GTX 1060 144hz Overwatch Getting 144+ FPS in Overwatch with a GTX 1060 [Guide]

Getting high, consistent frame rates in a competitive multiplayer game like Overwatch is crucial for having an optimal gaming experience. With the right settings tweaks and optimizations, it is possible to achieve 144+ FPS consistently on a GTX 1060 graphics card.

This definitive guide covers everything you need to know to get silky smooth high frame rates in Overwatch with a GTX 1060.

Key Takeaways:

• A GTX 1060 can achieve 100+ FPS at 1080p on high settings in Overwatch. 144+ FPS is achievable with some graphics tweaks.
• Lower resolution like 1080p is better for high FPS compared to 1440p or 4K.
• Reduce the graphics settings, especially the more demanding ones like shadows and anti-aliasing.
• 75-100% render scale gives a good balance between image quality and high FPS.
• Upscaling with Nvidia Image Scaling or AMD FSR can help boost FPS when reducing render scale.
• Aim for GPU-limited performance for the highest, most consistent FPS.
• Disable vsync and use an uncapped frame rate for minimal input lag.
• A fast CPU like an i5 or Ryzen 5 is recommended to avoid CPU bottlenecks.
• Low latency RAM (3600 MHz or above) and PCIe 4.0 can provide a small extra FPS boost.

What kind of FPS can a GTX 1060 achieve in Overwatch?

The GTX 1060 is a very capable 1080p gaming card that came out in 2016. In a well optimized game like Overwatch, it can deliver excellent frame rates even at high settings.

At 1080p resolution with graphics set to high, a stock GTX 1060 6GB can achieve average frame rates of 100 FPS or more. In optimal conditions with reduced settings, it can even put out frame rates in the 140-160 FPS range at 1080p.

This level of performance is more than enough to take advantage of high refresh rate 144Hz gaming monitors. With some tweaking of Overwatch’s graphics settings, achieving consistent 144+ FPS gameplay on a GTX 1060 is certainly feasible.

The GTX 1060 starts to struggle when the resolution is increased to 1440p or 4K. At 1440p, average frame rates drop to around 60-80 FPS on high settings. 4K is too demanding, with average FPS in the 45-55 range at high settings.

So for best results, it’s recommended to stick to 1080p when trying to get 144+ FPS with a GTX 1060 in Overwatch. The lower resolution allows the GPU to focus on pushing out as many frames as possible.

How to optimize Overwatch settings for maximum FPS

To get the most out of your GTX 1060 for high FPS Overwatch gaming, you need to fine tune the graphics settings. The goal is to reduce the load on the GPU as much as possible so it can deliver the highest frame rates.

Here are the most important Overwatch graphics options to adjust:

Resolution

• As mentioned earlier, use 1920 x 1080 for best FPS results. Avoid higher resolutions like 2560 x 1440.

Render Scale

• This controls the game’s internal resolution – lowering it reduces the load on the GPU. Try 75-100% for good balance.

Graphics Quality

• Use the Low or Medium preset then tweak individual settings. High/Epic is too demanding.

Texture Quality

• Major impact on VRAM usage. High uses 2.5GB+ VRAM so Medium may be better.

Texture Filtering

• Set to Low or x2/Bilinear to reduce GPU load. Higher filtering is not worth FPS’s cost.

Local Fog Detail

• Keep this at Low, fog effects are not important for competitive play.

Dynamic Reflections

• Set to Off to eliminate performance taxing ray traced reflections.

Shadow Detail

• Big FPS impact. Low or Medium is recommended, Ultra has minimal visual benefit.

Ambient Occlusion

• Off or Low is recommended as AO is subtle. Higher settings cost FPS.

Anti-aliasing (AA)

• Disable AA entirely or use Low FXAA to minimize FPS loss from AA.

Those are the most critical settings to reduce. Also set Effects, Lighting and Model Detail to Low/Medium.

Limiting framerate caps and vsync is also crucial – make sure both are disabled for the highest FPS.

With these tweaks, a GTX 1060 can often hit 160-200 FPS in Overwatch at 1080p. More optimization can push it even higher.

Advanced optimizations for 200+ FPS

To squeeze out every last frame from a GTX 1060 in Overwatch, you can take optimization further:

Reduce Render Scale below 100%

This will render the game at a resolution below 1080p and then upscale. 75% render scale can boost FPS by ~30 while still looking decent.

Use NIS/FSR for high-quality upscaling

Nvidia Image Scaling (NIS) or AMD FSR enables upscaling with minimal quality loss, greatly improving reduced render scale image quality.

Tune graphics settings individually

Fine-tune each graphics option and stress test to find the optimal balance of visuals and FPS boost.

Overclock your GTX 1060

A conservative overclock of +100 MHz core and +300 MHz memory can gain a few % extra FPS. Just watch thermals and stability.

Make sure your CPU is not bottlenecking

A quad-core i5 / Ryzen 5 or better CPU is recommended to avoid limiting the GTX 1060’s performance in Overwatch.

Use low-latency RAM

Fast 3600+ MHz RAM with tight timings marginally reduces input lag and FPS dips.

Play at low graphics preset

Dropping to the Low preset and 75% render with Image Scaling gets 200+ FPS easily but visual fidelity suffers.

With some experimentation using the above tweaks, a well-tuned GTX 1060 build can potentially hit frame rates of 200 FPS or more in Overwatch at 1080p. This will provide an incredibly fluid gaming experience.

But IQ has to be sacrificed quite a bit to maximize FPS this much. Finding your own balance between graphics fidelity and high frame rates is key.

What kind of hardware do you need to run Overwatch at 144+ FPS?

Achieving high 144+ refresh rates requires having a well-balanced gaming PC that avoids bottlenecks:

GPU: GTX 1060 6GB or GTX 1660 Super / Ti

CPU: Intel Core i5 / i7 4th gen or newer, Ryzen 5 / 7

RAM: 16GB DDR4 RAM, 3000 MHz or faster

Monitor: 1080p display with 144Hz or higher refresh rate

OS: Windows 10 64-bit (Windows 11 also fully supported)

The GTX 1060 6GB is the recommended baseline GPU, with the newer GTX 1660 Super or 1660 Ti being even better optimized for high FPS 1080p gaming in Overwatch.

Having 16GB of RAM ensures you won’t run out, especially if you have Chrome etc open in the background. Faster RAM provides a small performance benefit.

The CPU should have 4 cores / 8 threads at a minimum to prevent FPS drops in busy scenes. Intel 4th gen ++ or Ryzen 5000 series is ideal. More cores won’t make much difference.

Make sure you have a high refresh rate 1080p monitor – otherwise, you won’t see any benefit from the extra FPS! A 144Hz display is essential.

As long as your rig meets those requirements, you’ll have all the hardware needed to take full advantage of what your GTX 1060 can offer in Overwatch when optimized for maximum FPS.

Optimizing Windows 10 for highest, most consistent FPS

Besides in-game settings, you can tweak Windows 10 itself to potentially gain a few extra FPS in Overwatch:

• Use the High-Performance power plan for higher CPU speeds
• Disable Game Mode as it can sometimes lower FPS
• Turn off Game Bar and all Xbox social features
• Close all background apps – they can consume resources needed for optimal Overwatch performance
• Disable Nvidia ShadowPlay if you don’t need instant replay – reduces background load
• Update GPU drivers or do a clean install for the best optimization
• Set Windows 10 to Game Mode via Settings > Gaming (disables notifications etc)
• Disable fullscreen optimizations in Overwatch compatibility settings to reduce input lag

With Windows 10 properly optimized, you eliminate any extra overhead from background processes and services that could potentially interfere with achieving peak game performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a GTX 1060 good for 144Hz 1080p gaming?

Yes, the GTX 1060 6GB is an excellent match for high refresh rate 1080p gaming. In optimized esports titles like Overwatch, it can achieve 144+ FPS consistently with some graphics setting tweaks. For more demanding games, expected 80-100+ FPS on high settings.

Can the GTX 1060 run 1440p 144Hz?

The GTX 1060 will struggle to maintain high 144+ FPS at 1440p resolution in most games. It can still provide a decent 60+ FPS experience at 1440p medium-high settings though. For best results at 1440p 144Hz, a more powerful GPU like an RTX 2060 or RX 5700 XT is recommended.

What FPS does ultra settings get on a GTX 1060?

At 1080p resolution, a stock GTX 1060 will average around 80-100 FPS in Overwatch on the Ultra preset. Lowering settings to High can achieve 120-140 FPS. For consistent 144+ FPS, tweaking individual settings and reducing rendering resolution is required.

Is a GTX 1060 still good in 2022?

Yes, the venerable GTX 1060 6GB still delivers solid 1080p gaming performance in 2022 in well optimized eSports titles. In more demanding modern games it can still manage 60 FPS on medium-high settings at 1080p. It’s starting to show its age, but still gets the job done for smooth 1080p gaming if you tweak some settings.

How can I check and monitor FPS in Overwatch?

Press CTRL+SHIFT+N in game to bring up the net graph which shows your current FPS, frame times, ping, packet loss % and more. Useful for monitoring performance in real time as you change graphic settings. Various 3rd party tools like MSI Afterburner also available.

Conclusion

A GTX 1060 might be aging, but it still has enough muscle to deliver high FPS competitive performance in Overwatch. With the right graphics tweaks and optimizations, achieving 144+ FPS consistently is certainly within its capabilities.

Stick to 1080p, reduce demanding settings like shadows and anti-aliasing, avoid CPU bottlenecks, disable vsync and don’t be afraid to lower render scale. With these tips, buttery smooth 144Hz+ Overwatch gameplay is achievable on a GTX 1060.

Going lower than native resolution does impact image quality considerably. Finding the right balance between visual fidelity and optimal FPS that works for you is key. But with the techniques covered here, your GTX 1060 can really be pushed to its limits for maximum frame rates.

Getting such high FPS not only gives you a competitive edge but also makes the gameplay incredibly fluid and responsive. Making the effort to optimize a GTX 1060 for 144 Hz Overwatch is well worth it for the superior high frame rate gaming experience it ultimately enables.