GeForce RTX 2060 vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2060

2019Core: 1365 MHzBoost: 1680 MHz
RTX family
·······
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024Core: 1042 MHzBoost: 1470 MHz
RTX family
·······

GeForce RTX 2060 vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB 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 vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB 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 3050 6GB: 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

  • 35.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 233.3% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (240 vs 72).

Trade-offs

  • GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
  • 106.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $349 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 40.4 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).
  • 128.6% higher power demand at 160W vs 70W.
  • 43.1% longer card at 229mm vs 160mm.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

  • Costs $180 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
  • Delivers 57.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 70W instead of 160W, a 90W reduction.
  • Measures 160mm instead of 229mm, a 69mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (72 vs 240), which can reduce FPS gains in supported 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 35.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 31.3% in PassMark G3D (14,114 vs 10,749), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 8nm process instead of 12nm and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2019. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB makes the most sense to buy today. It is $180 cheaper on MSRP at $169 vs $349, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 57.3% (63.6 vs 40.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GeForce RTX 2060 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce RTX 2060 vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 2 2024. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1042 MHz to 1470 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 18 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,749 points. Launch price was $179.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 2060 scores 14,114 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 10,749 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 31.3%. The GeForce RTX 2060 is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Raw compute: 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Boost clocks: 1680 MHz vs 1470 MHz. Ray tracing: 30 RT cores (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 18 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) with 240 Tensor cores vs 72.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
G3D Mark Score
14,114+31%
10,749
Architecture
Turing
Ampere
Process Node
12 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
1920
2304+20%
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.451 TFLOPS
6.774 TFLOPS+5%
Boost Clock
1680 MHz+14%
1470 MHz
ROPs
48+50%
32
TMUs
120+67%
72
L1 Cache
1.9 MB
2.3 MB+21%
L2 Cache
3 MB+50%
2 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
30+67%
18
Tensor Cores
240+233%
72

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
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)

Both cards ship with 6 GB of GDDR6. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 168 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — a 100% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060 and 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
6 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
336 GB/s+100%
168 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit+100%
96-bit
L2 Cache
3 MB+50%
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
DirectX
12 Ultimate (12_2)
12 Ultimate
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 (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Decoder: NVDEC (Turing) vs NVDEC (7th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
Encoder
NVENC (Turing)
NVENC (5th Gen)
Decoder
NVDEC (Turing)
NVDEC (7th Gen)
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2060 draws 160W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 70W — a 78.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Power connectors: 8-pin vs None. Card length: 229mm vs 160mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 72 vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
TDP
160W
70W-56%
Recommended PSU
500W
300W-40%
Power Connector
8-pin
None
Length
229mm
160mm
Height
113mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
72-4%
75°C
Perf/Watt
88.2
153.6+74%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 2060 came in at $349, while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB launched at $169. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB was 51.6% cheaper ($180 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 57.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2019).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
MSRP
$349
$169-52%
Performance per Dollar
40.4
63.6+57%
Codename
TU106
GA107
Release
January 7 2019
February 2 2024
Ranking
#168
#252

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