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 8600 GT 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 8600 GT 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 8600 GT

2008

Why buy it

✅Costs $190 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅Measures 173mm instead of 229mm, a 56mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2008 hardware with 1 GB 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 0.9 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

✅3918.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 4493% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0.9 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌32.4% longer card at 229mm vs 173mm.

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 3918.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 9981.4% in PassMark G3D (14,114 vs 140), 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 1 GB 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 $190 more expensive on MSRP at $349 vs $159, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 4493% (40.4 vs 0.9), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce 8600 GT vs GeForce RTX 2060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 8600 GT

The GeForce 8600 GT 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: 140 points.

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 8600 GT scores 140 versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 14,114 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 9981.4%. The GeForce 8600 GT is built on G9x while the GeForce RTX 2060 uses Turing, both on 65 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 8600 GT) vs 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060).

Feature	GeForce 8600 GT	GeForce RTX 2060
G3D Mark Score	140	14,114+9981%
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 8600 GT is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce 8600 GT	GeForce 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 8600 GT has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 2060 carries 6 GB. GeForce RTX 2060 gives you 500% 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 8600 GT and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060.

Feature	GeForce 8600 GT	GeForce RTX 2060
VRAM Capacity	1 GB	6 GB+500%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	336 GB/s
Bus Width	64-bit	192-bit+200%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.0 (GeForce 8600 GT) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060). Vulkan: None vs 1.3. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce 8600 GT	GeForce RTX 2060
DirectX	10.0	12 Ultimate (12_2)+20%
Vulkan	None	1.3
OpenGL	3.3	4.6+39%
Max Displays	2	4+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce 8600 GT) vs NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs NVDEC (Turing). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce 8600 GT) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060).

Feature	GeForce 8600 GT	GeForce RTX 2060
Encoder	No	NVENC (Turing)
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP2	NVDEC (Turing)
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264	H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 8600 GT draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 160W — a 6.5% difference. The GeForce 8600 GT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 8600 GT) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 2060). Power connectors: Legacy vs 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 229mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 72.

Feature	GeForce 8600 GT	GeForce RTX 2060
TDP	150W-6%	160W
Recommended PSU	350W-30%	500W
Power Connector	Legacy	8-pin
Length	173mm	229mm
Height	111mm	113mm
Slots	1-50%	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	72-10%
Perf/Watt	0.9	88.2+9700%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 8600 GT came in at $159, while the GeForce RTX 2060 launched at $349. On MSRP, GeForce 8600 GT was 54.4% cheaper ($190 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.9 (GeForce 8600 GT) vs 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce RTX 2060 offers 4388.9% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 2060 (2019 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 8600 GT	GeForce RTX 2060
MSRP	$159-54%	$349
Performance per Dollar	0.9	40.4+4389%
Codename	NB9E-GTX	TU106
Release	July 15 2008	January 7 2019
Ranking	#825	#168

Search GeForce 8600 GT on Amazon

Search GeForce RTX 2060 on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.