GeForce RTX 2060 vs GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design

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 vs GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design 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 vs GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design: 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

2019

Why buy it

✅+10.6% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design across 50 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.
❌100% higher power demand at 160W vs 80W.

GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design

2019

Why buy it

✅2.9% more average FPS across 50 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).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
✅Draws 80W instead of 160W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (12,766 vs 14,114).
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 2.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce RTX 2060 instead at 14,114 vs 12,766, 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?

GeForce RTX 2060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

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 RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce RTX 2060 vs GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design Technical Specifications

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

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 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 29 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 735 MHz to 1095 MHz. It has 2944 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 80W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12,766 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 2060 scores 14,114 versus the GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design's 12,766 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 10.6%. The GeForce RTX 2060 is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design uses Turing, both on a 12 nm process. Shader units: 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 2,944 (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design). Raw compute: 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 6.447 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design). Boost clocks: 1680 MHz vs 1095 MHz. Ray tracing: 30 RT cores (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 46 (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) with 240 Tensor cores vs 368.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design
G3D Mark Score	14,114+11%	12,766
Architecture	Turing	Turing
Process Node	12 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	1920	2944+53%
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.451 TFLOPS	6.447 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1680 MHz+53%	1095 MHz
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 with Max-Q Design
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 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 2080 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: 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 384 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) — a 14.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060 and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design) — the GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	8 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s	384 GB/s+14%
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 (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design
DirectX	12 Ultimate (12_2)	12 (12_2)
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs NVENC 6 (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design). Decoder: NVDEC (Turing) vs NVDEC 4. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design).

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design
Encoder	NVENC (Turing)	NVENC 6
Decoder	NVDEC (Turing)	NVDEC 4
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2060 draws 160W versus the GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design's 80W — a 66.7% difference. The GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 0W (GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design). Power connectors: 8-pin vs None. Card length: 229mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 72 vs 80.