GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design

2020Core: 975 MHzBoost: 1185 MHz
RTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024Core: 1042 MHzBoost: 1470 MHz
RTX family
·······

GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB 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 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB 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 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB: 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 with Max-Q Design

2020

Why buy it

  • 8.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 233.3% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (240 vs 72).

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (9,674 vs 10,749).
  • GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 63.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $169 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

  • +11.1% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (72 vs 240), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 8.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce RTX 3050 6GB instead at 10,749 vs 9,674, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 8nm process instead of 12nm and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2020. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 29 2020. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 975 MHz to 1185 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 30 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,674 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 2 2024. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1042 MHz to 1470 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 18 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,749 points. Launch price was $179.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design scores 9,674 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 10,749 — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB leads by 11.1%. The GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design) vs 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Raw compute: 4.55 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design) vs 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Boost clocks: 1185 MHz vs 1470 MHz. Ray tracing: 30 RT cores (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design) vs 18 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) with 240 Tensor cores vs 72.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
G3D Mark Score
9,674
10,749+11%
Architecture
Turing
Ampere
Process Node
12 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
1920
2304+20%
Compute (TFLOPS)
4.55 TFLOPS
6.774 TFLOPS+49%
Boost Clock
1185 MHz
1470 MHz+24%
ROPs
48+50%
32
TMUs
120+67%
72
L1 Cache
1.9 MB
2.3 MB+21%
L2 Cache
3 MB+50%
2 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
30+67%
18
Tensor Cores
240+233%
72

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
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)

Both cards ship with 6 GB of GDDR6. Memory bandwidth: 264 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design) vs 168 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — a 57.1% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design and 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design) vs 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — the GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
6 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
264 GB/s+57%
168 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit+100%
96-bit
L2 Cache
3 MB+50%
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
DirectX
12 Ultimate (12_2)
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design) vs NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Decoder: NVDEC (4th Gen) vs NVDEC (7th Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
Encoder
NVENC (Turing)
NVENC (5th Gen)
Decoder
NVDEC (4th Gen)
NVDEC (7th Gen)
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design draws 65W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 70W — a 7.4% difference. The GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design) vs 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs None. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
TDP
65W-7%
70W
Recommended PSU
500W
300W-40%
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
None
Length
160mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
75°C
Perf/Watt
148.8
153.6+3%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2020).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q DesignGeForce RTX 3050 6GB
MSRP
$169
Codename
TU106
GA107
Release
January 29 2020
February 2 2024
Ranking
#268
#252

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