NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 5 GB vs NVIDIA TITAN RTX Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 5 GB and the NVIDIA TITAN RTX represent two vastly different points in NVIDIA’s product stack, separated by a full architecture generation and a chasm in raw specifications. Benchmark data shows the TITAN RTX winning both head-to-head tests decisively, yet the GTX 1060 5 GB holds a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs. The data suggests the GTX 1060 5 GB is a capable, efficient performer for its class, while the TITAN RTX is a raw compute powerhouse. The Verdict is simple: the TITAN RTX is for users needing maximum throughput, while the GTX 1060 5 GB serves those with basic rendering and compute needs.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split in purpose. The NVIDIA TITAN RTX wins both head-to-head benchmarks with massive margins, scoring 144858 in Geekbench OpenCL and 136073 in Geekbench Vulkan. The GeForce GTX 1060 5 GB manages 33397 and 33991 in those same tests, respectively. The TITAN RTX is 76.9% ahead in OpenCL and 75% ahead in Vulkan, per the deltaPct values. This is not a close contest; the TITAN RTX is in a different performance class entirely.

However, the GTX 1060 5 GB posts a percentile rank of 78, which is higher than the TITAN RTX’s 76. This counterintuitive result suggests that the GTX 1060 5 GB, despite its lower absolute scores, sits more favorably relative to the broader GPU landscape. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 480 with an average score of 33997 and a delta of -0.9%, indicating the GTX 1060 5 GB (average 33694) is essentially neck-and-neck with that card. The TITAN RTX, by contrast, has an average score of 31676, with rivals like the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 (31206) trailing by only 1.5%.

Who should pick which? The data indicates the TITAN RTX is the choice for anyone whose workload depends on raw OpenCL or Vulkan compute performance, where scores are four times higher. The GTX 1060 5 GB, with its lower power draw and smaller footprint, is suited for systems where the workload is lighter and the higher relative performance ranking matters more than absolute speed. There is no middle ground in the benchmark results; the TITAN RTX dominates outright.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures. The GTX 1060 5 GB uses the Pascal architecture with the GP106 chip, fabricated on a 16 nm process at TSMC. It packs 4,400 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 22.0M per mm². The TITAN RTX, in contrast, uses the Turing architecture with the TU102 chip, built on a 12 nm process, also at TSMC. It contains 18,600 million transistors on a 754 mm² die, with a density of 24.7M per mm².

The transistor counts reveal the scale difference: the TITAN RTX has more than four times the transistors of the GTX 1060 5 GB. The die size is nearly four times larger. This indicates a far more complex chip with more functional units. The TITAN RTX includes 72 RT cores and 576 tensor cores, features completely absent from the GTX 1060 5 GB, which has none listed. These dedicated cores enable hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI processing, which the Pascal-based card cannot do.

The FP16 throughput tells a similar story. The GTX 1060 5 GB achieves 68.36 GFLOPS with a 1:64 ratio, meaning FP16 is severely de-emphasized. The TITAN RTX delivers 32.62 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, showing full-rate FP16 performance. This architectural difference is stark: Turing was designed for compute-heavy workloads, while Pascal was not. The process node shrink from 16 nm to 12 nm, combined with the massive die size increase, explains the TITAN RTX’s superior transistor density and feature set.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results are unambiguous. In Geekbench OpenCL, the TITAN RTX scores 144858 against the GTX 1060 5 GB’s 33397, a delta of -76.9% for the latter. This means the TITAN RTX delivers roughly four times the OpenCL performance. In Geekbench Vulkan, the TITAN RTX scores 136073 against 33991, a -75% delta. The margins are consistent, suggesting the TITAN RTX’s advantage is not workload-specific but architectural.

The GTX 1060 5 GB’s best showing is in Vulkan, where it scores 33991, which is 594 points higher than its OpenCL score. This small gain does little to close the gap. The TITAN RTX, meanwhile, scores higher in OpenCL (144858) than in Vulkan (136073), a difference of 8785 points. The data shows the TITAN RTX has no weakness in either API, while the GTX 1060 5 GB is consistently outpaced by a factor of four.

Looking at the rivals, the GTX 1060 5 GB’s average score of 33694 places it just 0.9% below the AMD Radeon RX 480 (33997) and 0.8% below the AMD Radeon HD 7950 (33951). It is 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A5000 (33622). This shows the GTX 1060 5 GB is competitive with older AMD flagship cards. The TITAN RTX’s average of 31676 is 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell (31532) and 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q (31220) and Quadro M5000 (31206). The TITAN RTX leads its immediate rivals, but the margins are far smaller than its lead over the GTX 1060 5 GB.

Specification Differences

The specification gap is enormous, and every field that differs reinforces the performance disparity. The GTX 1060 5 GB has 1280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 40 ROPs. The TITAN RTX has 4608 shading units, 288 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. This is 3.6 times the shading units, 3.6 times the TMUs, and 2.4 times the ROPs. The pixel rate of the TITAN RTX is 169.9 GPixel/s versus 68.36 GPixel/s for the GTX 1060 5 GB. Texture rate is 509.8 GTexel/s versus 136.7 GTexel/s.

Memory is another major differentiator. The GTX 1060 5 GB has 5 GB of GDDR5 on a 160-bit bus, delivering 160.2 GB/s bandwidth. The TITAN RTX has 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s. That is 4.8 times the memory capacity and 4.2 times the bandwidth. The memory clock also differs: 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective) for the GTX 1060 5 GB versus 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) for the TITAN RTX.

Power and physical dimensions diverge sharply. The GTX 1060 5 GB has a TDP of 120 W with a single 6-pin connector and a suggested PSU of 300 W. The TITAN RTX has a TDP of 280 W, two 8-pin connectors, and a suggested PSU of 600 W. The TITAN RTX is also longer (267 mm versus 250 mm) and has additional dimensions listed: 116 mm height and 35 mm width. The GTX 1060 5 GB lists no height or width. Display outputs differ too: the GTX 1060 5 GB has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the TITAN RTX has 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C. The GTX 1060 5 GB supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the TITAN RTX supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

The clock speeds are the only area where the GTX 1060 5 GB does not trail. Its base clock is 1506 MHz versus 1350 MHz for the TITAN RTX, and its boost clock is 1709 MHz versus 1770 MHz. The GTX 1060 5 GB actually has a higher base clock, but the TITAN RTX has a higher boost clock. This is a minor point given the massive core count difference.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The NVIDIA TITAN RTX scores 144858, which is 76.9% ahead of the GTX 1060 5 GB’s 33397.

Q: How much memory bandwidth does the TITAN RTX have over the GTX 1060 5 GB?

A: The TITAN RTX delivers 672.0 GB/s, which is 4.2 times the 160.2 GB/s of the GTX 1060 5 GB.

Q: Does the GTX 1060 5 GB have any hardware ray tracing cores?

A: No, the GTX 1060 5 GB lists no RT cores, while the TITAN RTX has 72 RT cores.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two cards?

A: The GTX 1060 5 GB has a TDP of 120 W, while the TITAN RTX has a TDP of 280 W.

Q: Which card has a higher percentile rank among all GPUs?

A: The GTX 1060 5 GB has a percentile rank of 78, which is higher than the TITAN RTX’s 76.

Q: What is the pixel rate of the TITAN RTX?

A: The TITAN RTX has a pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s, compared to 68.36 GPixel/s for the GTX 1060 5 GB.

Where Each One Wins

The TITAN RTX wins every head-to-head benchmark, so its dominance is absolute in raw compute. It wins in Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan, and its specification sheet shows why: 4608 shading units, 24 GB of memory, and 16.31 TFLOPS FP32. The data indicates it is the clear choice for compute-heavy applications like rendering, scientific simulation, or AI inference, where the 72 RT cores and 576 tensor cores provide dedicated hardware acceleration. The 672.0 GB/s bandwidth ensures memory-bound workloads are not starved.

The GTX 1060 5 GB wins in relative efficiency and market positioning. Its percentile rank of 78 against 76 for the TITAN RTX suggests it performs better relative to its peers. Its 120 W TDP and single 6-pin connector make it a far less demanding card for a system. The data shows it is competitive with the AMD Radeon RX 480, sitting just 0.9% below that card’s average score. For users with lighter workloads, the GTX 1060 5 GB’s 4.375 TFLOPS FP32 and 160.2 GB/s bandwidth may be entirely sufficient, and its smaller 250 mm length fits in more cases.

The use-case split is clear from the numbers. The TITAN RTX is for those who need maximum compute throughput and are willing to accommodate a 280 W card with 2x 8-pin power. The GTX 1060 5 GB is for those who prioritize a lower power draw and a smaller physical footprint, and who will not miss the RT and tensor cores. The benchmark deltas of -75% and -76.9% leave no ambiguity: the TITAN RTX is the superior performer, but the GTX 1060 5 GB holds its own in its class.