Synthetics

As always we’ll also take a quick look at synthetic performance. While GTX 1060 is of course a cut down Pascal architecture part, how it has been cut down is interesting. Compared to GP104, GP106 has half the SMs and GPCs, but 3/4 the ROPs, which may prove to have an impact.

Synthetic: TessMark, Image Set 4, 64x Tessellation

Starting off with tessellation performance, we find the GTX 1060 coming in just behind the GTX 980, showing that NVIDIA’s performance estimates generally apply not only to games, but synthetic tests as well. But perhaps more interesting is the fact that the card is neck-and-neck with the Radeon RX 480. NVIDIA has traditionally enjoyed a sizable geometry performance lead over AMD cards, but it looks like those days have come to a close.

Up next, we have SteamVR’s Performance Test. While this test is based on the latest version of Valve’s Source engine, the test itself is purely synthetic, designed to test the suitability of systems for VR, making it our sole VR-focused test at this time. It should be noted that the results in this test are not linear, and furthermore the score is capped at 11. Of particular note, cards that fail to reach GTX 970/R9 290 levels fall off of a cliff rather quickly. So test results should be interpreted a little differently.

SteamVR Performance Test

As NVIDIA’s now entry-level VR card, GTX 1060 looks very good in the Steam VR test. A score of 7.9 Newells means that it’s comfortably above the 6.x range generally required, and it also means the GTX 1060 is comfortably ahead of the RX 480 in this scenario.

Finally, for looking at texel and pixel fillrate, we have the Beyond3D Test Suite. This test offers a slew of additional tests – many of which use behind the scenes or in our earlier architectural analysis – but for now we’ll stick to simple pixel and texel fillrates.

Synthetic: Beyond 3D Suite - Pixel Fillrate

Starting with the pixel fillrate, we can see the impact of GTX 1060’s slightly more unusual ROP and GPC arrangement when it’s compared to the GTX 980. At 54.8 GPixels/second, GTX 1060 trails GTX 980 significantly. The card not only has fewer ROPs, but it has half of the rasterizer throughput (32 pixels/clock) as GTX 980. As we’ve seen in our gaming benchmarks the real-world impact isn’t nearly as great as what happens under these synthetic tests, but it helps to explain why sometimes GTX 1060 is tied with GTX 980, and other times it’s several percent behind. If nothing else, at an architectural level this is what makes GTX 1060 a better 1080p card than a 1440p card.

Synthetic: Beyond 3D Suite - Texel Fillrate

As for texel throughput, things are right where we expect them. GTX 1060 is virtually tied with GTX 980, and while it’s ahead of RX 480 in the process, it’s not by a massive amount.

Compute Power, Temperature, & Noise
Comments Locked

189 Comments

View All Comments

  • ddriver - Friday, August 5, 2016 - link

    You are imagining things, I did not state that it "doesn't make me happy", nor does this implies some website determines how I feel, the very notion is stupid on its face. As for zepi and all the other "happy" campers - it is understandable, they are "happy" because reading 'in-depth" materials cultivates an illusion of being smart, and even if they don't get the just of it, they will at least memorize a few phrases to add to their fanboy internet warrior arsenal ;)

    The point people seem to be missing is I was not complaining about "in-depth" articles, merely stating that vendors wouldn't be too motivated to send samples if they don't get immediate publicity for their products. And this site is not about anyone's happiness but the people who bought it to cram stupid ads in our faces for profit.
  • Alexvrb - Saturday, August 6, 2016 - link

    The whole basis of your argument is that they won't give samples to sites that "take too long". But they didn't give samples out to many sites that DO produce swift reviews, as Devo pointed out. Nice try though, I'm sure you'll find something else to whine about soon enough. I mean, uh, something else to educate us peons on. Since you're so insightful and clever.
  • mkaibear - Saturday, August 6, 2016 - link

    Oh dear. Calm down ddriver, you'll give yourself palpitations.

    It amuses me that you're quite happy to throw aspersions on other people's motives for liking the in-depth articles and yet don't spot the obvious counterpoint.

    Ah well. I have better things to do than argue with a troll. Ta-ta!
  • Fujikoma - Sunday, August 7, 2016 - link

    ddriver,
    In the matter of cultivating the illusion of being smart...
    It's 'gist of it' not 'just of it'.
  • ddriver - Monday, August 8, 2016 - link

    OK strawmen, you win because "grammar nazi" ;)

    BTW would love yo see your proficiency across half a dozen of languages.
  • Manch - Monday, August 8, 2016 - link

    It's gist, not just. If you're going to stand on your pedestal of superiority mocking all the small minded peons that disagree with your all knowing word, at least use proper grammar so they do not see that the God like keyboard warrior bleeds too, you twit...
  • ddriver - Monday, August 8, 2016 - link

    Gotta love it how with your illusions threatened you cuddle together like a herd of frightened sheep, to find comfort in your numbers, and strength to try and "make a point" using your limited arsenal of insinuations, grammar nazism and personal attacks. Hopefully you do realize that this only adds further proof to my point, not that it needed any, as it is already totally obvious. Try harder next time...
  • snowmyr - Tuesday, August 9, 2016 - link

    You're right. You seem very happy.
  • Michael Bay - Saturday, August 6, 2016 - link

    >ddriver
    >expecting any self-awareness
  • at80eighty - Saturday, August 6, 2016 - link

    he's explaining why your wall of whining in response to Ryan's brief & matter-of-fact answer is irrelevant. you want average/sub-par reviews? plenty of sites available.

Log in

Don't have an account? Sign up now