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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce RTX 2060 12GB

2021

Why buy it

✅142.9% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (272 vs 112).
✅Measures 229mm instead of 242mm, a 13mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 3060 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌
42.9% HIGHER MSRP
$470 MSRPvs$329 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 33.9 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($470 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $141 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $470 MSRP).
✅Delivers 52.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 33.9 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $470 MSRP).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (112 vs 272), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.

GeForce RTX 2060 12GB

2021

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅142.9% more Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation, which can increase overall FPS in supported games (272 vs 112).
✅Measures 229mm instead of 242mm, a 13mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅Costs $141 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $470 MSRP).
✅Delivers 52.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 33.9 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $470 MSRP).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Weaker long-term outlook: GeForce RTX 3060 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌
42.9% HIGHER MSRP
$470 MSRPvs$329 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 33.9 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($470 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer Tensor Cores for AI-powered features like DLSS and frame generation (112 vs 272), which can reduce FPS gains in supported games.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than GeForce RTX 2060 12GB?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 15,935 vs 16,995 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce RTX 3060 is the overall package: you are getting DLSS Super Resolution.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a 8nm process instead of 12nm. That makes it the safer long-run choice for modern games.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 3060 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $329 MSRP. GeForce RTX 3060 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce RTX 3060 is about $141 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $470 MSRP, and you are getting 6.7% higher G3D Mark. Moving to $329 MSRP gets you and DLSS Super Resolution.

Is GeForce RTX 2060 12GB still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce RTX 2060 12GB is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. Price is really the swing factor here. If you find it at or below $470 MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. GeForce RTX 3060 is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with DLSS Super Resolution.

Games Benchmarks

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 9800X3D 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.

GeForce RTX 2060 12GB Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	155 FPS	149 FPS
medium	137 FPS	131 FPS
high	124 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	105 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	132 FPS	126 FPS
medium	107 FPS	104 FPS
high	95 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	75 FPS	67 FPS
medium	64 FPS	58 FPS
high	49 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 12GB Open GeForce RTX 3060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	317 FPS	354 FPS
medium	269 FPS	310 FPS
high	218 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	177 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	210 FPS	222 FPS
medium	180 FPS	196 FPS
high	146 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	111 FPS	110 FPS
medium	93 FPS	94 FPS
high	77 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	60 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 12GB Open GeForce RTX 3060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	717 FPS	765 FPS
medium	574 FPS	612 FPS
high	478 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	359 FPS	382 FPS
1440p
low	538 FPS	535 FPS
medium	430 FPS	432 FPS
high	359 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	269 FPS	287 FPS
4K
low	359 FPS	367 FPS
medium	287 FPS	298 FPS
high	239 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	176 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 12GB Open GeForce RTX 3060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060
1080p
low	432 FPS	523 FPS
medium	366 FPS	452 FPS
high	296 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	255 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	428 FPS
medium	308 FPS	371 FPS
high	239 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	198 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	205 FPS	279 FPS
medium	169 FPS	259 FPS
high	157 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	122 FPS	186 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 2060 12GB Open GeForce RTX 3060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 2060 12GB and GeForce RTX 3060

GeForce RTX 2060 12GB

The GeForce RTX 2060 12GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 7 2021. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1470 MHz to 1650 MHz. It has 2176 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 184W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 34 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 15,935 points.

GeForce RTX 3060

The GeForce RTX 3060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,995 points. Launch price was $329.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB scores 15,935 versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 16,995 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 6.7%. The GeForce RTX 2060 12GB is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 3060 uses Ampere, both on 12 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,176 (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060). Raw compute: 7.181 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) vs 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060). Boost clocks: 1650 MHz vs 1777 MHz. Ray tracing: 34 RT cores (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) vs 28 (GeForce RTX 3060) with 272 Tensor cores vs 112.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060
G3D Mark Score	15,935	16,995+7%
Architecture	Turing	Ampere
Process Node	12 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2176	3584+65%
Compute (TFLOPS)	7.181 TFLOPS	12.74 TFLOPS+77%
Boost Clock	1650 MHz	1777 MHz+8%
ROPs	48	48
TMUs	136+21%	112
L1 Cache	2.1 MB	3.5 MB+67%
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB
Ray Tracing Cores	34+21%	28
Tensor Cores	272+143%	112

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060
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 feature 12 GB of GDDR6. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) vs 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) — a 7.1% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 192-bit.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060
VRAM Capacity	12 GB	12 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s	360 GB/s+7%
Bus Width	192-bit	192-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 6.0 (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP9 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) vs AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060).

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060
Encoder	NVENC 6.0	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP9	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2060 12GB draws 184W versus the GeForce RTX 3060's 170W — a 7.9% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 3060). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 88°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060 12GB	GeForce RTX 3060
TDP	184W	170W-8%
Recommended PSU	550W	550W
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	229mm	242mm
Height	113mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	88°C	75-15%
Perf/Watt	86.6	100.0+15%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 2060 12GB launched at $470 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329. The GeForce RTX 3060 costs 30% less ($141 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 33.9 (GeForce RTX 2060 12GB) vs 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 52.5% better value.