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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $350 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Delivers 51.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 26.7 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Draws 160W instead of 215W, a 55W reduction.
✅Measures 229mm instead of 267mm, a 38mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2080 across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (240 vs 368), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.

GeForce RTX 2080

2018

Why buy it

✅29.5% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅53.3% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (368 vs 240).
✅31.8% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

❌
100.3% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$349 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
❌34.4% higher power demand at 215W vs 160W.
❌16.6% longer card at 267mm vs 229mm.

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

GeForce RTX 2080

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $350 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Delivers 51.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 26.7 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Draws 160W instead of 215W, a 55W reduction.
✅Measures 229mm instead of 267mm, a 38mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅29.5% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅53.3% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (368 vs 240).
✅31.8% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2080 across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (240 vs 368), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.

Trade-offs

❌
100.3% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$349 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
❌34.4% higher power demand at 215W vs 160W.
❌16.6% longer card at 267mm vs 229mm.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 2080 better than GeForce RTX 2060?

Yes. GeForce RTX 2080 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 29.5% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data, 32.3% higher PassMark G3D performance, 368 vs 240 Tensor cores, and 8 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM. It also comes from 2018 instead of 2019, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 2060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2019 generation instead of 2018. That makes it the safer long-run choice for modern games.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 2080 is about 100.3% more expensive on MSRP at $699 MSRP versus $349 MSRP, and you are getting 29.5% more estimated average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data and 32.3% higher G3D Mark. GeForce RTX 2060 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium. If you are comfortable paying the premium for the stronger gaming result, GeForce RTX 2080 is the one to buy. If staying closer to budget matters more, GeForce RTX 2060 still makes more sense on price alone and remains capable enough for modern gaming.

When does GeForce RTX 2060 make more sense than GeForce RTX 2080?

Yes. GeForce RTX 2060 is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (160W vs 215W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $349 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce RTX 2080. The trade-off is that GeForce RTX 2080 currently gives you 32.3% higher G3D Mark and 29.5% more estimated average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data. GeForce RTX 2060 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce RTX 2060 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 2080 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 2080
1080p
low	108 FPS	159 FPS
medium	98 FPS	141 FPS
high	82 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	95 FPS	135 FPS
medium	83 FPS	109 FPS
high	69 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	47 FPS	80 FPS
medium	43 FPS	68 FPS
high	31 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	47 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 Open GeForce RTX 2080

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 2080
1080p
low	290 FPS	413 FPS
medium	247 FPS	347 FPS
high	197 FPS	282 FPS
ultra	155 FPS	242 FPS
1440p
low	192 FPS	262 FPS
medium	164 FPS	221 FPS
high	131 FPS	192 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	161 FPS
4K
low	108 FPS	126 FPS
medium	91 FPS	108 FPS
high	75 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	57 FPS	72 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 Open GeForce RTX 2080

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 2080
1080p
low	635 FPS	783 FPS
medium	508 FPS	634 FPS
high	423 FPS	560 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	420 FPS
1440p
low	476 FPS	606 FPS
medium	381 FPS	492 FPS
high	318 FPS	420 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	315 FPS
4K
low	318 FPS	409 FPS
medium	254 FPS	331 FPS
high	212 FPS	277 FPS
ultra	159 FPS	210 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 Open GeForce RTX 2080

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 2080
1080p
low	428 FPS	529 FPS
medium	354 FPS	460 FPS
high	286 FPS	395 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	327 FPS
1440p
low	357 FPS	431 FPS
medium	302 FPS	376 FPS
high	235 FPS	307 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	253 FPS
4K
low	204 FPS	272 FPS
medium	166 FPS	257 FPS
high	154 FPS	224 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	185 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 Open GeForce RTX 2080

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 2060 and GeForce RTX 2080

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.

GeForce RTX 2080

The GeForce RTX 2080 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 20 2018. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1515 MHz to 1710 MHz. It has 2944 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 215W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 18,676 points. Launch price was $699.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 2060 scores 14,114 versus the GeForce RTX 2080's 18,676 — the GeForce RTX 2080 leads by 32.3%. The GeForce RTX 2060 is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 2080 uses Turing, both on a 12 nm process. Shader units: 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 2,944 (GeForce RTX 2080). Raw compute: 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 10.07 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2080). Boost clocks: 1680 MHz vs 1710 MHz. Ray tracing: 30 RT cores (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 46 (GeForce RTX 2080) with 240 Tensor cores vs 368.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 2080
G3D Mark Score	14,114	18,676+32%
Architecture	Turing	Turing
Process Node	12 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	1920	2944+53%
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.451 TFLOPS	10.07 TFLOPS+56%
Boost Clock	1680 MHz	1710 MHz+2%
ROPs	48	64+33%
TMUs	120	184+53%
L1 Cache	1.9 MB	2.9 MB+53%
L2 Cache	3 MB	4 MB+33%
Ray Tracing Cores	30	46+53%
Tensor Cores	240	368+53%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 2080
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 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 2080 has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 2080 offers 31.8% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2080) — a 33.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2080. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 2080) — the GeForce RTX 2080 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 2080
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	7.906 GB+32%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s	448 GB/s+33%
Bus Width	192-bit	256-bit+33%
L2 Cache	3 MB	4 MB+33%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 12.1 (GeForce RTX 2080). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 2080
DirectX	12 Ultimate (12_2)	12.1
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 6th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 2080). Decoder: NVDEC (Turing) vs 4th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce RTX 2080).

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 2080
Encoder	NVENC (Turing)	6th Gen NVENC
Decoder	NVDEC (Turing)	4th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2060 draws 160W versus the GeForce RTX 2080's 215W — a 29.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 2060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 2080). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 72 vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 2080
TDP	160W-26%	215W
Recommended PSU	500W-23%	650W
Power Connector	8-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	229mm	267mm
Height	113mm	116mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	72-10%	80°C
Perf/Watt	88.2+1%	86.9

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 2060 launched at $349 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 2080 launched at $699. The GeForce RTX 2060 costs 50.1% less ($350 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 26.7 (GeForce RTX 2080) — the GeForce RTX 2060 offers 51.3% better value. The GeForce RTX 2060 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2018).