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 1080 vs GeForce RTX 2060 12GB 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 1080 vs GeForce RTX 2060 12GB: 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 1080

2016

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2060 12GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2016 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
27.4% HIGHER MSRP
$599 MSRPvs$470 MSRP

GeForce RTX 2060 12GB

2021

Why buy it

✅7.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $129 less on MSRP ($470 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Delivers 30.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 33.9 vs 26.1 G3D/$ ($470 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 2060 12GB is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 7.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.1% in PassMark G3D (15,935 vs 15,609), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce RTX 2060 12GB is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 8 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 12nm process instead of 16nm, and 34 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 RTX 2060 12GB makes the most sense to buy today. It is $129 cheaper on MSRP at $470 vs $599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 30.1% (33.9 vs 26.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1080 vs GeForce RTX 2060 12GB Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 1080

The GeForce GTX 1080 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: 15,609 points. Launch price was $599.

GeForce RTX 2060 12GB

The GeForce RTX 2060 12GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 7 2021. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1470 MHz to 1650 MHz. It has 2176 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 184W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 34 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 15,935 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1080 scores 15,609 and the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB reaches 15,935 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1080 is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB uses Turing, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 2,176 (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB). Raw compute: 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 7.181 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB). Boost clocks: 1733 MHz vs 1650 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
G3D Mark Score	15,609	15,935+2%
Architecture	Pascal	Turing
Process Node	16 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	2560+18%	2176
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.873 TFLOPS+24%	7.181 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1733 MHz+5%	1650 MHz
ROPs	64+33%	48
TMUs	160+18%	136
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	2.1 MB+123%
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 12GB supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1080 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
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 1080 has 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB carries 12 GB. GeForce RTX 2060 12GB gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 320 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) — a 5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 1080 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) — the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	12 GB+50%
Memory Type	GDDR5X	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	320 GB/s	336 GB/s+5%
Bus Width	256-bit+33%	192-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 12.1 (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
DirectX	12.1	12.1
Vulkan	1.4+8%	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6th gen (GeForce GTX 1080) vs NVENC 6.0 (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB). Decoder: NVDEC 3rd gen vs PureVideo HD VP9. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
Encoder	NVENC 6th gen	NVENC 6.0
Decoder	NVDEC 3rd gen	PureVideo HD VP9
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1080 draws 180W versus the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB's 184W — a 2.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 1080 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 229mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 88°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
TDP	180W-2%	184W
Recommended PSU	500W-9%	550W
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	229mm
Height	111mm	113mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C-15%	88°C
Perf/Watt	86.7	86.6

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1080 came in at $599, while the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB launched at $470. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 2060 12GB was 21.5% cheaper ($129 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 26.1 (GeForce GTX 1080) vs 33.9 (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) — the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB offers 29.9% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 2060 12GB (2021 vs 2016).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
MSRP	$599	$470-22%
Performance per Dollar	26.1	33.9+30%
Codename	GP104	TU106
Release	May 27 2016	December 7 2021
Ranking	#137	#133

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