GeForce RTX 2060 vs Radeon Steam Deck 8CU

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2060

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

Radeon Steam Deck 8CU

2023Boost: 1900 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 2060 vs Radeon Steam Deck 8CU 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 Steam Deck 8CU 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 Steam Deck 8CU: 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

  • 143.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 433.3% higher power demand at 160W vs 30W.
  • 22800% longer card at 229mm vs 1mm.

Radeon Steam Deck 8CU

2023

Why buy it

  • Draws 30W instead of 160W, a 130W reduction.
  • Measures 1mm instead of 229mm, a 228mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
  • More future proof: RDNA 2 (2022−2023) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

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.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown 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 143.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 370.5% in PassMark G3D (14,114 vs 3,000), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020), a 6nm process instead of 12nm, and a newer 2023 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 2060 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and lighter 1440p, GeForce RTX 2060 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon Steam Deck 8CU has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 2060 vs Radeon Steam Deck 8CU 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 Steam Deck 8CU

The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 9 2023. It features the RDNA 2 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1900 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,000 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 2060 scores 14,114 versus the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU's 3,000 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 370.5%. The GeForce RTX 2060 is built on Turing while the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU uses RDNA 2, both on 12 nm vs 6 nm. Shader units: 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 512 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Boost clocks: 1680 MHz vs 1900 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
G3D Mark Score
14,114+370%
3,000
Architecture
Turing
RDNA 2
Process Node
12 nm
6 nm
Shading Units
1920+275%
512
Boost Clock
1680 MHz
1900 MHz+13%
L1 Cache
1.9 MB+280%
0.5 MB
L2 Cache
3 MB+200%
1 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
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 Steam Deck 8CU 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 64-bit on the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 1 MB (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+200%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Bus Width
192-bit+200%
64-bit
L2 Cache
3 MB+200%
1 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 12_0 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
DirectX
12 Ultimate (12_2)
12_0
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs VCN 3.0 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Decoder: NVDEC (Turing) vs VCN 3.0.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
Encoder
NVENC (Turing)
VCN 3.0
Decoder
NVDEC (Turing)
VCN 3.0
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2060 draws 160W versus the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU's 30W — a 136.8% difference. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 350W (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 229mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
TDP
160W
30W-81%
Recommended PSU
500W
350W-30%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
229mm
1mm
Height
113mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
72
Perf/Watt
88.2
100.0+13%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 2060 came in at $349, while the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon Steam Deck 8CU was 100+% cheaper ($349 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs Infinity (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) — the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Steam Deck 8CU (2023 vs 2019).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
MSRP
$349
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
40.4
Infinity
Codename
TU106
RDNA 2 Sephiroth
Release
January 7 2019
November 9 2023
Ranking
#168
#480

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