Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 Mini ITX OC 3G (GV-N1060IXOC-3GD)

Two sisters

The GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card exists in two versions - with 3 and 6 GB of memory, and the differences do not end there. The 3GB version has 1151 stream processors, while the 6GB version has 1280. The difference is not that significant (10 percent), but still it is. Fortunately, at least the memory bus bandwidth for both modifications is the same - 192 bits (for the younger GTX 1050 and 1050 Ti - only 128 bits).

It won't be enough

The 3 GB version of the GeForce GTX 1060 costs as much as a quarter cheaper than the 6 GB one. On the one hand, the lack of video memory for particularly demanding games can be compensated for by RAM and you can safely play at FullHD and ultra-graphics settings. RAM, of course, is slower than video memory (1600-2133 MHz versus 8000 MHz), but modern gaming PCs usually have a large margin of it. On the other hand, by using RAM, the graphics card loads the already narrow data exchange bus with the processor. There is a "bottleneck" effect, as a result of which some games begin to freeze periodically or respond to keystrokes with a delay.

Quiet and smooth

The Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 MiniITX model is equipped with an improved single-fan cooler, which is quite justified for a 120W TDP. The radiator is made of individual aluminium plates pierced with copper heat pipes. Such an efficient design allows the graphics card to be cooled passively, that is, completely silently, when idle.

Not for all

As a result, we have no complaints about the modification of the Gigabyte MiniITX, but there are doubts about the advisability of buying a 3-gigabyte GTX 1060 as a whole. It is worth taking it only if your PC has at least 16 GB of RAM. Otherwise, it is wiser to trust the 4-gig GTX 970, 980 or Radeon RX 480.