Fortunately, this GTX 1060 isn't prepped for mass market or DIY consumer adoption -- we've got enough confusing naming as is. The GTX 1060 presently exists in 3GB and 6GB AICs, with the former also containing one fewer SM (or a 10% core reduction). There is also the lesser-known 1060 6GB card with boosted 9Gbps memory speeds, part of a refreshed effort by nVidia and its partners earlier this year. According to Chinese language website Expreview, a new GTX 1060 5GB card is allegedly planned for release in Asian markets, primarily targeted for use in internet cafes and PC bangs. We have not independently verified the story at this time.
From what the story indicates, it seems as if this particular GTX 1060 model will carry the original 1280 CUDA cores (as opposed to the 1152 FP32 lanes on the 1060 3GB), with the primary difference existing in a 1GB reduction to capacity and 160-bit memory interface.
The card will almost certainly not make it to Western markets, based on what we are presently observing. This is primarily a device for the Asian market, with the heaviest emphasis on location-based entertainment services, e.g. internet/LAN cafes.
Still, out of curiosity, we will try to get our hands on one.
- Steve Burke