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 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 2050 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 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 2050: 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 with Max-Q Design

2017

Why buy it

✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Draws 80W instead of 215W, a 135W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2050 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2017 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 51.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $150 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 2050

2018

Why buy it

✅30.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design is already legacy-tier future-proofing, so GeForce RTX 2050 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
❌168.8% higher power demand at 215W vs 80W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 2050 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 30.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design instead at 7,853 vs 7,714, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 2050 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, 46 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2017. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 2050 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 2050 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 27 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1063 MHz to 1480 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 80W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,853 points.

GeForce RTX 2050

The GeForce RTX 2050 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 20 2018. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1515 MHz to 1710 MHz. It has 2944 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 215W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,714 points. Launch price was $699.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design scores 7,853 and the GeForce RTX 2050 reaches 7,714 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 2050 uses Turing, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 2,944 (GeForce RTX 2050). Raw compute: 3.789 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 10.07 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2050). Boost clocks: 1480 MHz vs 1710 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 2050
G3D Mark Score	7,853+2%	7,714
Architecture	Pascal	Turing
Process Node	16 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	1280	2944+130%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.789 TFLOPS	10.07 TFLOPS+166%
Boost Clock	1480 MHz	1710 MHz+16%
ROPs	48	64+33%
TMUs	80	184+130%
L1 Cache	0.47 MB	2.9 MB+517%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	4 MB+167%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2050 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 2050
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 with Max-Q Design has 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 2050 carries 4 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 128 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 112 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2050) — a 14.3% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design and 64-bit on the GeForce RTX 2050. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 2050) — the GeForce RTX 2050 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 2050
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+50%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	128 GB/s+14%	112 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	4 MB+167%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 2050). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 2050
DirectX	12.1	12.2
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6.0 (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs NVENC 8.0 (GeForce RTX 2050). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP8 vs PureVideo HD VP11. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (GeForce RTX 2050).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 2050
Encoder	NVENC 6.0	NVENC 8.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP8	PureVideo HD VP11
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design draws 80W versus the GeForce RTX 2050's 215W — a 91.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design) vs 300W (GeForce RTX 2050). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 2050
TDP	80W-63%	215W
Recommended PSU	350W	300W-14%
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	6-pin
Length	0mm	0mm
Height	0mm	0mm
Slots	0	0
Perf/Watt	98.2+174%	35.9

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 2050 (2018 vs 2017).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 2050
MSRP	—	$150
Codename	GP106	TU104
Release	June 27 2017	September 20 2018
Ranking	#401	#94

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