RTX 2060 vs 3060: Five Must-Know Facts
- While the RTX 2060 runs on PCI-e 3.0, the RTX 3060 supports PCI-e 4.0 for higher bandwidth.
- Both cards support DirectX-12 Ultimate and the latest OpenGL software.
- The RTX 2060 and the RTX 3060 both use the latest GDDR6 VRAM.
- Both have the full support of Nvidia DLSS and Ray Tracing and variable-rate shading.
- The RTX 2060 and 3060 are similarly priced mid-tier graphics cards.
Nvidia RTX 2060 vs 3060: Is it Worth the Upgrade?
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The Nvidia RTX 2060 vs 3060: which one is better? This is a question we have been seeing a lot, and in today’s article, we are going to answer it. With GPU prices on a downward trend lately, after being stuck in a long period of shortages and inflated prices, now looks like a great time to upgrade your graphics card.
If you have been considering an upgrade, you may be tempted by two of Nvidia’s finest GPUs: the RTX 2060 and the RTX 3060. One of them is certainly better than the other but by how much? Is it worth upgrading to an RTX 3060 if you already have an RTX 2060?
These are some common questions we are going to answer today. With a full side-by-side comparison of both graphics cards, we’ll dig into what makes each one special and which one is really better when it comes to performance. If you want to use your new GPU for gaming, streaming, or video editing, there is a lot of conflicting information out there on which graphics card is right for the job. With our help, you’ll be on your way to selecting the perfect graphics card in no time.
Nvidia RTX 2060 vs RTX 3060: Side-by-Side Comparison
As you might expect, both graphics cards have fairly similar specs, but the newer generation RTX 3060 brings with it some welcome upgrades. Have a look at the table below to get an idea of how each GPU’s specs stack up.
| RTX 2060 | RTX 3060 | |
|---|---|---|
| Graphics Processor: | TU106 | GA106 |
| Shader Cores: | 1920 | 3584 |
| TMUs: | 120 | 112 |
| ROPs: | 48 | 48 |
| VRAM Type: | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |
| VRAM Capacity: | 6 GB | 12 GB |
| Bus Width: | 192 bit | 192 bit |
| GPU Clock: | 1365 MHz | 1320 MHz |
| Boost Clock: | 1680 MHz | 1777 MHz |
| Memory Clock: | 1750 MHz | 1875 MHz |
| Texture Fill Rate: | 201 GTexel/s | 199 GTexel/s |
| Pixel Rate: | 80.64 GPixel/s | 85.3 GPixel/s |
| Double Floating-point Performance: | 201 GFLOPS | 199 GFLOPS |
- PCI Express graphics card interface
- 1470MHz GPU clock speed
- 8GB GDDR6 graphics RAM
- 2176 processors
- Boosts frame rates with uncompromised image quality using the dedicated AI processing Tensor Cores on GeForce RTX
- Low latency
- Fast responsiveness
- AI acceleration
- Backed by the NVIDIA Studio platform of dedicated drivers and exclusive tools
The specs show a slight improvement over the last generation. Interestingly enough, we can see that the theoretical performance is slightly lower when it comes to texture fill rate and double floating-point performance on the RTX 3060. But does this minor difference actually equate to any noticeable difference in real-world performance?
RTX 2060 vs 3060: What’s the Difference?
Nvidia released the RTX 2060 in January of 2019, and it was designed as a direct upgrade to the previous generation, the GTX 1060. The newer graphics card brought with it some impressive new features not found in the previous generation. Among them were hardware ray tracing abilities and variable-rate shading, as well as tensor cores for use in AI processing. Nvidia really made sure that the new RTX 2060 was a huge step up in every category.
When Nvidia released the RTX 3060 just over two years later, the long-awaited graphics card ended up disappointing some hardcore fans who expected a bigger upgrade. Although the new RTX 3060 features more VRAM and slightly faster clock speeds, it is not as big of an upgrade over the previous generation as the last model had been.
That’s not to say the RTX 3060 is a bad card. It still features a much higher shader core count and is based on the newer Ampere architecture. With the newer architecture, Nvidia is able to squeeze higher performance out of a very similar card. The fact that both the RTX 2060 and 3060 have similar capabilities when it comes to ray tracing and machine learning applications makes it difficult to really decide which one is the better value.
As far as price, Nvidia dashed the MSRP by a little bit compared to the previous generation. With the RTX 2060 launching with an MSRP of $349, the $329 price tag of the RTX 3060 was enticing. Due to the recent volatility in the GPU market, however, this MSRP has been unrealistic for the past couple of years. Only in the past few weeks have we seen the price of the RTX 3060 beginning to come back down towards its original MSRP.
If you already have an RTX 2060 in your current PC, this makes buying an RTX 3060 seem downright silly. With similar levels of performance, you may be wondering if it’s worth an upgrade at all?
Power Consumption, Size, and Connectivity
When selecting a graphics card, it is important to know the power requirements. With mid-tier GPUs such as the RTX 2060 vs 3060, you don’t have to worry about using a tremendous amount of power, as they are both energy efficient.
The RTX 2060 will draw up to 160 watts from your power supply, and you will need one 8-pin power connector to feed it. The RTX 3060, on the other hand, draws up to 170 watts under full load, and you will need two 6-pin power connectors to provide it with enough juice.
As far as the size and dimensions of the RTX 2060 vs 3060, you’ll need to make sure you have a roomy PC case. Both GPUs are on the larger side, with the RTX 2060 measuring about nine inches in length and the RTX 3060 coming in at about 9.5 inches.
The connectivity options provided by each card vary slightly. The RTX 2060 comes with a pleasing array of ports for connecting multiple monitors: one DVI, one HDMI 2.0, two DisplayPort 1.4a, and one USB Type-C. Although the RTX 3060 does not offer you quite as much variety, it makes up for it by offering newer technology. The RTX 3060 has one HDMI 2.1 port and three Display-Port 1.4a ports. No matter which graphics card you go with, either one will allow you to connect multiple high-resolution monitors in 1080p to 4K.
RTX 2060 vs RTX 3060: Which One Is Better For Gaming?
- Boosts frame rates with uncompromised image quality using the dedicated AI processing Tensor Cores on GeForce RTX
- Low latency
- Fast responsiveness
- AI acceleration
- Backed by the NVIDIA Studio platform of dedicated drivers and exclusive tools
When measuring performance, gaming benchmarks are one of the best ways to distinguish which graphics card is better. If you are planning on buying one of these GPUs, most likely you’re going to use it for gaming.
We’ve compiled benchmarks from across the web to find out how each card stacks up. To really push these GPUs to the limit, we ran benchmarks in full 4K resolution on high settings. Have a look at the table below to get a feel for the results.
| Game | RTX 2060 | RTX 3060 |
|---|---|---|
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 43+ FPS | 55+ FPS |
| Hitman 3 | 45+ FPS | 55+ FPS |
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 30+ FPS | 42+ FPS |
| Metro Exodus | 26+ FPS | 32+ FPS |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 24+ FPS | 55+ FPS |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 32+ FPS | 43+ FPS |
The RTX 3060 did much better on the benchmarks. Where the RTX 2060 really struggled, the RTX 3060 excelled.
If you are planning on playing games in 1080p resolution, then either one of these graphics cards will bring you more than satisfying performance, and might even be overkill. Where they really shine though, is when it comes to 4K gaming. This is where the RTX 3060 becomes the clear winner.
Which One Should You Choose?
- PCI Express graphics card interface
- 1470MHz GPU clock speed
- 8GB GDDR6 graphics RAM
- 2176 processors
If you are already the proud owner of an RTX 2060, it is probably not worth upgrading to an RTX 3060 just yet. Although the RTX 3060 does provide some clear improvements in performance and ranks slightly better on gaming benchmarks, for the price it just doesn’t seem worth it.
If you are upgrading from an older GPU such as the GTX 1060, then moving to the much newer RTX 3060 will provide you with a massive increase in performance. With the current trend in GPU prices, it makes sense to consider buying an RTX 3060 if you are looking to replace an older graphics card. However, both the RTX 2060 and 3060 will provide an enjoyable 4K gaming experience.
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The image featured at the top of this post is ©MZinchenko/Shutterstock.com.
