NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 5 GB vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile Comparison

The benchmark data shows a clear generational shift: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile decisively outperforms the older NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 5 GB in every head-to-head test recorded. While both cards occupy the same 78th percentile among all GPUs, their average benchmark scores and architectural foundations tell very different stories about their respective strengths and intended use cases.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The RTX 3050 Mobile dominates the GTX 1060 5 GB in both available synthetic tests, with the largest margin appearing in OpenCL compute workloads. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 3050 Mobile scores 50,038 points against the GTX 1060 5 GB's 33,397 points, representing a 33.3% advantage for the newer card. This is a substantial leap in raw compute throughput, reflecting the Ampere architecture's ability to handle parallel workloads far more efficiently than the older Pascal design.

The Vulkan graphics test tells a similar story, though with a slightly narrower gap. The RTX 3050 Mobile achieves 49,051 points while the GTX 1060 5 GB manages 33,991 points, putting the RTX 3050 Mobile 30.7% ahead. This consistent lead across both APIs indicates that the performance advantage is not limited to a specific workload type but is instead a fundamental property of the newer GPU's design.

Looking at the aggregate data, the GTX 1060 5 GB holds a higher average benchmark score of 33,694 compared to the RTX 3050 Mobile's 33,170. This counterintuitive result stems from the fact that the GTX 1060 5 GB has only two benchmark entries, both of which are Geekbench tests, while the RTX 3050 Mobile includes a third test — 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 — where it scores just 421 points. That low DX12 result drags down the RTX 3050 Mobile's average despite its overwhelming wins in the two shared tests.

The nearest rival data contextualizes these scores further. The GTX 1060 5 GB sits within 0.9% of the AMD Radeon RX 480 and within 0.8% of the AMD Radeon HD 7950, indicating that its performance profile is closely matched with those older direct competitors. The RTX 3050 Mobile, by contrast, is nearly identical to the NVIDIA T550 Mobile (0% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro 570 (0.1% delta), placing it in a different competitive tier that includes mobile workstation-class GPUs.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from completely different architectural eras and foundry processes. The GTX 1060 5 GB uses the GP106 chip built on TSMC's 16 nm process, packing 4,400 million transistors into a 200 mm² die. The RTX 3050 Mobile uses the GA107 chip manufactured by Samsung on an 8 nm process, fitting 8,700 million transistors into the same 200 mm² die area. This doubling of transistor count in an identical footprint yields a transistor density of 43.5 million per mm² for the RTX 3050 Mobile versus 22.0 million per mm² for the GTX 1060 5 GB.

The memory subsystems differ substantially. The GTX 1060 5 GB features 5 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 160-bit bus, delivering 160.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 3050 Mobile has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a narrower 128-bit bus, yet achieves higher bandwidth at 192.0 GB/s thanks to the faster memory technology running at 12 Gbps effective versus 8 Gbps effective on the older card.

Compute resources tell a nuanced story. The RTX 3050 Mobile has significantly more shading units at 2,048 versus 1,280, but fewer texture mapping units (64 vs 80) and fewer raster operation units (32 vs 40). This explains why the GTX 1060 5 GB actually has higher pixel rate and texture rate figures — 68.36 GPixel/s and 136.7 GTexel/s respectively, versus 42.98 GPixel/s and 85.95 GTexel/s on the RTX 3050 Mobile. However, the RTX 3050 Mobile's FP32 compute of 5.501 TFLOPS exceeds the GTX 1060 5 GB's 4.375 TFLOPS, and the newer card's FP16 performance of 5.501 TFLOPS is dramatically higher than the GTX 1060 5 GB's 68.36 GFLOPS with its 1:64 FP16 ratio.

The RTX 3050 Mobile also brings dedicated ray tracing and tensor cores — 16 RT cores and 64 tensor cores — features entirely absent from the GTX 1060 5 GB. This enables DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) support on the newer card, while the GTX 1060 5 GB is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1). Both cards support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

Power characteristics are wildly different. The GTX 1060 5 GB is a dual-slot desktop card with a 120 W TDP, requiring a 300 W power supply and a single 6-pin connector. The RTX 3050 Mobile is an integrated GPU with a 45 W TDP, no power connectors, and no dedicated slot width, designed for laptops where the display outputs are portable device dependent.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3050 Mobile is the clear winner for compute-intensive tasks and modern gaming features. Its 33.3% lead in OpenCL and 30.7% lead in Vulkan demonstrate superior raw performance in both general-purpose compute and graphics APIs. The presence of RT and tensor cores makes it the only option of the two for ray-traced workloads and AI-accelerated features, while DirectX 12 Ultimate support ensures compatibility with the latest graphics effects. The higher memory bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s, despite the smaller 4 GB capacity, benefits texture-heavy scenes and higher resolutions where bandwidth is the limiting factor.

The GTX 1060 5 GB retains advantages in specific areas that matter for older games and certain workloads. Its higher pixel rate of 68.36 GPixel/s and texture rate of 136.7 GTexel/s suggest it can fill frames faster in traditional rasterization scenarios that do not leverage modern compute features. The larger 5 GB memory capacity, while slower, provides more headroom for texture-heavy content that exceeds 4 GB. The desktop form factor with DisplayPort 1.4a outputs and DVI support makes it more flexible for multi-monitor setups, whereas the RTX 3050 Mobile's outputs are entirely dependent on the host laptop.

For users with older power supplies, the GTX 1060 5 GB's 120 W TDP and 300 W recommended PSU are modest, but the RTX 3050 Mobile's 45 W TDP is far more efficient, making it the obvious choice for battery-powered or thermally constrained devices.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The GTX 1060 5 GB has an average benchmark score of 33,694, while the RTX 3050 Mobile averages 33,170. However, this is skewed by the RTX 3050 Mobile's low 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 421, which is not a comparable test to the Geekbench results.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 3050 Mobile in OpenCL?

A: The RTX 3050 Mobile scores 50,038 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 33.3% higher than the GTX 1060 5 GB's 33,397.

Q: Does the GTX 1060 5 GB support ray tracing?

A: No. The GTX 1060 5 GB has no RT cores, while the RTX 3050 Mobile includes 16 RT cores and 64 tensor cores.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RTX 3050 Mobile provides 192.0 GB/s from 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, while the GTX 1060 5 GB provides 160.2 GB/s from 5 GB of GDDR5 on a 160-bit bus.

Q: Which card has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The GTX 1060 5 GB has a pixel rate of 68.36 GPixel/s, which is higher than the RTX 3050 Mobile's 42.98 GPixel/s, despite the newer card's higher overall compute performance.

Q: Are both GPUs in the same performance percentile?

A: Yes, both the GTX 1060 5 GB and RTX 3050 Mobile are in the 78th percentile among all GPUs.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion: the RTX 3050 Mobile is the superior GPU for virtually all modern workloads. Its 33.3% advantage in OpenCL and 30.7% advantage in Vulkan are decisive, and its feature set — ray tracing, tensor cores, DirectX 12 Ultimate, and higher FP32/FP16 compute — makes it the only viable choice for current-generation gaming and compute tasks. The 45 W TDP versus 120 W further cements its position as the more practical option for mobile systems.

The GTX 1060 5 GB's remaining strengths are narrow and legacy-oriented. Its higher pixel and texture rates, plus the larger 5 GB memory capacity, give it an edge in older rasterization-heavy titles that do not leverage modern compute features. For users locked into a desktop platform with an existing 300 W power supply and needing DVI output, the GTX 1060 5 GB remains functional but is clearly end-of-life.

Users who prioritize compute performance, energy efficiency, or access to ray tracing should choose the RTX 3050 Mobile without hesitation. Users who require maximum texture throughput in legacy games or need more than 4 GB of VRAM for specific workloads may find the GTX 1060 5 GB acceptable, but they are sacrificing significant overall performance and future compatibility.

Specification Differences

| Specification | GTX 1060 5 GB | RTX 3050 Mobile |

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

| Architecture | Pascal | Ampere |

| Process Node | 16 nm (TSMC) | 8 nm (Samsung) |

| Transistors | 4,400 million | 8,700 million |

| Die Size | 200 mm² | 200 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 22.0M / mm² | 43.5M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1506 MHz | 1065 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1709 MHz | 1343 MHz |

| Memory Size | 5 GB | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus | 160 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 160.2 GB/s | 192.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1280 | 2048 |

| TMUs | 80 | 64 |

| ROPs | 40 | 32 |

| RT Cores | 0 | 16 |

| Tensor Cores | 0 | 64 |

| Pixel Rate | 68.36 GPixel/s | 42.98 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 136.7 GTexel/s | 85.95 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 4.375 TFLOPS | 5.501 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 68.36 GFLOPS (1:64) | 5.501 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 120 W | 45 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

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

| Suggested PSU | 300 W | None |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x8 |

| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |

| Display Outputs | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | Portable Device Dependent |

| Release Date | 2017-12-25 | 2021-05-10 |

| Production Status | End-of-life | End-of-life |