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 $1,150 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 128% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 17.7 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Draws 160W instead of 350W, a 190W reduction.
✅Measures 229mm instead of 312mm, a 83mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (14,114 vs 26,594).
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 24 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (240 vs 328), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 3090 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.

GeForce RTX 3090

2020

Why buy it

✅+88.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅36.7% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (328 vs 240).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌
329.5% HIGHER MSRP
$1,499 MSRPvs$349 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 17.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
❌118.8% higher power demand at 350W vs 160W.
❌36.2% longer card at 312mm vs 229mm.

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

GeForce RTX 3090

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,150 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 128% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 17.7 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Draws 160W instead of 350W, a 190W reduction.
✅Measures 229mm instead of 312mm, a 83mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅+88.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅36.7% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (328 vs 240).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (14,114 vs 26,594).
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 24 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (240 vs 328), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 3090 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.

Trade-offs

❌
329.5% HIGHER MSRP
$1,499 MSRPvs$349 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 17.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
❌118.8% higher power demand at 350W vs 160W.
❌36.2% longer card at 312mm vs 229mm.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3090 better than GeForce RTX 2060?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3090 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 26,594 vs 14,114 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3090 is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce RTX 2060 is a 2019 model from an older generation with DLSS Super Resolution. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

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

GeForce RTX 3090 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2019, 88.4% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 24 GB instead of 6 GB, and 173.3% more ray-tracing hardware. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

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

GeForce RTX 3090 is about 329.5% more expensive on MSRP at $1,499 MSRP versus $349 MSRP, and you are getting 88.4% 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 3090 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.

Is GeForce RTX 2060 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce RTX 2060 is still a strong gaming GPU in 2026: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. This mostly comes down to price. If you want to stay closer to $349 MSRP, it remains a strong choice; if you are comfortable paying more, GeForce RTX 3090 earns that extra money with a clearly stronger gaming result and a more complete overall package.

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 3090 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 3090
1080p
low	108 FPS	328 FPS
medium	98 FPS	313 FPS
high	82 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	203 FPS
1440p
low	95 FPS	313 FPS
medium	83 FPS	262 FPS
high	69 FPS	202 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	161 FPS
4K
low	47 FPS	181 FPS
medium	43 FPS	149 FPS
high	31 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	94 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 Open GeForce RTX 3090

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 3090
1080p
low	290 FPS	702 FPS
medium	247 FPS	599 FPS
high	197 FPS	472 FPS
ultra	155 FPS	413 FPS
1440p
low	192 FPS	500 FPS
medium	164 FPS	420 FPS
high	131 FPS	331 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	276 FPS
4K
low	108 FPS	242 FPS
medium	91 FPS	201 FPS
high	75 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	57 FPS	141 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 Open GeForce RTX 3090

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 3090
1080p
low	635 FPS	999 FPS
medium	508 FPS	957 FPS
high	423 FPS	798 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	598 FPS
1440p
low	476 FPS	898 FPS
medium	381 FPS	718 FPS
high	318 FPS	598 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	449 FPS
4K
low	318 FPS	569 FPS
medium	254 FPS	479 FPS
high	212 FPS	399 FPS
ultra	159 FPS	299 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 Open GeForce RTX 3090

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 3090
1080p
low	428 FPS	904 FPS
medium	354 FPS	841 FPS
high	286 FPS	733 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	598 FPS
1440p
low	357 FPS	707 FPS
medium	302 FPS	658 FPS
high	235 FPS	570 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	449 FPS
4K
low	204 FPS	513 FPS
medium	166 FPS	479 FPS
high	154 FPS	399 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	299 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 Open GeForce RTX 3090

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 2060 and GeForce RTX 3090

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 3090

The GeForce RTX 3090 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1395 MHz to 1695 MHz. It has 10496 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 82 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,594 points. Launch price was $1,499.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 2060 scores 14,114 versus the GeForce RTX 3090's 26,594 — the GeForce RTX 3090 leads by 88.4%. The GeForce RTX 2060 is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3090 uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 10,496 (GeForce RTX 3090). Raw compute: 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 35.58 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3090). Boost clocks: 1680 MHz vs 1695 MHz. Ray tracing: 30 RT cores (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 82 (GeForce RTX 3090) with 240 Tensor cores vs 328.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 3090
G3D Mark Score	14,114	26,594+88%
Architecture	Turing	Ampere
Process Node	12 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1920	10496+447%
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.451 TFLOPS	35.58 TFLOPS+452%
Boost Clock	1680 MHz	1695 MHz
ROPs	48	112+133%
TMUs	120	328+173%
L1 Cache	1.9 MB	10.3 MB+442%
L2 Cache	3 MB	6 MB+100%
Ray Tracing Cores	30	82+173%
Tensor Cores	240	328+37%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 3090
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 3090 has 24 GB. The GeForce RTX 3090 offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 936 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3090) — a 178.6% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3090. Bus width: 192-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3090) — the GeForce RTX 3090 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 3090
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	24 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s	936 GB/s+179%
Bus Width	192-bit	384-bit+100%
L2 Cache	3 MB	6 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3090). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 3090
DirectX	12 Ultimate (12_2)	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.3	1.4+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3090). Decoder: NVDEC (Turing) vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3090).

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 3090
Encoder	NVENC (Turing)	NVENC 7th gen
Decoder	NVDEC (Turing)	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2060 draws 160W versus the GeForce RTX 3090's 350W — a 74.5% difference. The GeForce RTX 2060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 750W (GeForce RTX 3090). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 312mm, occupying 2 vs 3 slots. Typical load temperature: 72 vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	GeForce RTX 3090
TDP	160W-54%	350W
Recommended PSU	500W-33%	750W
Power Connector	8-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	229mm	312mm
Height	113mm	140mm
Slots	2-33%	3
Temp (Load)	72-15%	85°C
Perf/Watt	88.2+16%	76.0

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 2060 launched at $349 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3090 launched at $1499. The GeForce RTX 2060 costs 76.7% less ($1150 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 17.7 (GeForce RTX 3090) — the GeForce RTX 2060 offers 128.2% better value. The GeForce RTX 3090 is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2019).