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 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 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

2016

Why buy it

✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($249 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.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

✅10.6% 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.

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 10.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 40.2% in PassMark G3D (14,114 vs 10,064), 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 vs GeForce RTX 2060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 1060

The GeForce GTX 1060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 27 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1733 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,064 points. Launch price was $599.

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 scores 10,064 versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 14,114 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 40.2%. The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 2060 uses Turing, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1680 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2060
G3D Mark Score	10,064	14,114+40%
Architecture	Pascal	Turing
Process Node	16 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	2560+33%	1920
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+38%	6.451 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+3%	1680 MHz
ROPs	64+33%	48
TMUs	160+33%	120
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	1.9 MB+102%
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	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)

Both cards ship with 6 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) 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 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2060
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	336 GB/s+75%
Bus Width	192-bit	192-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2060
DirectX	12	12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060) vs NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060). Decoder: NVDEC (Pascal) vs NVDEC (Turing). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2060
Encoder	NVENC (Pascal)	NVENC (Turing)
Decoder	NVDEC (Pascal)	NVDEC (Turing)
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 160W — a 11.8% difference. The GeForce RTX 2060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 2060). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 173mm vs 229mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2060
TDP	180W	160W-11%
Recommended PSU	400W-20%	500W
Power Connector	6-pin	8-pin
Length	173mm	229mm
Height	111mm	113mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	72
Perf/Watt	55.9	88.2+58%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1060 came in at $249, while the GeForce RTX 2060 launched at $349. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1060 was 28.7% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) 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).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2060
MSRP	$249-29%	$349
Performance per Dollar	40.4	40.4
Codename	GP104	TU106
Release	May 27 2016	January 7 2019
Ranking	#137	#168

Search GeForce GTX 1060 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.