GeForce RTX 2060 vs Radeon HD 7850

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2060

2019Core: 1365 MHzBoost: 1680 MHz
RTX family
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 7850

2012Boost: 1000 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 2060 vs Radeon HD 7850 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 Radeon HD 7850 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 Radeon HD 7850: 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

  • 172.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 158.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 15.7 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $249 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

  • 23.1% higher power demand at 160W vs 130W.

Radeon HD 7850

2012

Why buy it

  • Costs $100 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
  • Draws 130W instead of 160W, a 30W reduction.
  • Measures 210mm instead of 229mm, a 19mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • 2012 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 15.7 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

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 172.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 262.2% in PassMark G3D (14,114 vs 3,897), so the answer here is pretty clean.
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, a 12nm process instead of 28nm, 30 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2012. 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 $100 more expensive on MSRP at $349 vs $249, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 158.4% (40.4 vs 15.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 2060 vs Radeon HD 7850 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.

AMD

Radeon HD 7850

The Radeon HD 7850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,897 points. Launch price was $249.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 2060 scores 14,114 versus the Radeon HD 7850's 3,897 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 262.2%. The GeForce RTX 2060 is built on Turing while the Radeon HD 7850 uses GCN 1.0, both on 12 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 1,024 (Radeon HD 7850). Raw compute: 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7850). Boost clocks: 1680 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon HD 7850
G3D Mark Score
14,114+262%
3,897
Architecture
Turing
GCN 1.0
Process Node
12 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1920+88%
1024
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.451 TFLOPS+266%
1.761 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1680 MHz+68%
1000 MHz
ROPs
48+50%
32
TMUs
120+88%
64
L1 Cache
1.9 MB+660%
0.25 MB
L2 Cache
3 MB+500%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 7850 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon HD 7850
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 2060 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7850 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 bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 153.6 GB/s (Radeon HD 7850) — a 118.8% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060 and 256-bit on the Radeon HD 7850. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 7850) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon HD 7850
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+200%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
336 GB/s+119%
153.6 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit
256-bit+33%
L2 Cache
3 MB+500%
0.5 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 12 (Radeon HD 7850). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon HD 7850
DirectX
12 Ultimate (12_2)
12
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7850). Decoder: NVDEC (Turing) vs UVD 3.1. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs H.264 (Radeon HD 7850).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon HD 7850
Encoder
NVENC (Turing)
VCE 1.0
Decoder
NVDEC (Turing)
UVD 3.1
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1
H.264
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2060 draws 160W versus the Radeon HD 7850's 130W — a 20.7% difference. The Radeon HD 7850 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 500W (Radeon HD 7850). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 210mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon HD 7850
TDP
160W
130W-19%
Recommended PSU
500W
500W
Power Connector
8-pin
1x 6-pin
Length
229mm
210mm
Height
113mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
72
Perf/Watt
88.2+194%
30.0
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 2060 came in at $349, while the Radeon HD 7850 launched at $249. On MSRP, Radeon HD 7850 was 28.7% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 15.7 (Radeon HD 7850) — the GeForce RTX 2060 offers 157.3% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 2060 (2019 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon HD 7850
MSRP
$349
$249-29%
Performance per Dollar
40.4+157%
15.7
Codename
TU106
Pitcairn
Release
January 7 2019
March 5 2012
Ranking
#168
#503

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