Why Upgrade Your Aging GTX 1060?
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB has been one of the most popular graphics cards for years. First released in 2016, it became the most used GPU worldwide thanks to its excellent 1080p gaming performance and affordable price point.
However, games are requiring beefier graphics cards every year. The GTX 1060 is really starting to show its age in 2023, with modern titles requiring compromises to visuals and frame rates. Upgrading can provide:
- 60+ FPS gameplay at max settings in 1440p or 4K
- Support for new technologies like ray tracing and DLSS
- Future-proofing for next several years of gaming
If you‘ve noticed your GTX 1060 struggling in recent games, it‘s a clear sign that an upgrade will breathe new life into your gaming experience.
Budget Upgrades Under $300
If you‘re looking to upgrade your GTX 1060 on a budget, AMD and Nvidia both have strong options between $200-$300:
AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT
The RX 6600 XT matches and even beats the GTX 1060 6GB in many games by a significant margin. You‘ll see excellent 1080p performance and passable 1440p framerates. Important features:
- 8GB GDDR6 memory
- Base clock: 2359 MHz (Boost 2589 MHz)
- Ray Tracing support
- Average cost: $250
Here‘s how the RX 6600 XT compares to the GTX 1060 in benchmarks:
| Game Title | GTX 1060 FPS | RX 6600 XT FPS | Gain |
| Fortnite (Epic, 1440p) | 47 | 151 | +221% |
| Apex Legends (Ultra, 1080p) | 75 | 145 | +93% |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 (Ultra, 1080p) | 31 | 66 | +113% |
It‘s clear that the RX 6600 XT represents a massive upgrade across modern games. You‘ll be able to max out settings and achieve high framerates.
Nvidia RTX 3060
The newest budget offering from Nvidia brings excellent 1080p performance, useful features, and some future-proofing. Benefits include:
- 12GB GDDR6 memory
- DLSS and ray tracing support
- 1920 CUDA cores
- Base clock 1320Mhz (Boost 1777 MHz)
- Average cost: $300
Benchmark comparisons:
| Game Title | GTX 1060 FPS | RTX 3060 FPS | Gain |
| Death Stranding (Very High, 1440p) | 48 | 102 | +113% |
| CoD: Warzone (High, 1080p) | 75 | 140 | +87% |
| Assassin‘s Creed Valhalla (Ultra High, 1080p) | 48 | 90 | +88% |
You can see the RTX 3060 makes short work of complex games like Warzone while offering beautiful ray traced graphics. It‘s a superb replacement that meets or beats GTX 1060 performance.
Intel ARC A750
Intel‘s inaugural gaming GPU offers performance that rivals Nvidia‘s RTX 3060 for under $300. If you want to support the underdog, it out-muscles the aging GTX 1060.
- 8GB GDDR6 memory
- Ray tracing support
- Base clock 2050 MHz
- DP 1.4 and HDMI 2.1 outputs
- Average cost: $260
Mid-Range Upgrades for 1440p Gaming
If you want to maximize settings at 1440p resolution or enable features like ray tracing, these ~$500 graphics cards are excellent options.
Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti
This refreshed RTX 3060 gets you within striking distance of the more expensive RTX 3070. With excellent 1440p framerates, DLSS and new graphics tech, it brings the best out of high refresh rate monitors.
- 8GB GDDR6 memory
- 4864 CUDA cores
- Base clock 1410MHz (Boost 1665 MHz)
- DLSS and ray tracing support
- Average cost: $450
AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT
AMD‘s best value for 1440p gaming comes from the RX 6750 XT. It outguns Nvidia‘s RTX 3060 Ti in some games and gives you ample VRAM for the future.
- 12GB GDDR6 memory
- 40 ray accelerators
- Base clock 2410 MHz (Boost 2635 MHz)
- Good ray tracing support
- Average cost: $480
Nvidia RTX 3080 10GB
On the higher end of this mid-range tier is Nvidia‘s RTX 3080. It brings exceptional 60 FPS+ 1440p framerates and great 4K potential for under $600. The extra VRAM vs the 12GB model provides more future-proofing as games demand more memory.
- 10GB GDDR6X memory
- 8704 CUDA cores
- Base clock 1440 MHz (Boost 1710 MHz)
- Excellent DLSS and ray tracing
- Average cost: $570
The Best for 4K and Future-Proofing
If money is no object and you want to max out games for years to come, Nvidia‘s flagship RTX 4090 sets a new high bar. But cheaper alternatives like the RTX 3090 Ti still offer superb performance.
Nvidia RTX 3090 Ti
The RTX 3090 Ti represents the pinnacle of last-gen technology, acting almost like a "budget" 4090 for those wanting extreme power now rather than later.
- 24GB GDDR6X memory
- 40 RT cores
- Boost clock 1860 MHz
- 83% faster than the RTX 2080 Ti
- Average cost: $1,100
Nvidia RTX 4090
If you want the absolute best visuals and performance money can buy, the RTX 4090 is unmatched. It achieves over 60 FPS at 4K max settings easily and offers high frame rates even at 8K resolution.
- 24GB GDDR6X memory
- 128 RT cores
- Boost clock 2520 MHz
- Up to 2x performance over RTX 3090
- Average cost: $1,600
There‘s no better card for future-proofing your gaming experience and destroying graphics for years. It sets a new benchmark with high efficiency thanks to the Ada Lovelace architecture.
Other Upgrade Considerations
When upgrading your graphics card, there are a few other things to consider as well:
Get a new monitor
To take full advantage of these new GPUs, upgrading your monitor is highly recommended. A 1440p screen with at least 144Hz refresh rate delivers incredibly fluid gaming that older monitors struggle with.
The HP X27q is an excellent balance of price and performance: 27 inches, 1440p, and rapid 165Hz variable refresh rate support over DisplayPort.
Check your power supply
Many older power supplies may be pushed beyond their limits trying to feed these new graphics cards, especially the RTX 3090 Ti and 4090. Ensure you have adequate wattage and PCIe power connectors.
An excellent value unit is the EVGA Supernova 850 GA 80 Plus Gold Modular Power Supply, providing 850W on a fully-modular design.
Consider used/second-hand deals
Due to the popularity of cryptocurrency mining over the past couple years, there are lots of used high-end graphics cards available for reasonable prices from miners upgrading their equipment.
Browsing eBay, /r/hardwareswap and other marketplaces can net you an RTX 3080 Ti for less than retail cost if you get lucky. Just be aware of potential wear when buying used.
The GTX 1060 6GB Legacy
It‘s truly the end of an era with the GTX 1060 finally losing steam. The card maintained its #1 spot as the most used GPU every month for over 5 straight years – an impressive feat unlikely to repeated anytime soon.
But with modern games leaving it behind, it‘s clear the venerable 1060 deserves to be put out to pasture in favor of new technology that will carry on its legacy of awesome 1080p gaming for years to come.
