Key Points
- The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is starting to show signs of age due to its limited 3GB of VRAM, which leads to low FPS and stuttering in modern games.
- The RX 6600 XT is a significant upgrade to the GTX 1060 3GB, with 8GB of VRAM and the ability to run most modern games at high settings at 1080p.
- The RTX 3060 offers 12GB of VRAM, DLSS technology, and solid gaming performance at 1080p and 1440p, making it a great upgrade option for the GTX 1060 3GB.
- The RTX 3060 Ti provides better performance than the RTX 3060 with its 8GB of VRAM and 10-15 FPS improvement, making it a worthwhile upgrade from the GTX 1060 3GB.
- The RX 6700 XT offers 12GB of VRAM and can run modern games at 1440p with at least 60 FPS, providing a significant improvement over the GTX 1060 3GB.
The GeForce GTX 1060 3GB graphics card was released one month after the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB as an entry-level option for gamers on a budget. Most people who bought the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB couldn’t afford its bigger sibling, the GTX 1060 6GB, when it was released. While the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is undoubtedly capable, it’s starting to show signs of age.
The most limiting factor of the GTX 1060 3GB is that it only has 3GB of VRAM, which is far too little for modern games. If a video game consumes more VRAM than is available, it will have to swap out assets, which leads to low frames per second (FPS) and stuttering. It’s unpleasant playing a game with an inconsistent frame rate.
At the time, the GTX 1060 3GB was a good option for gamers at 1080p. If you want to keep up with the requirements of modern games, it’s time to upgrade from an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB to a more capable card.
Budget Options for the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB
There are plenty of great budget upgrade options for the GTX 1060 3GB. AMD takes the lead with great mid-range graphics cards that target 1080p and 1440p. We will start with some mid-range upgrade options and then move on to some high-end graphics cards.
Let’s take a look at some awesome upgrade options!
RX 6600 XT
- DirectX ray tracing enhances gaming realism
- High performance with low-noise
- Strong backplate with cooling features
- Solid build quality TORX FAN 4.0 cooling system
- Tailored PCB Design enhances reliability
At this time, the RX 6600 XT holds the spot for the best-mid-range graphics card. It’s an upgraded version of the RX 6600, which can be found for a bit cheaper.
The RX 6600 XT delivers excellent performance for a great price. As for the specifications, the RX 6600 XT has 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM and a clock speed of up to 2,359 MHz. The exact clock speeds will vary depending on the edition you choose. When it comes to video ports, the RX 6600 XT has 2x HDMI 2.1 and 2x DisplayPort 1.4.
Besides the powerful hardware, the RX 6600 XT also supports various AMD technologies such as AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), Image Sharpening, and Smart Access Memory. The RX 6600 XT can run most modern games at high settings at 1080p, without dropping below 60 frames per second.
To give you an idea, the RX 6600 XT can run Cyberpunk 2077 between 60 to 80 frames per second on high settings at 1080p. At 1440p, you may need to drop some settings or enable FSR to achieve a stable 60 frames per second. To compare, the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB can barely hit 60 FPS on low settings at 1080p.
Overall, the RX 6600 XT is a significant upgrade to the GTX 1060 3GB, and it will continue to hold up for several years.
RTX 3060
- 12GB GDDR6
- Twin Fan cooling
- 192-bit connection
- Max resolution: 7680*4320p
The RTX 3060 is the latest series in the 1060 family. It was released in 2021, targets 1080p, and offers good performance on most games.
As for the specifications, the RTX 3060 has 12GB of GDDR6 VRAM and a clock speed of up to 1,780 MHz. The best feature of the RTX 3060 is the 12GB of VRAM, which is a vast improvement from the GTX 1060 3GB. The extra VRAM on the RTX 3060 will allow you to run games with high-quality textures. It also helps with complex photo and video editing projects.
The RTX 3060 supports NVIDIA’s new technologies such as Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), NVIDIA Reflex, and hardware-based ray tracing. You’ll also gain access to GeForce Experience, which provides game optimizations, performance tuning, and gameplay recording features.
When it comes to benchmarks, the RTX 3060 is a solid graphics card for gaming at 1080p and even 1440p. Using our Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark example, the RTX 3060 can run the game at between 60 to 70 frames per second at 1080p. Most of the time, the game runs at around 70 FPS, with dips to 60 FPS from time to time.
When comparing the RTX 3060 to the RX 6600 XT, the performance is very similar, but the RX 6600 XT takes the lead by a few frames per second. It’s also a little cheaper. If you can’t decide between the RX 6600 XT or RTX 3060, read our comparison guide here.
RTX 3060 Ti
- 8GB GDDR6
- Three fan cooling
- 256-bit connection
- Boosted clock speed up to1695MHz
The RTX 3060 Ti is an upgraded version of the RTX 3060, which delivers a performance boost while sacrificing some VRAM.
The RTX 3060 Ti lowers the VRAM from 12GB to 8GB, which may seem questionable, but other components are improved, resulting in better performance. As for the specifications, the RTX 3060 Ti has 4,864 CUDA Cores, a 1,670 MHz clock speed, and 8GB of VRAM.
What’s the difference between the RTX 3060 and RTX 3060 Ti? While the specifications of the RTX 3060 and the RTX 3060 Ti look very similar on paper, the RTX 3060 Ti is the faster card. The reason for that is the RTX 3060 Ti supports 256-bit RAM, while the base RTX 3060 supports 192-bit. It’s a significant improvement.
To give you an idea, the RTX 3060 Ti runs Cyberpunk 2077 at high settings at 1080p with around 60 to 70 FPS. For a practical comparison, you’re looking at a 10 to 15 FPS improvement over the RTX 3060.
Granted, the RTX 3060 Ti is more expensive than the RTX 3060, but it can often be found for a reasonable price. It almost triples the performance of a GTX 1060 3GB. You can find a full comparison of the RTX 3060 and the 3060 Ti here. It’s also a bit faster than the RX 6600 XT.
Take a look at this list for more in-depth graphics card recommendations.
Mid-Range Options
RX 6700 XT
- 16Gbps memory clock speed
- 7680 × 4320 resolution
- 12GB GDDR6 memory
- 2581MHz boost clock speed
- 192-bit memory interface
The RX 6700 XT targets 1440p and it’s an exceptionally powerful graphics card. It’s the upgraded version of the RX 6600 XT and delivers a significant improvement in performance.
The RX 6700 XT has the following specifications: 12GB of VRAM, a 192-bit memory interface, and a boost clock speed of 2,581 MHz. The RX 6700 XT is often compared to the NVIDIA RTX 3070. It can run practically any modern game at 1440p with at least 60 frames per second.
While the card can run Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p, with ultra graphics, you can expect to see around 50 FPS with frequent dips into the 40s. However, lowering the settings to high will result in a much higher frame rate. You can get around 90 FPS at 1440p with the RX 6700 XT at high settings.
At 1080p, the card can run pretty much any modern game with no issues. Let’s not forget it also supports FSR, so you can squeeze out even more frames. The RX 6700 will feel like a dream compared to the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB.
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Premium Graphics Cards
If money is no issue, you might want to buy the best graphics cards on the market. These graphics cards will power your computer for many years, and they’ll run literally anything you throw at them.
RTX 4090
- Has 16,384 NVIDIA CUDA Cores
- Supports 4K 120Hz HDR, 8K 60Hz HDR
- Up to 2x performance and power efficiency
- Fourth-Gen Tensor Cores that offer 2x AI performance
- Third-Gen RT Cores
- AI-Accelerated Performance: NVIDIA DLSS 3
- NVIDIA Reflex low-latency platform
The RTX 4090 is the best graphics card on the market today. It’s also one of the largest, so make sure your tower has enough space.
The RTX 4090 targets 4K at 60 FPS, and, for the most part, it can reach that milestone in most modern games. It also includes DLSS 3.0. It has 24GB of VRAM, 16,384 CUDA cores, and a 2,520 MHz clock speed.
AMD RX 7900 XT
- 24GB GDDR6
- RDNA 3 architecture
- Great price-to-performance ratio
- 1 x HDMI 2.1 , 3 x DisplayPort 2.1
- Handles 4K and VR
AMD’s direct competitor to the RTX 4090 is the RX 7900 XT, which offers similar performance.
The RX 7900 XT has 20GB of VRAM and a 2,400 MHz clock speed. The RX 7900 XT also targets 4K gaming but the RTX 4090 is a little faster. Overall, the RX 7900 XT can run practically any game at 1440p and it won’t disappoint.
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