power is 30 W, one-quarter of the GTX 1060's 120 W. It requires no power connectors and fits in a single slot, while the GTX 1060 is dual-slot and needs a 6-pin power connector. The suggested power supply for the T400 is 200 W, compared to 300 W for the GTX 1060. For a compact workstation or a system with limited power headroom, the T400 is clearly the more practical option.

The T400 also has a generation advantage in memory technology. It uses GDDR6 with 10 Gbps effective speed, while the GTX 1060 uses GDDR5 at 8 Gbps. The newer memory type allows the T400 to achieve its bandwidth with a much narrower bus. In scenarios where memory capacity matters more than raw bandwidth, such as holding larger datasets in VRAM, the T400's 4 GB capacity is a tangible benefit.

For compute workloads specifically, the FP16 capabilities differ sharply. The T400 achieves 2.189 TFLOPS of FP16 performance at a 2:1 ratio to FP32, while the GTX 1060 manages only 61.49 GFLOPS of FP16, a 1:64 ratio. In half-precision tasks, the T400 is dramatically faster, offering over 35 times the FP16 throughput. However, in FP32, the GTX 1060 leads with 3.935 TFLOPS versus 1,094.4 GFLOPS for the T400.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different NVIDIA architectures and manufacturing processes. The GTX 1060 3 GB is based on the Pascal architecture, built on a 16 nm TSMC process. The T400 4 GB uses the Turing architecture, fabricated on a 12 nm TSMC node. The Turing card is newer, released in 2021, while the Pascal card launched in 2016.

The chips themselves are similar in size but differ in composition. The GTX 1060 uses the GP106 chip with 4,400 million transistors on a 200 mm² die. The T400 uses the TU117 chip with 4,700 million transistors, also on a 200 mm² die. The newer process allows the TU117 to pack more transistors into the same area, giving a density of 23.5M per mm² versus 22.0M per mm² for the GP106.

The core configurations are very different. The GTX 1060 has 1,152 shading units, 72 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. The T400 has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The Pascal card has exactly three times the shaders, TMUs, and ROPs of the Turing card. This explains the large performance gap in compute and rasterization.

Clock speeds show an interesting contrast. The GTX 1060 has a base clock of 1506 MHz and a boost clock of 1708 MHz. The T400 has a much lower base clock of 420 MHz but a boost clock of 1425 MHz. The T400's base clock is low to save power, but it can ramp up significantly under load. The GTX 1060 runs at higher clocks throughout, which contributes to its performance lead.

Memory architecture differs fundamentally. The GTX 1060 uses a 192-bit memory bus with GDDR5, while the T400 uses a 64-bit bus with GDDR6. The GTX 1060's memory clock is 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective), while the T400's is 1250 MHz (10 Gbps effective). Despite the faster memory type on the T400, the wider bus on the GTX 1060 gives it over twice the bandwidth.

Both cards support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Neither has ray tracing or tensor cores. The GTX 1060 offers a DVI port, an HDMI 2.0 port, and three DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. The T400 provides three mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, no DVI or HDMI. The GTX 1060 is 250 mm long (9.8 inches), while the T400 has no recorded dimensions.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB has an average benchmark score of 19,334, while the NVIDIA T400 4 GB averages 16,792. The GTX 1060 leads by 15.1% in the overall average.

Q: How much faster is the GTX 1060 in OpenCL compute?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the GTX 1060 scores 27,001 against the T400's 17,320, a 55.9% advantage for the GTX 1060.

Q: Does the T400 win in any benchmark?

A: No. The database records two head-to-head tests, Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan, and the GTX 1060 wins both. The T400 does not have a recorded benchmark win.

Q: What memory advantages does the T400 have?

A: The T400 has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is 33% more capacity than the GTX 1060's 3 GB of GDDR5. The T400's memory runs at 10 Gbps effective, while the GTX 1060 runs at 8 Gbps.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The T400 has a 30 W thermal design power and requires a 200 W power supply. The GTX 1060 has a 120 W TDP and requires a 300 W power supply. The T400 also needs no power connectors, while the GTX 1060 needs one 6-pin connector.

Q: Which card is better for half-precision compute?

A: The T400 is far ahead in FP16 performance, delivering 2.189 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio to FP32. The GTX 1060 manages only 61.49 GFLOPS of FP16, a 1:64 ratio, so the T400 offers over 35 times the FP16 throughput.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB | NVIDIA T400 4 GB |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | Pascal | Turing |

| Process Node | 16 nm | 12 nm |

| Chip | GP106 | TU117 |

| Transistors | 4,400 million | 4,700 million |

| Transistor Density | 22.0M / mm² | 23.5M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1506 MHz | 420 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1708 MHz | 1425 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 2002 MHz, 8 Gbps effective | 1250 MHz, 10 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 3 GB | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 192 bit | 64 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 192.2 GB/s | 80.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1152 | 384 |

| Texture Mapping Units | 72 | 24 |

| Raster Output Units | 48 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 81.98 GPixel/s | 22.80 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 123.0 GTexel/s | 34.20 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 3.935 TFLOPS | 1,094.4 GFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 61.49 GFLOPS (1:64) | 2.189 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 120 W | 30 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | Single-slot |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 300 W | 200 W |

| Display Outputs | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | 3x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Release Date | 2016-08-17 | 2021-05-05 |

| Launch MSRP | 199 USD | Not recorded |

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB is the faster card in every recorded test. It wins OpenCL by 55.9% and Vulkan by 7.5%, and its average benchmark score of 19,334 places it in the 64th percentile of all GPUs, compared to the T400's 60th percentile. Anyone prioritizing raw performance should choose the GTX 1060.

The GTX 1060 also sits in a higher performance tier according to the nearest rival data. Its average score is within 0.4% of the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, 0.8% above the NVIDIA TITAN Xp, and 0.9% above the GeForce GTX 780. The T400's closest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (0.6% ahead), the NVIDIA Tesla M4 (0.8% behind), and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M (1.3% behind). This places the T400 in a much lower performance class.

However, the T400 4 GB is not without merit. Its 30 W power draw, single-slot design, and lack of power connectors make it ideal for compact systems or workstations where space and thermals are constrained. Its 4 GB of GDDR6 memory provides more capacity than the GTX 1060's 3 GB, and its FP16 performance is vastly superior at 2.189 TFLOPS versus 61.49 GFLOPS. For half-precision machine learning inference or specific compute tasks, the T400 is the better tool.

The verdict depends on the use case. For gaming, general graphics, or FP32 compute, the GTX 1060 3 GB is the clear choice, offering over three times the shading units and more than double the memory bandwidth. For a low-power, single-slot workstation card that handles FP16 workloads and needs more VRAM, the T400 4 GB is the appropriate selection. The GTX 1060 wins on performance, the T400 wins on efficiency and capacity.