GeForce GTX 870M vs GeForce RTX 2060

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 870M 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 870M 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 870M

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 160W, a 60W 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.
❌2014 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

✅192.8% 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

❌60% higher power demand at 160W vs 100W.

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 192.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 299.2% in PassMark G3D (14,114 vs 3,536), 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 28nm, 30 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2014. 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 870M vs GeForce RTX 2060 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 870M

The GeForce GTX 870M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 12 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 941 MHz to 967 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,536 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 870M scores 3,536 versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 14,114 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 299.2%. The GeForce GTX 870M is built on Kepler while the GeForce RTX 2060 uses Turing, both on 28 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 1,344 (GeForce GTX 870M) vs 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060). Raw compute: 2.599 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 870M) vs 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060). Boost clocks: 967 MHz vs 1680 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 870M	GeForce RTX 2060
G3D Mark Score	3,536	14,114+299%
Architecture	Kepler	Turing
Process Node	28 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	1344	1920+43%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.599 TFLOPS	6.451 TFLOPS+148%
Boost Clock	967 MHz	1680 MHz+74%
ROPs	24	48+100%
TMUs	112	120+7%
L1 Cache	0.11 MB	1.9 MB+1627%
L2 Cache	0.38 MB	3 MB+689%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 870M is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 870M	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)

Both cards ship with 6 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 870M and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060. L2 Cache: 0.38 MB (GeForce GTX 870M) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 870M	GeForce RTX 2060
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	336 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	192-bit+50%
L2 Cache	0.38 MB	3 MB+689%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 870M) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 870M	GeForce RTX 2060
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan	1.2	1.3+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 1st Gen NVENC (Kepler) (GeForce GTX 870M) vs NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP5 vs NVDEC (Turing). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 870M) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 870M	GeForce RTX 2060
Encoder	1st Gen NVENC (Kepler)	NVENC (Turing)
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP5	NVDEC (Turing)
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 870M draws 100W versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 160W — a 46.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 870M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 870M) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 2060). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 72.

Feature	GeForce GTX 870M	GeForce RTX 2060
TDP	100W-38%	160W
Recommended PSU	350W-30%	500W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	8-pin
Length	—	229mm
Height	—	113mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	72-15%
Perf/Watt	35.4	88.2+149%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 2060 (2019 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce GTX 870M	GeForce RTX 2060
MSRP	—	$349
Codename	GK104	TU106
Release	March 12 2014	January 7 2019
Ranking	#538	#168

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