GeForce RTX 2060 vs Maxwell GPU Surface Book

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2060

2019Core: 1365 MHzBoost: 1680 MHz
RTX family
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VS

Maxwell GPU Surface Book

2015Core: 954 MHzBoost: 993 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 2060 vs Maxwell GPU Surface Book 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 Maxwell GPU Surface Book: 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

  • +326.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Delivers 83.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 22.1 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 433.3% higher power demand at 160W vs 30W.

Maxwell GPU Surface Book

2015

Why buy it

  • Costs $199 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
  • Draws 30W instead of 160W, a 130W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,311 vs 14,114).
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 22.1 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 2060 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 326.3% in PassMark G3D (14,114 vs 3,311), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
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. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 12nm process instead of 28nm, and 30 vs 0 ray-tracing units. 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 $199 more expensive on MSRP at $349 vs $150, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 83.2% (40.4 vs 22.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 2060 vs Maxwell GPU Surface Book 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.

Maxwell GPU Surface Book

The Maxwell GPU Surface Book is manufactured by an unknown manufacturer. It was released in October 1 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 954 MHz to 993 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,311 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 2060 scores 14,114 versus the Maxwell GPU Surface Book's 3,311 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 326.3%. The GeForce RTX 2060 is built on Turing while the Maxwell GPU Surface Book uses Maxwell, both on 12 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 384 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book). Boost clocks: 1680 MHz vs 993 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Maxwell GPU Surface Book
G3D Mark Score
14,114+326%
3,311
Architecture
Turing
Maxwell
Process Node
12 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1920+400%
384
Boost Clock
1680 MHz+69%
993 MHz

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Maxwell GPU Surface Book
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 2060 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Maxwell GPU Surface Book carries 2 GB. GeForce RTX 2060 gives you 200% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060 and 128-bit on the Maxwell GPU Surface Book.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Maxwell GPU Surface Book
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+200%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
336 GB/s
Unknown
Bus Width
192-bit+50%
128-bit
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 12 (11_0) (Maxwell GPU Surface Book). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Maxwell GPU Surface Book
DirectX
12 Ultimate (12_2)
12 (11_0)
Vulkan
1.3+18%
1.1
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4+33%
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs None (Maxwell GPU Surface Book). Decoder: NVDEC (Turing) vs PureVideo VP6. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Maxwell GPU Surface Book
Encoder
NVENC (Turing)
None
Decoder
NVDEC (Turing)
PureVideo VP6
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2060 draws 160W versus the Maxwell GPU Surface Book's 30W — a 136.8% difference. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 350W (Maxwell GPU Surface Book). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 229mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 72 vs 85.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Maxwell GPU Surface Book
TDP
160W
30W-81%
Recommended PSU
500W
350W-30%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
229mm
0mm
Height
113mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
72-15%
85
Perf/Watt
88.2
110.4+25%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 2060 came in at $349, while the Maxwell GPU Surface Book launched at $150. On MSRP, Maxwell GPU Surface Book was 57% cheaper ($199 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 22.1 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book) — the GeForce RTX 2060 offers 82.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 2060 (2019 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Maxwell GPU Surface Book
MSRP
$349
$150-57%
Performance per Dollar
40.4+83%
22.1
Codename
TU106
Surface Book
Release
January 7 2019
October 1 2015
Ranking
#168
#779

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