GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB vs GeForce RTX 2060

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB

2016Core: 1506 MHzBoost: 1709 MHz
GTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2060

2019Core: 1365 MHzBoost: 1680 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB 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 1060 6 GB 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 1060 6 GB 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 1060 6 GB

2016

Why buy it

  • Costs $100 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
  • Draws 120W instead of 160W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2016 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

  • 26.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • Better long-term bet: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Measures 229mm instead of 250mm, a 21mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 33.3% higher power demand at 160W vs 120W.

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 26.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 40.3% in PassMark G3D (14,114 vs 10,063), 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: the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 12nm process instead of 16nm, 30 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2016. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
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 0.1% (40.4 vs 40.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB vs GeForce RTX 2060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB

The GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 19 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1506 MHz to 1709 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,063 points. Launch price was $299.

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 1060 6 GB scores 10,063 versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 14,114 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 40.3%. The GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 2060 uses Turing, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB) vs 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060). Raw compute: 4.375 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB) vs 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060). Boost clocks: 1709 MHz vs 1680 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 6 GBGeForce RTX 2060
G3D Mark Score
10,063
14,114+40%
Architecture
Pascal
Turing
Process Node
16 nm
12 nm
Shading Units
1280
1920+50%
Compute (TFLOPS)
4.375 TFLOPS
6.451 TFLOPS+47%
Boost Clock
1709 MHz+2%
1680 MHz
ROPs
48
48
TMUs
80
120+50%
L1 Cache
0.47 MB
1.9 MB+304%
L2 Cache
1.5 MB
3 MB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 6 GBGeForce 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 1060 6 GB has 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 2060 carries 6 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB) vs 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060) — a 75% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 6 GBGeForce RTX 2060
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+33%
6 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
336 GB/s+75%
Bus Width
192-bit
192-bit
L2 Cache
1.5 MB
3 MB+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 6 GBGeForce RTX 2060
DirectX
12 (FL 12_1)
12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 4th gen (GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB) vs NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060). Decoder: PureVideo VP7 vs NVDEC (Turing). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 6 GBGeForce RTX 2060
Encoder
NVENC 4th gen
NVENC (Turing)
Decoder
PureVideo VP7
NVDEC (Turing)
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB draws 120W versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 160W — a 28.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 2060). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 250mm vs 229mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 72.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 6 GBGeForce RTX 2060
TDP
120W-25%
160W
Recommended PSU
400W-20%
500W
Power Connector
6-pin
8-pin
Length
250mm
229mm
Height
111mm
113mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
70°C-3%
72
Perf/Watt
83.9
88.2+5%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB came in at $249, while the GeForce RTX 2060 launched at $349. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB was 28.7% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB) vs 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce RTX 2060 offers 0% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 2060 (2019 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1060 6 GBGeForce RTX 2060
MSRP
$249-29%
$349
Performance per Dollar
40.4
40.4
Codename
GP106
TU106
Release
July 19 2016
January 7 2019
Ranking
#255
#168

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