GeForce RTX 2060 12GB vs RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2060 12GB

2021Core: 1470 MHzBoost: 1650 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

2023Core: 1395 MHzBoost: 2000 MHz

GeForce RTX 2060 12GB vs RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU 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 RTX 2060 12GB vs RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU 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 RTX 2060 12GB vs RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU: 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 RTX 2060 12GB

2021

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 33.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($470 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 88.9% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (272 vs 144).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
  • 60% higher power demand at 184W vs 115W.

RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

2023

Why buy it

  • 22.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 115W instead of 184W, a 69W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (144 vs 272), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 33.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $470 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 22.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce RTX 2060 12GB instead at 15,935 vs 15,848, 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?
RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 5nm process instead of 12nm, 36 vs 34 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2021. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 2060 12GB makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and lighter 1440p, GeForce RTX 2060 12GB is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and lighter 1440p headroom, RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 2060 12GB vs RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

NVIDIA

RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

The RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 21 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1395 MHz to 2000 MHz. It has 4608 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 36 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 15,848 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 2060 12GB scores 15,935 and the RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU reaches 15,848 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 2060 12GB is built on Turing while the RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU uses Ada Lovelace, both on 12 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,176 (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) vs 4,608 (RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 7.181 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) vs 15.62 TFLOPS (RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1650 MHz vs 2000 MHz. Ray tracing: 34 RT cores (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) vs 36 (RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU) with 272 Tensor cores vs 144.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060 12GBRTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score
15,935
15,848
Architecture
Turing
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
12 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
2176
4608+112%
Compute (TFLOPS)
7.181 TFLOPS
15.62 TFLOPS+118%
Boost Clock
1650 MHz
2000 MHz+21%
ROPs
48
48
TMUs
136
144+6%
L1 Cache
2.1 MB
4.5 MB+114%
L2 Cache
3 MB
32 MB+967%
Ray Tracing Cores
34
36+6%
Tensor Cores
272+89%
144

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060 12GBRTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
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 RTX 2060 12GB has 12 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU carries 8 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: 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) vs 256 GB/s (RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU) — a 31.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB and 128-bit on the RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) vs 32 MB (RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU) — the RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060 12GBRTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+50%
8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
336 GB/s+31%
256 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit+50%
128-bit
L2 Cache
3 MB
32 MB+967%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) vs 12.2 (RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060 12GBRTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
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 RTX 2060 12GB) vs 8th Gen NVENC (RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP9 vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060 12GBRTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
Encoder
NVENC 6.0
8th Gen NVENC
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP9
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2060 12GB draws 184W versus the RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU's 115W — a 46.2% difference. The RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) vs 650W (RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 229mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 88°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060 12GBRTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
TDP
184W
115W-38%
Recommended PSU
550W-15%
650W
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
229mm
0mm
Height
113mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
88°C
80°C-9%
Perf/Watt
86.6
137.8+59%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU (2023 vs 2021).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060 12GBRTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
MSRP
$470
Codename
TU106
AD106
Release
December 7 2021
March 21 2023
Ranking
#133
#134

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