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 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 1080 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 1080 with Max-Q Design

2017

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

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

✅9.2% 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.

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 9.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 22% in PassMark G3D (14,114 vs 11,566), 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 1080 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 2060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce GTX 1080 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 1290 MHz to 1468 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,566 points.

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.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design scores 11,566 versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 14,114 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 22%. The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design is built on Pascal while the GeForce RTX 2060 uses Turing, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060). Raw compute: 7.516 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060). Boost clocks: 1468 MHz vs 1680 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 2060
G3D Mark Score	11,566	14,114+22%
Architecture	Pascal	Turing
Process Node	16 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	2560+33%	1920
Compute (TFLOPS)	7.516 TFLOPS+17%	6.451 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1468 MHz	1680 MHz+14%
ROPs	64+33%	48
TMUs	160+33%	120
L1 Cache	0.94 MB	1.9 MB+102%
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design has 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 2060 carries 6 GB. GeForce GTX 1080 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 1080 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 1080 with Max-Q Design and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 2060
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+33%	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5X	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 1080 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.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce 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 1080 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 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce 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

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 160W — a 6.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 1080 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: 80°C vs 72.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 2060
TDP	150W-6%	160W
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	8-pin
Length	0mm	229mm
Height	0mm	113mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	72-10%
Perf/Watt	77.1	88.2+14%

💰

Value Analysis

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

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce RTX 2060
MSRP	—	$349
Codename	GP104	TU106
Release	June 27 2017	January 7 2019
Ranking	#257	#168

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