NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 5 GB vs NVIDIA RTX A5000 Comparison

The benchmark data places the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 5 GB and the NVIDIA RTX A5000 in the same performance percentile, yet their underlying capabilities are generations apart. The average benchmark scores are nearly identical—33,694 for the GTX 1060 5 GB versus 33,622 for the RTX A5000—a difference of just 0.2% in favor of the older card. However, this aggregate similarity masks a stark divergence in individual test results, where the RTX A5000 dominates in raw compute while the GTX 1060 5 GB holds its ground in one specific API. The data reveals two very different GPUs that happen to land on the same spot in the overall distribution, making the choice between them a matter of workload rather than a simple score comparison.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only two shared benchmark results show a decisive victory for the RTX A5000 in both compute and graphics workloads. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX A5000 scores 157,905 against the GTX 1060 5 GB’s 33,397, a delta of -78.8% from the perspective of the older card. That is a massive 4.7x advantage in raw compute throughput, reflecting the fundamental architectural leap between the two. Geekbench Vulkan tells a similar story: the RTX A5000 posts 137,828 while the GTX 1060 5 GB manages 33,991, a -75.3% gap. The RTX A5000 is roughly four times faster in this API, which is a common measure of gaming and real-time rendering performance.

Yet the aggregate average scores suggest the GTX 1060 5 GB is not simply outclassed. With an average benchmark score of 33,694, the GTX 1060 5 GB edges out the RTX A5000’s 33,622 by 0.2%. This counterintuitive result occurs because the RTX A5000 has a broader benchmark suite—ten recorded tests versus two for the GTX 1060 5 GB—and some of its scores in legacy DirectX tests are low. For instance, the RTX A5000 scores only 87 in Passmark DirectX 12, 153 in DirectX 10, and 251 in DirectX 9, while its Passmark G3D score is 22,541 and its GPU compute score is 12,455. The GTX 1060 5 GB has no equivalent legacy tests, so its average is derived solely from the two Geekbench results where it loses badly. The near-equal averages are a statistical artifact of different test coverage, not a sign of comparable performance.

The head-to-head data is unambiguous: the RTX A5000 wins both shared tests outright. The GTX 1060 5 GB never comes close in either OpenCL or Vulkan, and its best showing is a 33,991 Vulkan score that the RTX A5000 surpasses by 103,837 points. There are no shared tests where the GTX 1060 5 GB claims victory, giving it zero wins in the head-to-head comparison.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between these two GPUs is enormous. The GTX 1060 5 GB is built on the Pascal architecture using the GP106 chip, fabricated on a 16 nm process at TSMC. It contains 4,400 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 22.0 million per mm². The RTX A5000, by contrast, uses the Ampere architecture with the GA102 chip, built on Samsung’s 8 nm process. This chip packs 28,300 million transistors onto a 628 mm² die, with a density of 45.1 million per mm². The RTX A5000 has over six times more transistors and more than three times the die area, explaining its far higher compute capacity.

Memory subsystems differ just as dramatically. The GTX 1060 5 GB has 5 GB of GDDR5 on a 160-bit bus, delivering 160.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX A5000 offers 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus, with 768.0 GB/s of bandwidth—nearly five times the capacity and roughly 4.8 times the bandwidth. The RTX A5000 also supports PCIe 4.0 x16, while the GTX 1060 5 GB is limited to PCIe 3.0 x16.

Compute resources are where the RTX A5000 pulls far ahead. The GTX 1060 5 GB has 1,280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 40 render output units (ROPs). The RTX A5000 has 8,192 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. More critically, the RTX A5000 includes 64 RT cores and 256 tensor cores, while the GTX 1060 5 GB has none. This makes the RTX A5000 a hardware ray-tracing and AI-acceleration-capable card, whereas the GTX 1060 5 GB lacks those features entirely. The pixel rate of the RTX A5000 is 162.7 GPixel/s versus 68.36 GPixel/s for the GTX 1060 5 GB, and its texture rate is 433.9 GTexel/s versus 136.7 GTexel/s.

Clock speeds are surprisingly close. The GTX 1060 5 GB has a base clock of 1506 MHz and a boost of 1709 MHz, while the RTX A5000 runs at 1170 MHz base and 1695 MHz boost. The older card actually has a higher base clock, but the RTX A5000 compensates with far more cores, achieving 27.77 TFLOPS of FP32 performance against the GTX 1060 5 GB’s 4.375 TFLOPS. The FP16 comparison is even more lopsided: the RTX A5000 delivers 27.77 TFLOPS at 1:1 ratio, while the GTX 1060 5 GB manages a paltry 68.36 GFLOPS at a 1:64 ratio. The API support also differs, with the RTX A5000 offering DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) versus DirectX 12 (12_1) on the GTX 1060 5 GB.

Where Each One Wins

Given the benchmark data, the RTX A5000 is the clear winner in any workload that leverages raw compute, memory bandwidth, or modern features. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 157,905 is 4.7x higher than the GTX 1060 5 GB’s 33,397, indicating dominance in general-purpose GPU compute, such as rendering, simulation, or scientific calculations. The Vulkan score of 137,828 versus 33,991 shows similar superiority in cross-platform graphics APIs, which are increasingly common in professional applications and modern games. The RTX A5000’s 24 GB of GDDR6 memory at 768.0 GB/s makes it suitable for large datasets, high-resolution textures, or multi-monitor setups, while its 64 RT cores and 256 tensor cores enable ray-traced rendering and AI-based workflows that the GTX 1060 5 GB cannot accelerate in hardware.

The GTX 1060 5 GB, however, is not without its niches. Its higher base clock of 1506 MHz versus 1170 MHz suggests it may have an edge in lightly threaded or latency-sensitive tasks, though no shared benchmark confirms this. Its 120 W TDP is significantly lower than the RTX A5000’s 230 W, making it a more power-efficient option for systems with limited cooling or smaller power supplies. The GTX 1060 5 GB also has a dual-slot footprint with a 250 mm length, compared to the RTX A5000’s 267 mm length, so it fits in more compact cases. The older card’s 1x DVI and 1x HDMI 2.0 outputs, alongside 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, offer legacy display support that the RTX A5000’s 4x DisplayPort 1.4a configuration lacks.

In terms of benchmark wins, the RTX A5000 wins all shared tests, but the GTX 1060 5 GB’s average score is higher by 0.2%, indicating that in some unmeasured workloads—likely those favoring higher clocks over core counts—the older card could be competitive. The Passmark G2D score of 1,032 for the RTX A5000 suggests decent 2D performance, but no comparable data exists for the GTX 1060 5 GB, so a direct 2D comparison is impossible from the pack.

The Verdict

The data points to the RTX A5000 as the superior GPU for nearly any serious workload. Its 4.7x advantage in OpenCL and 4x advantage in Vulkan are decisive, and its 24 GB memory, 768.0 GB/s bandwidth, and dedicated RT and tensor cores make it a future-proof choice for professional rendering, AI inference, or high-end gaming. The GTX 1060 5 GB’s only statistical edge is a 0.2% higher average score, which is an artifact of different test suites rather than real performance. For users who need raw compute, large memory capacity, or modern API support, the RTX A5000 is the only rational pick.

The GTX 1060 5 GB is suitable for users with strict power or space constraints, given its 120 W TDP and 250 mm length, or those who need legacy display outputs like DVI. Its 5 GB of GDDR5 is sufficient for older games or lighter workloads, and its higher base clock might help in single-threaded scenarios, though no benchmark confirms this. However, its lack of RT cores, tensor cores, and DX12 Ultimate support means it cannot handle modern ray tracing or AI-accelerated tasks. The RTX A5000, despite its higher power draw and larger size, is the clear recommendation for anyone prioritizing performance, while the GTX 1060 5 GB serves as a low-power legacy option.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the RTX A5000 in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The RTX A5000 scores 157,905 versus 33,397 for the GTX 1060 5 GB, a difference of -78.8% for the older card, meaning the RTX A5000 is roughly 4.7 times faster.

Q: Does the GTX 1060 5 GB win any shared benchmark?

A: No. In the two head-to-head tests—Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan—the RTX A5000 wins both, giving the GTX 1060 5 GB zero wins.

Q: Why are the average benchmark scores so close?

A: The GTX 1060 5 GB has an average of 33,694 versus 33,622 for the RTX A5000, a 0.2% difference, but the RTX A5000 has ten recorded tests including low legacy DirectX scores, while the GTX 1060 5 GB has only two Geekbench results, skewing the averages.

Q: What are the memory differences between the two?

A: The GTX 1060 5 GB has 5 GB of GDDR5 on a 160-bit bus with 160.2 GB/s bandwidth, while the RTX A5000 has 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus with 768.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Does the RTX A5000 support hardware ray tracing?

A: Yes, it includes 64 RT cores, whereas the GTX 1060 5 GB has no RT cores, so it cannot accelerate ray tracing in hardware.

Q: What is the transistor count difference?

A: The GTX 1060 5 GB has 4,400 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, while the RTX A5000 has 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die, over six times more.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 5 GB | NVIDIA RTX A5000 |

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

| Architecture | Pascal | Ampere |

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

| Transistors | 4,400 million | 28,300 million |

| Die Size | 200 mm² | 628 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 22.0M / mm² | 45.1M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1506 MHz | 1170 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1709 MHz | 1695 MHz |

| Memory Size | 5 GB GDDR5 | 24 GB GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 160 bit | 384 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 160.2 GB/s | 768.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1280 | 8192 |

| TMUs | 80 | 256 |

| ROPs | 40 | 96 |

| RT Cores | None | 64 |

| Tensor Cores | None | 256 |

| Pixel Rate | 68.36 GPixel/s | 162.7 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 136.7 GTexel/s | 433.9 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 4.375 TFLOPS | 27.77 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 68.36 GFLOPS (1:64) | 27.77 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 120 W | 230 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin | 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 300 W | 550 W |

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

| Display Outputs | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | 4x DisplayPort 1.4a |

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

| Length | 250 mm (9.8 inches) | 267 mm (10.5 inches) |

| Height | Not specified | 112 mm (4.4 inches) |