They both come from the same generation with different price segments and VRAM modules. Since the GTX 1060 comes in 2 variants, it is quite confusing when picking a GPU. So let’s compare the design and the specifications of the two different graphic cards. For reference, we will be testing EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti FTW Gaming as our 1050 Ti card and Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 G1 Gaming 6G and 3G as our 1060 card. You were looking at the spec, and you have probably guessed what to pick. But wait, read the information written below, and the value proposition of the cards. There is some compelling information and use cases that will change your current decisions.
Design ( GTX 1050 Ti vs GTX 1060)
The design is what catches the eyes first. After choosing the parts, matching the overall aesthetic of the build is quite important. Tech enthusiasts might not care about the overall aesthetics of the card. But I know some of our readers like to match the overall aesthetics of their build. So, first, let’s look at what 1050 Ti has to offer us in the aesthetic department.
GTX 1050 Ti Design
The graphics card boasts a boxy design with a longer heatsink. The GTX 1050 Ti has a low-key gaming look with no RGB lights. To the more fancy gamers out there, you won’t be able to sync your RGB strips and motherboard lightings. The custom PCB houses the GP107-400-A1 GPU inside it. The graphics card is powered by a single 6-pin connector on the top, drawing a total of 120 Watts power.
It’s already 2020, but the graphics card still has 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI port, and a 1 x DVI-D port. It is not a surprise to see a DVI-D in an old card. The GTX 1050 Ti remains to be a two-slot card, thanks to a longer and decent sized heatsink. The heatsink is made of aluminum with copper contact on the bottom, touching the die. The heatsink is cooled, thanks to the dual-fan on the front of the card. The dual fans maintain a cool temperature on the card with a decent acoustic performance. The graphics card ships with 4GB DDR5 VRAM and a 128-bit memory interface bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock speed of 1379 MHz and boosts up to 1432 MHz. However, the clock speed of the graphics card is better than all the reference cards.
GTX 1060 Design
At first glance, the Gigabyte GTX 1060 G1 gaming has a sporty and racing vibe to it. With the overall, all-black body, the orange streaks on the front of the body looks good. The GP104-150-A1 seats itself on the Gigabyte reference PCB. The graphics card has RGB lighting with the ability to sync it with your components. The graphics card draws a total of 125 Watts of power.
The card has a 3 x display port, 1 x HDMI port, and a single DVI-D port. The DVI port also makes an appearance in the card, but the GTX 1060 allows you to hook more monitors. The GTX 1060 is a dual-slot card. Gigabyte has a copper pipe cooling system on the graphics card, directly making contact with the GPU die. The dual-fans on the front of the case push in a large volume of air, cooling the heatsink. The graphics card is available in different variants with two different RAM options ( 3GB and 4GB). The GPU uses DDR5 VRAM and utilizes a 192-bit memory interface bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1506 MHz and a boost clock of 1847 MHz.
Cooling Mechanism ( GTX 1050 TI vs. GTX 1060)
Both the graphics card uses their own set of cooling solutions. A graphics card needs a sufficient amount of cooling headroom to work correctly. Both the cards are using Pascal architecture (older architecture), so both the cards dissipate a large amount of heat.
GTX 1050 Ti (ACX 3.0 Dual Fan)
The EVGA GTX 1050 Ti utilizes the dual ball bearing fans for a better lifespan and lower power consumption. The graphics card uses an aluminum heatsink with a copper contact. The aluminum fins are stacked for optimal thermal performance of the card, with the fans pushing the air through the fin array. Since the card uses the ACX cooling system, the fans draw lower power giving a higher headroom for overclocking. The graphics card can be overclocked to gain performance near to the 3 GB GTX 1060 variant. Overclocking it doesn’t mean that you will match the performance of the GTX 1060, so please consider this point as well. The graphics card performs well under load and maintains a temperature under 65C. The user can also adjust the fan curve on the GPU, fine-tuning the acoustic profile. Due to the ball bearing fans on the graphics card and low powered motor, the card pushes a larger volume of air on the heatsink. The fans push cool air down the heatsink, which gives a more efficient cooling method.
GTX 1060 (Windforce Technology)
The Gigabyte GTX 1060 G1 gaming utilizes the Windforce technology to cool down the GPU inside it. The graphics card uses the same heatsink array of aluminum fins with the copper pipe running through it. Since the copper pipe is making direct contact with the GPU die, it provides better thermal performance. The copper pipe is shaped to make direct contact with the GPU die. The heatsink cools the memory and VRAM efficiently. Gigabyte has done great work to cool down the overall components of the graphics card. Not only that, but Gigabyte also went in to add a backplate on the graphics card. The dual fans cool down the heatsink; the 90mm fans can work independently and can be adjusted using Gigabyte gaming software. The fans can be fine-tuned to keep the beefy GPU under temperature.
Performance ( GTX 1050 Ti vs GTX 1060)
Let’s see how the cards stack up against newer and older games. Both cards perform well on 1080p, and with older titles, both the cards perform as expected, but both struggle to perform in the newer titles. The performance tells what users should buy, but your budget might tell a different story. All the games were tested at 1080p and here is the Test-bench configuration:
GTX 1050 Ti Performance
The 1050 Ti performs well with the older titles, but due to the lower clock speed and memory bandwidth, it struggles in the newer titles. Even though it has a 4GB RAM, it still struggles due to its older DDR5 VRAM and older architecture. The Pascal card gives a playable framerate on the newer titles and performs very well on the older titles. But you are here to check the more modern titles with all the scores so there you go. RAM: Corsair Vengeance 16GB 3200MHz CL16 Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Titanium 700W Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix Z390-F Gaming ATX Storage: 512GB Samsung 960 Pro NVMe PCIe 3.0
GTX 1060 3GB Performance
The GTX 1060 performs well above the GTX 1050 Ti in all the games. Due to its higher clock speed and memory speeds, it can handle the newer games and it performs well on the older games like GTA V(71 Fps), etc. It struggles in 1440p gaming, and we suggest not to use this card for 1440p gaming. The graphics card maintained a 63C temperature on 99% load.
GTX 1060 6GB Performance
Not so much difference between the 3GB and 6GB GTX 1060 variants. The card performs well under load and has no VRAM restriction as compared to the 3 GB variant. The extra VRAM gives more details in-game. This card also doesn’t adequately handle 1440p gaming. It can handle 4K displays, but even if you decide to play at 4K, you will get 5 to 10 FPS. The graphics card maintained 65C on 99% load.
EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti FTW
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 G1 Gaming
Conclusion ( GTX 1050 Ti vs GTX 1060)
Looking at all the given results, 1060 looks like the right choice. With better performance, cooling, and aesthetic in mind, the GTX 1060 outclasses the GTX 1050 Ti. Even more compelling is the fact that the GTX 1060 3GB variant wins over the GTX 1050 Ti. The GTX 1060 takes the crown as for its better build quality and performance. It can play newer and older titles in 1080p with high settings. The better value seems to go towards the 3 GB 1060 variant. But as 1600 series has superseded both graphics cards, it would be better to get GTX 1060 6GB second hand, or if you are truly entering the entry-level gaming space, we suggest getting GTX 1060 3GB/ 6GB. *FACT – GTX 1060 is a widely used graphics card according to Steam Data Survey.
