GeForce 6800 GS vs GeForce RTX 2060

NVIDIA

GeForce 6800 GS

2008Core: 500 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2060

2019Core: 1365 MHzBoost: 1680 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce 6800 GS vs GeForce RTX 2060 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce 6800 GS vs GeForce RTX 2060 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce 6800 GS vs GeForce RTX 2060: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce 6800 GS

2008

Why buy it

  • Costs $100 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
  • Measures 216mm instead of 229mm, a 13mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2060 across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 256 MB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2008 hardware with 256 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.8 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

  • 3003.2% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 5144.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0.8 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 2300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 256 MB).
  • Better long-term bet: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 2060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 3003.2% in average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 7251% in PassMark G3D (14,114 vs 192), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 2060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 256 MB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 12nm process instead of 65nm, and 30 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 2060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $100 more expensive on MSRP at $349 vs $249, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 5144.7% (40.4 vs 0.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce 6800 GS vs GeForce RTX 2060 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce 6800 GS

The GeForce 6800 GS is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 15 2008. It features the G9x architecture. The core clock speed is 500 MHz. It has 224 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 192 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2060

The GeForce RTX 2060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 7 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1365 MHz to 1680 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 30 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 14,114 points. Launch price was $349.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce 6800 GS scores 192 versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 14,114 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 7251%. The GeForce 6800 GS is built on G9x while the GeForce RTX 2060 uses Turing, both on 65 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 6800 GS) vs 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060).

FeatureGeForce 6800 GSGeForce RTX 2060
G3D Mark Score
192
14,114+7251%
Architecture
G9x
Turing
Process Node
65 nm
12 nm
Shading Units
224
1920+757%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce 6800 GS is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce 6800 GSGeForce RTX 2060
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 6800 GS has 256 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 2060 carries 6 GB. GeForce RTX 2060 gives you 2300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce 6800 GS and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060.

FeatureGeForce 6800 GSGeForce RTX 2060
VRAM Capacity
0.25 GB
6 GB+2300%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
336 GB/s
Bus Width
64-bit
192-bit+200%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0c (GeForce 6800 GS) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060). Vulkan: None vs 1.3. OpenGL: 2.1 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce 6800 GSGeForce RTX 2060
DirectX
9.0c
12 Ultimate (12_2)+33%
Vulkan
None
1.3
OpenGL
2.1
4.6+119%
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce 6800 GS) vs NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060). Decoder: PureVideo vs NVDEC (Turing). Supported codecs: MPEG-2 (GeForce 6800 GS) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060).

FeatureGeForce 6800 GSGeForce RTX 2060
Encoder
No
NVENC (Turing)
Decoder
PureVideo
NVDEC (Turing)
Codecs
MPEG-2
H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 6800 GS draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 160W — a 6.5% difference. The GeForce 6800 GS is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 6800 GS) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 2060). Power connectors: Legacy vs 8-pin. Card length: 216mm vs 229mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 72.

FeatureGeForce 6800 GSGeForce RTX 2060
TDP
150W-6%
160W
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
Legacy
8-pin
Length
216mm
229mm
Height
111mm
113mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
85°C
72-15%
Perf/Watt
1.3
88.2+6685%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 6800 GS came in at $249, while the GeForce RTX 2060 launched at $349. On MSRP, GeForce 6800 GS was 28.7% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.8 (GeForce 6800 GS) vs 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce RTX 2060 offers 4950% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 2060 (2019 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce 6800 GSGeForce RTX 2060
MSRP
$249-29%
$349
Performance per Dollar
0.8
40.4+4950%
Codename
NB9E-GTX
TU106
Release
July 15 2008
January 7 2019
Ranking
#825
#168

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