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 3080 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 3080: 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

✅Costs $350 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Delivers 12.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 35.9 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Draws 160W instead of 320W, a 160W reduction.
✅Measures 229mm instead of 285mm, a 56mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3080 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 10 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (240 vs 272), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌GeForce RTX 3080 is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.

GeForce RTX 3080

2020

Why buy it

✅66.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅13.3% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (272 vs 240).
✅66.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (10 GB vs 6 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌
100.3% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$349 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 35.9 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 320W vs 160W.
❌24.5% longer card at 285mm vs 229mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 3080 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 66.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 77.6% in PassMark G3D (25,071 vs 14,114), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3080 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 10 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, a 8nm process instead of 12nm, 68 vs 30 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2019. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 2060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $350 cheaper on MSRP at $349 vs $699, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 12.8% (40.4 vs 35.9), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and lighter 1440p, GeForce RTX 2060 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and strong 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 3080 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 2060 vs GeForce RTX 3080 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 3080

The GeForce RTX 3080 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1440 MHz to 1710 MHz. It has 8704 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 320W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 68 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 25,071 points. Launch price was $699.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 2060 scores 14,114 versus the GeForce RTX 3080's 25,071 — the GeForce RTX 3080 leads by 77.6%. The GeForce RTX 2060 is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3080 uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 8,704 (GeForce RTX 3080). Raw compute: 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 29.77 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3080). Boost clocks: 1680 MHz vs 1710 MHz. Ray tracing: 30 RT cores (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 68 (GeForce RTX 3080) with 240 Tensor cores vs 272.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 3080
G3D Mark Score	14,114	25,071+78%
Architecture	Turing	Ampere
Process Node	12 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1920	8704+353%
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.451 TFLOPS	29.77 TFLOPS+361%
Boost Clock	1680 MHz	1710 MHz+2%
ROPs	48	96+100%
TMUs	120	272+127%
L1 Cache	1.9 MB	8.5 MB+347%
L2 Cache	3 MB	5 MB+67%
Ray Tracing Cores	30	68+127%
Tensor Cores	240	272+13%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 3080
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 3080 carries 10 GB. GeForce RTX 3080 gives you 66.7% 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 760 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3080) — a 126.2% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3080. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060 and 320-bit on the GeForce RTX 3080. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 5 MB (GeForce RTX 3080) — the GeForce RTX 3080 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 3080
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	10 GB+67%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s	760 GB/s+126%
Bus Width	192-bit	320-bit+67%
L2 Cache	3 MB	5 MB+67%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3080). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 3080
DirectX	12 Ultimate (12_2)	12 Ultimate (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 (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3080). Decoder: NVDEC (Turing) vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3080).

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 3080
Encoder	NVENC (Turing)	NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder	NVDEC (Turing)	NVDEC (Ampere)
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 3080's 320W — a 66.7% difference. The GeForce RTX 2060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 750W (GeForce RTX 3080). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 285mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 72 vs 75.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 3080
TDP	160W-50%	320W
Recommended PSU	500W-33%	750W
Power Connector	8-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	229mm	285mm
Height	113mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	72-4%	75
Perf/Watt	88.2+13%	78.3

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 2060 came in at $349, while the GeForce RTX 3080 launched at $699. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 2060 was 50.1% cheaper ($350 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 35.9 (GeForce RTX 3080) — the GeForce RTX 2060 offers 12.5% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3080 (2020 vs 2019).

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 3080
MSRP	$349-50%	$699
Performance per Dollar	40.4+13%	35.9
Codename	TU106	GA102
Release	January 7 2019	September 1 2020
Ranking	#168	#41

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