GeForce GTX 1050 3GB vs GeForce RTX 2060

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB

2018Core: 1392 MHzBoost: 1518 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2060

2019Core: 1365 MHzBoost: 1680 MHz
RTX family
·······

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB 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 GTX 1050 3GB 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 GTX 1050 3GB 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 GTX 1050 3GB

2018

Why buy it

  • Costs $220 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
  • Draws 75W instead of 160W, a 85W reduction.
  • Measures 145mm instead of 229mm, a 84mm 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 3 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2018 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

  • 197.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 3 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 113.3% higher power demand at 160W vs 75W.
  • 57.9% longer card at 229mm vs 145mm.

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 197.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 175.9% in PassMark G3D (14,114 vs 5,116), 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 3 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 12nm process instead of 14nm, 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 $220 more expensive on MSRP at $349 vs $129, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 2% (40.4 vs 39.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB vs GeForce RTX 2060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB

The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 21 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1392 MHz to 1518 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,116 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 GTX 1050 3GB scores 5,116 versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 14,114 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 175.9%. The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 2060 uses Turing, both on 14 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060). Raw compute: 2.332 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060). Boost clocks: 1518 MHz vs 1680 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 2060
G3D Mark Score
5,116
14,114+176%
Architecture
Pascal
Turing
Process Node
14 nm
12 nm
Shading Units
768
1920+150%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.332 TFLOPS
6.451 TFLOPS+177%
Boost Clock
1518 MHz
1680 MHz+11%
ROPs
24
48+100%
TMUs
48
120+150%
L1 Cache
0.28 MB
1.9 MB+579%
L2 Cache
0.75 MB
3 MB+300%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce 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 GTX 1050 3GB has 3 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 2060 carries 6 GB. GeForce RTX 2060 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 84 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060) — a 300% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 2060
VRAM Capacity
3 GB
6 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
84 GB/s
336 GB/s+300%
Bus Width
96-bit
192-bit+100%
L2 Cache
0.75 MB
3 MB+300%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 2060
DirectX
12 (12_1)
12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
3
4+33%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6.0 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060). Decoder: NVDEC 3.0 vs NVDEC (Turing). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 2060
Encoder
NVENC 6.0
NVENC (Turing)
Decoder
NVDEC 3.0
NVDEC (Turing)
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9
H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB draws 75W versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 160W — a 72.3% difference. The GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 2060). Power connectors: None vs 8-pin. Card length: 145mm vs 229mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 65 vs 72.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 2060
TDP
75W-53%
160W
Recommended PSU
300W-40%
500W
Power Connector
None
8-pin
Length
145mm
229mm
Height
111mm
113mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
65-10%
72
Perf/Watt
68.2
88.2+29%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB came in at $129, while the GeForce RTX 2060 launched at $349. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1050 3GB was 63% cheaper ($220 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 39.7 (GeForce GTX 1050 3GB) vs 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce RTX 2060 offers 1.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 2060 (2019 vs 2018).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050 3GBGeForce RTX 2060
MSRP
$129-63%
$349
Performance per Dollar
39.7
40.4+2%
Codename
GP107
TU106
Release
May 21 2018
January 7 2019
Ranking
#440
#168

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