GeForce GTX 1050 vs GeForce RTX 2060

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1050

2016Core: 1290 MHzBoost: 1392 MHz
GTX family
·······
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2060

2019Core: 1365 MHzBoost: 1680 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce GTX 1050 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 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 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

2016

Why buy it

  • Costs $239 less on MSRP ($110 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
  • Delivers 13.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 45.8 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($110 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
  • Draws 60W instead of 160W, a 100W 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 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2016 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

  • 162.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 217.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $349 MSRPvs$110 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 40.4 vs 45.8 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $110 MSRP).
  • 166.7% higher power demand at 160W vs 60W.
  • 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 162.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 180.4% in PassMark G3D (14,114 vs 5,033), 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 2 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 GTX 1050 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $239 cheaper on MSRP at $110 vs $349, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 13.1% (45.8 vs 40.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 1050 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and lighter 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 2060 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1050 vs GeForce RTX 2060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1050

The GeForce GTX 1050 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 25 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1290 MHz to 1392 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 60W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,033 points. Launch price was $109.

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 scores 5,033 versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 14,114 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 180.4%. The GeForce GTX 1050 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 2060 uses Turing, both on 14 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 1050) vs 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060). Raw compute: 1.862 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1050) vs 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060). Boost clocks: 1392 MHz vs 1680 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050GeForce RTX 2060
G3D Mark Score
5,033
14,114+180%
Architecture
Pascal
Turing
Process Node
14 nm
12 nm
Shading Units
640
1920+200%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.862 TFLOPS
6.451 TFLOPS+246%
Boost Clock
1392 MHz
1680 MHz+21%
ROPs
32
48+50%
TMUs
40
120+200%
L1 Cache
0.23 MB
1.9 MB+726%
L2 Cache
1 MB
3 MB+200%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050GeForce 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 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 2060 carries 6 GB. GeForce RTX 2060 gives you 200% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 112 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1050) vs 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060) — a 200% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 1050 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1050) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050GeForce RTX 2060
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
6 GB+200%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
112 GB/s
336 GB/s+200%
Bus Width
128-bit
192-bit+50%
L2 Cache
1 MB
3 MB+200%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1050) 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 1050GeForce 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 (6th Gen) (GeForce GTX 1050) vs NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060). Decoder: NVDEC (3rd Gen) vs NVDEC (Turing). Supported codecs: HEVC,H.264,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1050) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050GeForce RTX 2060
Encoder
NVENC (6th Gen)
NVENC (Turing)
Decoder
NVDEC (3rd Gen)
NVDEC (Turing)
Codecs
HEVC,H.264,VP9
H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1050 draws 60W versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 160W — a 90.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 1050 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1050) 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 C vs 72.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050GeForce RTX 2060
TDP
60W-63%
160W
Recommended PSU
300W-40%
500W
Power Connector
None
8-pin
Length
145mm
229mm
Height
111mm
113mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
65 C-10%
72
Perf/Watt
83.9
88.2+5%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1050 came in at $110, while the GeForce RTX 2060 launched at $349. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1050 was 68.5% cheaper ($239 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 45.8 (GeForce GTX 1050) vs 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce GTX 1050 offers 13.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 2060 (2019 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1050GeForce RTX 2060
MSRP
$110-68%
$349
Performance per Dollar
45.8+13%
40.4
Codename
GP107
TU106
Release
October 25 2016
January 7 2019
Ranking
#443
#168

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