GTX 1060 3GB vs RX 7900M
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | GTX 1060 3GB | RX 7900M | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 1,379 | 8,089 | -83.0% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 29 | 73 | -60.3% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 15 | 45 | -66.7% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 8 | 25 | -68.0% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 3.9 | 19.3 | -79.5% |
| VRAM | 3 GB GDDR5 | 16 GB GDDR6 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 168 | 448 | -62.5% |
| TDP (W) | 120 | 180 | — |
- RX 7900M averages 45 fps at 1440p versus 15 fps — about 67% faster.
- GTX 1060 3GB draws less power (120W vs 180W).
Verdict: GTX 1060 3GB or RX 7900M?
GTX 1060 3GB advantages
- Power efficiency (+33%)
RX 7900M advantages
- 1440p gaming (+67%)
- 4K gaming (+68%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+83%)
- Video memory (+81%)
- Memory bandwidth (+63%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the GTX 1060 3GB if you want lower power draw, heat and noise.
- Choose the RX 7900M if you game at 1440p.
GTX 1060 3GB vs RX 7900M: which should you choose?
GTX 1060 3GB — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2016, Pascal) with 3 GB of GDDR5, averaging 15 fps at 1440p; launched at $199.
RX 7900M — AMD desktop graphics card (2023, RDNA 3) with 16 GB of GDDR6, averaging 45 fps at 1440p.
GTX 1060 3GB vs RX 7900M: RX 7900M is faster for gaming. RX 7900M averages 45 fps at 1440p versus 15 fps — about 67% faster. GTX 1060 3GB draws less power (120W vs 180W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the RX 7900M averages 45 fps against 15. At 4K (8 vs 25 fps) VRAM (3GB vs 16GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
Power and value
Board power is 120 W versus 180 W, which affects PSU headroom, case cooling and noise.
The verdict
Both are credible choices in the graphics card comparison space; the specification table above lays out every metric so you can weigh the trade-offs that matter to you. Pick the one whose strengths line up with how you will actually use it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the GTX 1060 3GB better than the RX 7900M?
RX 7900M is the clearly stronger overall choice, winning most of the dimensions that matter. RX 7900M averages 45 fps at 1440p versus 15 fps — about 67% faster.
What is the main difference between the GTX 1060 3GB and the RX 7900M?
RX 7900M averages 45 fps at 1440p versus 15 fps — about 67% faster. GTX 1060 3GB draws less power (120W vs 180W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the GTX 1060 3GB if you want lower power draw, heat and noise. Choose the RX 7900M if you game at 1440p.
Methodology
Graphics cards are compared on 3DMark Time Spy scores, average gaming frame rates at 1080p/1440p/4K, FP32 compute throughput, VRAM capacity and type, memory bandwidth, board power (TDP) and launch MSRP — plus AI workload throughput (Stable Diffusion iterations/s and local LLM tokens/s) where measured. Vintage and server GPUs without modern benchmark results are compared on specifications only, clearly labelled. Frame rates are averages across a game suite at high settings; specific titles vary.