GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 2060

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

2017Core: 1215 MHzBoost: 1379 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 1070 with Max-Q Design 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 1070 with Max-Q Design 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 1070 with Max-Q Design 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 1070 with Max-Q Design

2017

Why buy it

  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
  • Draws 115W instead of 160W, a 45W 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.
  • 2017 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

  • 24.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 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

  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 39.1% higher power demand at 160W vs 115W.

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 24.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 43.4% in PassMark G3D (14,114 vs 9,842), 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 2017. 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 2060 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce GTX 1070 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 1215 MHz to 1379 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,842 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 1070 with Max-Q Design scores 9,842 versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 14,114 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 43.4%. The GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 2060 uses Turing, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) vs 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060). Raw compute: 5.648 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) vs 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060). Boost clocks: 1379 MHz vs 1680 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 2060
G3D Mark Score
9,842
14,114+43%
Architecture
Pascal
Turing
Process Node
16 nm
12 nm
Shading Units
2048+7%
1920
Compute (TFLOPS)
5.648 TFLOPS
6.451 TFLOPS+14%
Boost Clock
1379 MHz
1680 MHz+22%
ROPs
64+33%
48
TMUs
128+7%
120
L1 Cache
0.75 MB
1.9 MB+153%
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 1070 with Max-Q Design is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce 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 1070 with Max-Q Design has 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 2060 carries 6 GB. GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 256 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) vs 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060) — a 31.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 2060
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+33%
6 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
256 GB/s
336 GB/s+31%
Bus Width
256-bit+33%
192-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
3 MB+50%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 2060
DirectX
12.1
12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan
1.1
1.3+18%
OpenGL
4.5
4.6+2%
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 4.0 (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) vs NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC (Turing). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 2060
Encoder
NVENC 4.0
NVENC (Turing)
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP6
NVDEC (Turing)
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design draws 115W versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 160W — a 32.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 2060). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 229mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 72.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 2060
TDP
115W-28%
160W
Recommended PSU
500W
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
8-pin
Length
0mm
229mm
Height
0mm
113mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
85°C
72-15%
Perf/Watt
85.6
88.2+3%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 2060 (2019 vs 2017).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 2060
MSRP
$349
Codename
GP104
TU106
Release
June 27 2017
January 7 2019
Ranking
#358
#168

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