The powerful and affordable Zotac GeForce 1060 graphics cards by Nvidia have swept the PC game world by storm. Bringing life vibrant HD gameplay and virtual reality to a different level these amazing graphics cards deliver super framerate and speed.
No wonder the GTX 1060 is in high demand and available in a wide variety. If you are not a pro it can be very difficult to find out the best model. You will feel overwhelmed if we talk about several versions together and so we have picked only 2 versions – the GTX 1060 mini and the GTX 1060 amp for discussion.
Zotac GeForce GTX 1060 Mini Vs 1060 AMP Graphics Card – What’s The Difference?
Before moving to any further comparison between Zotac GeForce GTX 1060 Mini and 1060 AMP, have a quick look at the differentiated table below to identify the similarities and differences between these two powerful GPUs.
| Factors | Zotac GeForce GTX 1060 AMP! | Zotac GeForce GTX 1060 Mini |
| Thermal Design Power (TDP) | ||
| GPU Turbo Speed | 1771MHz | 1708MHz |
| GPU Clock Speed | 1556MHz | 1506MHz |
| GPU Memory Speed | 2002MHz | 2002MHz |
| Pixel Rate | 74.4 GPixel/s | 72.3 GPixel/s |
| Floating-Point Performance | 3.98 TFLOPS | 3.85 TFLOPS |
| Texture Rate | 124.5 GTexels/s | 120.5 GTexels/s |
| Shading Units | 1280 | 1280 |
| Texture Mapping Units (Tmus) | 80 | 80 |
| Effective Memory Speed | 8008MHz | 8008MHz |
According to the table above, you can see that the performance and features of both GPUs are almost the same. However, Zotac GeForce GTX 1060 AMP! Is better than the Zotac GeForce GTX 1060 Mini in most factors like turbo speed, cock speed, pixel rate, floating-point performance, and texture rate.
Now, let’s explore these two GPUs individually in more detail below.
Pros & Cons of Zotac GeForce GTX 1060 Mini Vs 1060 AMP Graphics Card
Like every other GPU, Zotac GeForce GTX 1060 Mini and 1060 AMP Graphics Cards can have some positive and negative sides. Let’s explore them below.
Positive sides of Zotac Geforce GTX 1060 Mini Graphics Card
You will get all the great features that one expects in a graphics card in the GTX 1060 mini. Based on NVIDIA’s Pascal architecture it provides the users major improvements in performance, memory bandwidth, and power efficiency over its previous versions.
1. Packaging
The super compact 1060 mini comes in the usual ZOTAC-inspired packaging. You will get the graphics card and the manual inside it.
2. Design
The matte black and grey shroud made the card attractive. The specially designed aluminum sunflower heatsink ensures an even distribution of heat from the center to the outer edges. It can be fitted into any case that supports dual-slot GPU.
3. CUDA Core
The 1280 CUDA cores included in this card help to create a lifelike 3D effect by providing high-resolution graphics.
4. Display Connectivity
The Zotac GTX 1060 Mini features the standard ports found on any GTX 1060 card. It comes with more display ports than the HDMI connector.
In the previous NVIDIA cards, the DVI port used to come with an analog signal. But the updated GTX 1060 mini does not come with the analog signal and so you have to use an active adapter.
You will get a total of 3 Display ports 1.4, 1 HDMI 2.0, and 1 DVI port. The display ports are updated to be 1.2 certified and 1.3/1.4 ready that supports 4K @ 120 Hz and 5K @ 60 Hz or 8K @ 60 Hz with two cables.
The HDMI 2.0b compatible sound device supports HD audio and Blu-ray 3D movies. The Video encoding unit of the card supports HEVC at 10-bit and 12-bit.
5. Clock Specs
It comes with a base clock of 1506 MHz. You can boost it to a maximum of 1708 MHz. And the memory clock is 8GHz.
6. VR Technology
The NVIDIA OptiX ray-tracing engine traces the path of sounds across an environment in real-time letting you feel and enjoy every moment. The VR audio, physics, and haptics are amazing. When a hand controller interacts with a virtual object the NVIDIA Physics for VR enables the engine to provide a physically accurate visual and haptic response.
Negative Sides of Zotac Geforce GTX 1060 Mini Graphics Card
1. Noise
Due to more power consumption and fan speed, it makes noise sometimes that can make you feel disturbed.
2. Price
Though it comes with a 6GB Ram its price is similar to the other versions of GTX 1060 with 8GB RAM
Positive Sides of Zotac Geforce GTX 1060 AMP Graphics Card
The difference between the GTX 1060 AMP and 1060 is very little. While the AMP version comes with dual cooling fans the mini version comes with a single fan. Also, the AMP version is factory overclocked but the mini is not.
1. Packaging
The card comes in simple ZOTAC packaging with a dual Molex to 6 pin power adapter, a quick start guide, and a catalog for the ZOTAC SONIX SSD.
2. Design
The GTX 1060 AMP edition is an inch and a half shorter than the Founders Edition but is a little wider at 5 inches. Compared to the previous versions of AMP cards less metal is used in the 1060 version. It is designed to fit on most enclosures including some ITX standard ones.
To maintain the temperature dual 90mm ZOTAC FREEZE fans are included. These fans run at 1700 RPM. If the temperature is well within a safe threshold the fans won’t spin up since they are 0dB complaint.
There is a custom-built cooler of the card with dual U-shaped copper heat pipes in the side profile. The main heat sink helps to cool off both the GPU and the card’s VRAM modules and an aluminum block cools off the VRM.
The matte black color PCB (Printed Circuit board) with perfectly aligned surface-mount resistors, integrated chips, and high-quality silk screening looks very refreshing.
3. Display Connectivity
You will get a total of 3 display ports 1.4 outputs, an HDMI 2.0b output, and a DVI-D Dual-Link output.
4. Clock Specs
It comes with a base clock of 1556 MHz. You can boost it to a maximum of 1771 MHz. And the memory clock is 8GHz.
5. VR Technology
The VR works is as same as the 1060 mini version.
Negative Sides of Zotac Geforce GTX 1060 AMP Graphics Card
The only negative side of the Zotac Geforce GTX 1060 AMP Graphics Card is that it has no SLI capability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zotac 1060 6 Gb Mini Good?
The analysis says that the Zotac GeForce GTX 1060 Mini is a great choice especially if you are intended to build a mini-gaming PC. However, you need to ensure the proper airflow around the GPU or it can get overheated and start showing issues.
How Hot Does Zotac GTX 1060 6gb Amp Get?
The Zotac GTX 1060 6GB AMP can get up to 76 degrees Celsius which is too hot for a GPU. We are telling this “Too Hot” because the maximum heat measured in the GTX 1060 Founders Edition is 70 degrees Celsius and 60 degrees Celsius with the Strix 1060.
What Is the Difference Between AMP and Non-AMP Graphics Cards?
If the graphics card is labeled AMP, then you can expect faster speed, better performance, and a stronger cooling system than a non-AMP graphics card. This is the main difference between them.
Final Word
The GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card is a quantum leap in performance and power efficiency that supports DirectX 12 features. The performance of both the 1060 mini and AMP editions is almost the same. They both provide smooth gameplay, cinematic experiences, and revolutionary 360-degree image capture.
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