GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB vs GeForce GTX 970

When choosing between GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB and GeForce GTX 970, it is worth examining the specifications of the models in detail. Do they meet the recommended requirements of modern games and software? Storage capacity, form factor, TDP, available ports, warranty and manufacturer support are all important. For example, the size of a PC case can limit the maximum thickness and length of the card. Often, instead of the factory overclocked card and RGB backlight, it is better to choose a reference model with a more efficient GPU. And make sure that your current power supply unit has the correct connection pins (using adapters is not recommended). This GPUs compare tool is meant to help you to choose the best graphics card for your build. Let's find out the difference between GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB and GeForce GTX 970.
GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB

Main Specs

  GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB GeForce GTX 970
Power consumption (TDP) 120 Watt 148 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x16 PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors 1x 6-pin 2x 6-pins
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 6.144 MB 4 GB
Display Connectors 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort
Recommended system power (PSU) 500 Watt
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  • GeForce GTX 970 has 23% more power consumption, than GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB.
  • Both video cards are using PCIe 3.0 x16 interface connection to a motherboard.
  • GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB has 2 GB more memory, than GeForce GTX 970.
  • Both cards are used in Desktops.
  • GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB is build with Pascal architecture, and GeForce GTX 970 - with Maxwell.
  • Core clock speed of GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB is 456 MHz higher, than GeForce GTX 970.
  • GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB is manufactured by 16 nm process technology, and GeForce GTX 970 - by 28 nm process technology.
  • GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB is 240 mm longer, than GeForce GTX 970.
  • Memory clock speed of GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB is 7993 MHz higher, than GeForce GTX 970.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 50−55 50−55
ultra / 1080p 35−40 30−35
QHD / 1440p 27−30 27−30
4K / 2160p 16−18 14−16
low / 720p 80−85 75−80
medium / 1080p 60−65 60−65
The average gaming FPS of GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 4% more, than GeForce GTX 970.

Full Specs

  GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB GeForce GTX 970
Architecture Pascal Maxwell
Code name GP106 GM204
Type Desktop Desktop
Release date 19 July 2016 19 September 2014
Pipelines 1280 1664
Core clock speed 1506 MHz 1050 MHz
Boost Clock 1708 MHz 1178 MHz
Transistor count 4,400 million 5,200 million
Manufacturing process technology 16 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 136.7 109 billion/sec
Floating-point performance 4,375 gflops 3,920 gflops
Length 250 mm 10.5" (26.7 cm)
Memory bus width 192 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 8000 MHz 7.0 GB/s
Memory bandwidth 192.2 GB/s 224 GB/s
Shared memory - -
G-SYNC support + +
VR Ready +
DirectX 12 (12_1) 12 (12_1)
Shader Model 6.4 6.4
OpenGL 4.6 4.4
OpenCL 1.2 1.2
Vulkan 1.2.131 1.1.126
CUDA 6.1 +
Monero / XMR (CryptoNight) 0.48 kh/s
G-SYNC +
CUDA cores 1664
Bus support PCI Express 3.0
Height 4.376" (11.1 cm)
SLI options +
Multi monitor support 4 displays
HDCP +
Maximum VGA resolution 2048x1536
Audio input for HDMI Internal
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 478 Mh/s
Decred / DCR (Decred) 1.51 Gh/s
Ethereum / ETH (DaggerHashimoto) 22.21 Mh/s
Zcash / ZEC (Equihash) 291.61 Sol/s
GameStream +
GeForce ShadowPlay +
GPU Boost 2.0
GameWorks +
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