Radeon RX 480 vs GeForce RTX 2060
Radeon RX 480
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GeForce RTX 2060
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The GeForce RTX 2060 uses modern memory architecture. The GeForce RTX 2060 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon RX 480 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce RTX 2060 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 65.2% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon RX 480 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | Radeon RX 480 | GeForce RTX 2060 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-65.2%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+65.2%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2016 / GCN 4.0 (2016−2020)) | Turing (2018−2022) (12nm) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | ✨ DLSS 2 Upscaling |
| VRAM | ✅ More VRAM (+33.3%) | 🎮 High Capacity (6 GB) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon RX 480 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $55 versus $120 for the GeForce RTX 2060, it costs 54% less. While it maintains lower overall performance, this results in a 32.1% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon RX 480 | GeForce RTX 2060 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+32.1%) | ❌Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅More affordable ($55) | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($120) |
Performance Check
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 7800X3D 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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Radeon RX 480 and GeForce RTX 2060
Radeon RX 480
The Radeon RX 480 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 29 2016. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1120 MHz to 1266 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,546 points. Launch price was $229.
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.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the Radeon RX 480 scores 8,546 versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 14,114 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 65.2%. The Radeon RX 480 is built on GCN 4.0 while the GeForce RTX 2060 uses Turing, both on 14 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (Radeon RX 480) vs 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060). Raw compute: 5.834 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 480) vs 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060). Boost clocks: 1266 MHz vs 1680 MHz.
| Feature | Radeon RX 480 | GeForce RTX 2060 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 8,546 | 14,114+65% |
| Architecture | GCN 4.0 | Turing |
| Process Node | 14 nm | 12 nm |
| Shading Units | 2304+20% | 1920 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 5.834 TFLOPS | 6.451 TFLOPS+11% |
| Boost Clock | 1266 MHz | 1680 MHz+33% |
| ROPs | 32 | 48+50% |
| TMUs | 144+20% | 120 |
| L1 Cache | 0.56 MB | 1.9 MB+239% |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB | 3 MB+50% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon RX 480 | GeForce RTX 2060 |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | DLSS 2.0 |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | FSR 3 / AFMF (Compatible) |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | AMD Anti-Lag | NVIDIA Reflex |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Radeon RX 480 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 2060 has 6 GB. The Radeon RX 480 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 480) vs 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060) — a 31.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060. Bus width: 256-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (Radeon RX 480) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon RX 480 | GeForce RTX 2060 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 8 GB+33% | 6 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 256 GB/s | 336 GB/s+31% |
| Bus Width | 256-bit+33% | 192-bit |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB | 3 MB+50% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon RX 480) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.
| Feature | Radeon RX 480 | GeForce RTX 2060 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12.0 | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |
| Vulkan | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 4 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 480) vs NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060). Decoder: UVD 6.3 vs NVDEC (Turing). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX 480) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060).
| Feature | Radeon RX 480 | GeForce RTX 2060 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | VCE 3.4 | NVENC (Turing) |
| Decoder | UVD 6.3 | NVDEC (Turing) |
| Codecs | MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC | H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon RX 480 draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 160W — a 6.5% difference. The Radeon RX 480 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon RX 480) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 2060). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 240mm vs 229mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 72.
| Feature | Radeon RX 480 | GeForce RTX 2060 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 150W-6% | 160W |
| Recommended PSU | 500W | 500W |
| Power Connector | 8-pin | 8-pin |
| Length | 240mm | 229mm |
| Height | 95mm | 113mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 85°C | 72-15% |
| Perf/Watt | 57.0 | 88.2+55% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon RX 480 launched at $229 MSRP and currently averages $55, while the GeForce RTX 2060 launched at $349 and now averages $120. The Radeon RX 480 costs 54.2% less ($65 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 155.4 (Radeon RX 480) vs 117.6 (GeForce RTX 2060) — the Radeon RX 480 offers 32.1% better value. The GeForce RTX 2060 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2016).
| Feature | Radeon RX 480 | GeForce RTX 2060 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $229-34% | $349 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $55-54% | $120 |
| Performance per Dollar | 155.4+32% | 117.6 |
| Codename | Ellesmere | TU106 |
| Release | June 29 2016 | January 7 2019 |
| Ranking | #305 | #168 |
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