NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB GP104

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB GP104 is an end-of-life Pascal architecture card built on TSMC’s 16 nm process, packing 7,200 million transistors into a 314 mm² die. It ships with 3 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 192.2 GB/s of bandwidth, and carries a launch MSRP of 199 USD. This variant distinguishes itself by using the larger GP104 chip rather than the more common GP106, which shifts its position within the GTX 1060 family. The data shows a card that sits at the 50th percentile among all GPUs, meaning it lands exactly in the middle of the performance distribution—neither a standout nor a laggard, but a consistent option for 1080p gaming.

How It Compares

The nearestRivals field in the FACT PACK is empty, so there are no direct competitor names, scores, or deltaPct values to reference. This absence means the analysis must rely on the card’s own metrics and percentile placement. The 50th percentile versus all GPUs indicates that half of all tested graphics cards perform better, and half perform worse. That places the GTX 1060 3 GB GP104 in the middle of the pack, a position that makes sense for a card with 1,152 shading units, 72 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. Its 3.935 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 123.0 GTexel/s texture rate are solid figures for its era, but without rival data, comparisons must remain qualitative.

The lack of rival entries means no percentage deltas can be calculated or cited. What the FACT PACK does reveal is the card’s production status: end-of-life. That suggests it has been superseded by newer generations, and its performance class has likely been filled by more modern options. Still, the 50th percentile score implies it remains a viable choice for older titles or less demanding scenarios, even if it no longer competes at the top of any segment. The 81.98 GPixel/s pixel rate supports this, offering enough fill rate for 1080p gaming at moderate settings.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The GTX 1060 3 GB GP104 has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores, as those fields are null in the FACT PACK. This is consistent with its Pascal architecture, which predates the dedicated RT and tensor hardware introduced in later generations. The card does support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which covers the major modern API standards. DirectX 12_1 includes features like conservative rasterization and rasterizer-ordered views, but it lacks the full DirectX 12 Ultimate feature set found on newer cards. Vulkan 1.4 support ensures compatibility with a wide range of modern games and engines that use this low-overhead API.

Without RT cores, any ray-traced effects must be handled via compute shaders or other software-based approaches, which will be significantly slower than on dedicated hardware. Tensor cores are also absent, meaning no DLSS or other AI-accelerated features. The card’s FP16 performance is listed at 61.49 GFLOPS (1:64), which is extremely low compared to its FP32 rate of 3.935 TFLOPS, indicating that half-precision workloads are not a strength. For a gamer focused on traditional rasterization, this feature set is adequate, but it offers no future-proofing for ray tracing or AI-based upscaling.

Power and Cooling

The GTX 1060 3 GB GP104 has a TDP of 120 W, which is modest by modern standards. The FACT PACK recommends a 300 W power supply, a figure that should be comfortable for most systems with a mid-range CPU. The card requires a single 6-pin power connector, which is standard for this performance class. Its dual-slot cooler design, with a length of 250 mm (9.8 inches), should fit in most mid-tower cases without clearance issues. The cooling solution is not specified in detail, but given the 120 W TDP, a capable air cooler is sufficient to manage thermals during sustained loads.

The memory clock runs at 2002 MHz, translating to 8 Gbps effective, which is typical for GDDR5. This power profile means the card does not demand an oversized power supply or exotic cooling, making it a straightforward drop-in for older systems with adequate PSU headroom. The 300 W suggestion leaves little margin for overclocking or high-power CPUs, but for a stock configuration, it is a practical recommendation. The 16 nm process node from TSMC contributes to the efficient power draw, as does the relatively low transistor density of 22.9M per mm².

Who Should Consider It

Benchmark results place this card at the 50th percentile, which translates to solid 1080p performance for games released around its time. With 3 GB of VRAM, it is best suited for 1080p resolution at medium to high settings in older titles, or low to medium settings in more recent games that are VRAM-hungry. The 192.2 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for 1080p but may bottleneck at higher resolutions or with high-resolution texture packs. The card’s 3.935 TFLOPS of FP32 performance suggests it can handle esports titles like competitive shooters or MOBAs at high frame rates, provided the settings are not pushed to the extreme.

For 1440p gaming, the data indicates this card would struggle, especially in modern titles that require more than 3 GB of VRAM. The 50th percentile ranking means it is outclassed by half the GPU market, so users should set expectations accordingly. It is not a card for 4K gaming, as the memory bandwidth and VRAM capacity are simply insufficient. Instead, it fits a niche: budget-conscious builders looking for an older card to run less demanding games, or as a temporary solution until a more powerful GPU is available. The end-of-life status means it is likely only available on the used market, where its 199 USD launch MSRP no longer applies.

Benchmark Performance

The FACT PACK lists no benchmark scores and no nearest rivals, so the analysis is limited to the card’s own specifications and percentile. The 50th percentile versus all GPUs is the key metric, indicating a median performer. In practical terms, this means the GTX 1060 3 GB GP104 sits at the exact midpoint of the GPU performance curve—some cards are faster, some are slower, but this one defines the average. The pixel rate of 81.98 GPixel/s and texture rate of 123.0 GTexel/s are consistent with this positioning, offering balanced output for both fill-rate-bound and texture-bound workloads.

The boost clock of 1708 MHz, with a base of 1506 MHz, provides a reasonable overclock headroom, though the FACT PACK does not specify actual boost behavior under load. The 48 ROPs handle pixel output, while the 72 TMUs manage texture filtering, and the 1,152 shading units process vertex and pixel shaders. This combination yields 3.935 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, which is the headline number for raw shader performance. Without rival deltas, it is impossible to state exact percentage advantages or disadvantages, but the percentile ranking suggests that in a 1080p gaming scenario, this card delivers playable frame rates in most titles of its generation, with occasional dips in the most demanding scenes.

Memory Subsystem

The GTX 1060 3 GB GP104 comes with 3 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 192.2 GB/s. The memory clock is 2002 MHz, which translates to 8 Gbps effective. This configuration is a deliberate compromise: the 192-bit bus is narrower than higher-end cards, but the GDDR5 speed helps mitigate the bandwidth limitation. For 1080p gaming, 3 GB is sufficient for most titles at medium settings, but it becomes a constraint in games that use more than 3 GB of VRAM, causing texture pop-in or stuttering as assets are swapped to system memory.

The 192.2 GB/s bandwidth is a critical figure for high-resolution textures and anti-aliasing. At 1080p, this bandwidth is adequate, but at 1440p or higher, the card will struggle to feed the GPU with data fast enough, leading to reduced performance. The 3 GB capacity is the more pressing limitation—modern games often require 4 GB or more for high-quality settings. The memory subsystem is therefore the card’s weakest point, not its compute capabilities. Users should plan to keep settings at 1080p with texture quality at medium or lower to avoid exceeding the VRAM buffer. The 8 Gbps effective speed is standard for the era, and the 192-bit bus is a middle-ground configuration that balances cost and performance, but it ultimately caps the card’s longevity in a market where VRAM demands continue to grow.