GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q vs GTX 1060 3 GB

#ad 
Buy on Amazon
GTX 1060 3 GB GTX 1060 3 GB GP104 GTX 1060 5 GB GTX 1060 6 GB
VS
#ad 
Buy on Amazon
GTX 1050 3 GB Max-Q GTX 1050 Max-Q GTX 1050 Mobile 3 GB GTX 1050 Ti Mobile GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q MX150 GP107 MX350

Aggregate performance score

We've compared GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB with GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, including specs and performance data.

GTX 1060 3 GB
2016
3 GB GDDR5, 120 Watt
24.93
+137%

GTX 1060 3 GB outperforms GTX 1050 Max-Q by a whopping 137% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Contents

GTX 1060 3 GB GTX 1060 3 GB
GTX 1050 Max-Q GTX 1050 Max-Q

Primary details

GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.

Place in the ranking219436
Place by popularity23not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation22.66no data
Power efficiency14.339.68
ArchitecturePascal (2016−2021)Pascal (2016−2021)
GPU code nameGP106GP107
Market segmentDesktopLaptop
Release date18 August 2016 (8 years ago)3 January 2018 (7 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$199 no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance to price ratio. The higher, the better.

no data

Detailed specifications

General parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.

Pipelines / CUDA cores1152640
Core clock speed1506 MHz1190 MHz
Boost clock speed1708 MHz1328 MHz
Number of transistors4,400 million3,300 million
Manufacturing process technology16 nm14 nm
Power consumption (TDP)120 Watt75 Watt
Texture fill rate123.053.12
Floating-point processing power3.935 TFLOPS1.7 TFLOPS
ROPs4816
TMUs7240

Form factor & compatibility

Information on compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop graphics cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility).

Laptop sizeno datalarge
InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
Length250 mmno data
Width2-slotno data
Supplementary power connectors1x 6-pinNone

VRAM capacity and type

Parameters of VRAM installed: its type, size, bus, clock and resulting bandwidth. Integrated GPUs have no dedicated video RAM and use a shared part of system RAM.

Memory typeGDDR5GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount3 GB4 GB
Memory bus width192 Bit128 Bit
Memory clock speed2002 MHz1752 MHz
Memory bandwidth192.2 GB/s112.1 GB/s
Shared memory--

Connectivity and outputs

Types and number of video connectors present on the reviewed GPUs. As a rule, data in this section is precise only for desktop reference ones (so-called Founders Edition for NVIDIA chips). OEM manufacturers may change the number and type of output ports, while for notebook cards availability of certain video outputs ports depends on the laptop model rather than on the card itself.

Display Connectors1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPortNo outputs
HDMI+-

API compatibility

List of supported 3D and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.

DirectX12 (12_1)12 (12_1)
Shader Model6.46.4
OpenGL4.64.6
OpenCL1.21.2
Vulkan+1.2.131
CUDA6.16.1

Synthetic benchmark performance

Non-gaming benchmark results comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.

Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark score. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

GTX 1060 3 GB 24.93
+137%
GTX 1050 Max-Q 10.52

Passmark

This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark. It gives the graphics card a thorough evaluation under various types of load, providing four separate benchmarks for Direct3D versions 9, 10, 11 and 12 (the last being done in 4K resolution if possible), and few more tests engaging DirectCompute capabilities.

GTX 1060 3 GB 9588
+137%
GTX 1050 Max-Q 4047

Gaming performance

Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.

Average FPS across all PC games

Here are the average frames per second in a large set of popular games across different resolutions:

Full HD100−110
+122%
45
−122%
1440p60−65
+122%
27
−122%
4K35−40
+133%
15
−133%

Cost per frame, $

1080p1.99no data
1440p3.32no data
4K5.69no data

FPS performance in popular games

Full HD
Low Preset

Counter-Strike 2 18−20
+0%
18−20
+0%
Cyberpunk 2077 20−22
+0%
20−22
+0%
Elden Ring 30−33
+0%
30−33
+0%

Full HD
Medium Preset

Battlefield 5 30−35
+0%
30−35
+0%
Counter-Strike 2 18−20
+0%
18−20
+0%
Cyberpunk 2077 20−22
+0%
20−22
+0%
Forza Horizon 4 40−45
+0%
40−45
+0%
Metro Exodus 39
+0%
39
+0%
Red Dead Redemption 2 44
+0%
44
+0%
Valorant 40−45
+0%
40−45
+0%

Full HD
High Preset

Battlefield 5 30−35
+0%
30−35
+0%
Counter-Strike 2 18−20
+0%
18−20
+0%
Cyberpunk 2077 20−22
+0%
20−22
+0%
Dota 2 68
+0%
68
+0%
Elden Ring 30−33
+0%
30−33
+0%
Far Cry 5 65
+0%
65
+0%
Fortnite 47
+0%
47
+0%
Forza Horizon 4 40−45
+0%
40−45
+0%
Grand Theft Auto V 45
+0%
45
+0%
Metro Exodus 26
+0%
26
+0%
PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS 127
+0%
127
+0%
Red Dead Redemption 2 13
+0%
13
+0%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 30−35
+0%
30−35
+0%
Valorant 26
+0%
26
+0%
World of Tanks 144
+0%
144
+0%

Full HD
Ultra Preset

Battlefield 5 30−35
+0%
30−35
+0%
Counter-Strike 2 18−20
+0%
18−20
+0%
Cyberpunk 2077 20−22
+0%
20−22
+0%
Dota 2 104
+0%
104
+0%
Far Cry 5 51
+0%
51
+0%
Forza Horizon 4 40−45
+0%
40−45
+0%
PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS 26
+0%
26
+0%
Valorant 40−45
+0%
40−45
+0%

1440p
High Preset

Dota 2 12−14
+0%
12−14
+0%
Elden Ring 14−16
+0%
14−16
+0%
Grand Theft Auto V 14−16
+0%
14−16
+0%
PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS 50−55
+0%
50−55
+0%
Red Dead Redemption 2 9−10
+0%
9−10
+0%
World of Tanks 94
+0%
94
+0%

1440p
Ultra Preset

Battlefield 5 20−22
+0%
20−22
+0%
Counter-Strike 2 10−12
+0%
10−12
+0%
Cyberpunk 2077 8−9
+0%
8−9
+0%
Far Cry 5 33
+0%
33
+0%
Forza Horizon 4 21−24
+0%
21−24
+0%
Metro Exodus 24
+0%
24
+0%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 12−14
+0%
12−14
+0%
Valorant 24−27
+0%
24−27
+0%

4K
High Preset

Counter-Strike 2 5−6
+0%
5−6
+0%
Dota 2 28
+0%
28
+0%
Elden Ring 6−7
+0%
6−7
+0%
Grand Theft Auto V 28
+0%
28
+0%
Metro Exodus 7
+0%
7
+0%
PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS 37
+0%
37
+0%
Red Dead Redemption 2 7−8
+0%
7−8
+0%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 28
+0%
28
+0%
World of Tanks 53
+0%
53
+0%

4K
Ultra Preset

Battlefield 5 9−10
+0%
9−10
+0%
Counter-Strike 2 5−6
+0%
5−6
+0%
Cyberpunk 2077 3−4
+0%
3−4
+0%
Dota 2 37
+0%
37
+0%
Far Cry 5 16
+0%
16
+0%
Fortnite 10−12
+0%
10−12
+0%
Forza Horizon 4 12−14
+0%
12−14
+0%
Valorant 10−12
+0%
10−12
+0%

This is how GTX 1060 3 GB and GTX 1050 Max-Q compete in popular games:

  • GTX 1060 3 GB is 122% faster in 1080p
  • GTX 1060 3 GB is 122% faster in 1440p
  • GTX 1060 3 GB is 133% faster in 4K

All in all, in popular games:

  • there's a draw in 64 tests (100%)

Pros & cons summary

Performance score 24.93 10.52
Recency 18 August 2016 3 January 2018
Maximum RAM amount 3 GB 4 GB
Chip lithography 16 nm 14 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 120 Watt 75 Watt

GTX 1060 3 GB has a 137% higher aggregate performance score.

GTX 1050 Max-Q, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 1 year, a 33.3% higher maximum VRAM amount, a 14.3% more advanced lithography process, and 60% lower power consumption.

The GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB is our recommended choice as it beats the GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q in performance tests.

Be aware that GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB is a desktop card while GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q is a notebook one.

Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote for your favorite

Do you think we are right or mistaken in our choice? Vote by clicking "Like" button near your favorite graphics card.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB
GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
Like
Like

Other comparisons

We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.

GTX 1060 3 GB GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB
vs
R9 FURY X Radeon R9 FURY X
GTX 1050 Max-Q GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
vs
Iris Xe Graphics G7 Iris Xe Graphics G7
GTX 1060 3 GB GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB
vs
RX 6500 XT Radeon RX 6500 XT
GTX 1060 3 GB GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB
vs
Quadro P500 Quadro P500
GTX 1060 3 GB GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB
vs
UHD Graphics 605 UHD Graphics 605
GTX 1060 3 GB GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB
vs
UHD Graphics 600 UHD Graphics 600
GTX 1060 3 GB GTX 1060 3 GB
vs
GTX 1060 5 GB GTX 1060 5 GB
GTX 1060 3 GB GTX 1060 3 GB
vs
GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q
GTX 1060 3 GB GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB
vs
RX Vega 11 Radeon RX Vega 11
GTX 1060 3 GB GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB
vs
RX Vega 3 Radeon RX Vega 3
GTX 1060 3 GB GTX 1060 3 GB
vs
GTX 1060 6 GB Rev. 2 GTX 1060 6 GB Rev. 2
GTX 1060 3 GB GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB
vs
RX Vega Mobile Radeon RX Vega Mobile
GTX 1060 3 GB GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB
vs
Quadro P620 Quadro P620

Community ratings

Here you can see the user ratings of the compared graphics cards, as well as rate them yourself.

4.1 8978 votes

Rate GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB on a scale of 1 to 5:

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
2.8 254 votes

Rate GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q on a scale of 1 to 5:

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Questions & comments

Here you can ask a question about this comparison, agree or disagree with our judgements, or report an error or mismatch.