GeForce RTX 2060 vs Radeon RX 580 2048SP

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2060

2019Core: 1365 MHzBoost: 1680 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon RX 580 2048SP

2018Core: 1168 MHzBoost: 1284 MHz

Popular choices:

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.

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

2019

Why buy it

  • +84.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Delivers 21.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 33.3 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • More future proof: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
  • Measures 229mm instead of 241mm, a 12mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).

Radeon RX 580 2048SP

2018

Why buy it

  • Costs $120 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • 166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (7,633 vs 14,114).
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 16 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 33.3 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 2060 better than Radeon RX 580 2048SP?
Yes. GeForce RTX 2060 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 84.9% higher PassMark G3D performance and DLSS 2 Super Resolution. It also comes from 2019 instead of 2018, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 2060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2019 generation instead of 2018, 84.9% more raw performance headroom, the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation, and a 12nm process instead of 14nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
GeForce RTX 2060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 2060 is about 52.4% more expensive on MSRP at $349 MSRP versus $229 MSRP, and you are getting 84.9% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 21.3%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is Radeon RX 580 2048SP still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. Radeon RX 580 2048SP is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $229 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 2060 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce RTX 2060Radeon RX 580 2048SP
1080p
low108 FPS196 FPS
medium98 FPS175 FPS
high82 FPS147 FPS
ultra69 FPS94 FPS
1440p
low95 FPS171 FPS
medium83 FPS149 FPS
high69 FPS106 FPS
ultra60 FPS67 FPS
4K
low47 FPS64 FPS
medium43 FPS58 FPS
high31 FPS39 FPS
ultra27 FPS34 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 2060Radeon RX 580 2048SP
1080p
low290 FPS154 FPS
medium247 FPS131 FPS
high197 FPS109 FPS
ultra155 FPS81 FPS
1440p
low192 FPS89 FPS
medium164 FPS69 FPS
high131 FPS53 FPS
ultra104 FPS41 FPS
4K
low108 FPS36 FPS
medium91 FPS27 FPS
high75 FPS22 FPS
ultra57 FPS17 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 2060Radeon RX 580 2048SP
1080p
low635 FPS343 FPS
medium508 FPS275 FPS
high423 FPS229 FPS
ultra318 FPS172 FPS
1440p
low476 FPS258 FPS
medium381 FPS206 FPS
high318 FPS172 FPS
ultra238 FPS129 FPS
4K
low318 FPS172 FPS
medium254 FPS137 FPS
high212 FPS114 FPS
ultra159 FPS86 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 2060Radeon RX 580 2048SP
1080p
low428 FPS271 FPS
medium354 FPS238 FPS
high286 FPS200 FPS
ultra244 FPS159 FPS
1440p
low357 FPS203 FPS
medium302 FPS181 FPS
high235 FPS147 FPS
ultra193 FPS114 FPS
4K
low204 FPS113 FPS
medium166 FPS92 FPS
high154 FPS76 FPS
ultra119 FPS58 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 2060 and Radeon RX 580 2048SP

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 RX 580 2048SP

The Radeon RX 580 2048SP is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 15 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1168 MHz to 1284 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,633 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 2060 scores 14,114 versus the Radeon RX 580 2048SP's 7,633 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 84.9%. The GeForce RTX 2060 is built on Turing while the Radeon RX 580 2048SP uses GCN 4.0, both on 12 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 2,048 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Raw compute: 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 5.259 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Boost clocks: 1680 MHz vs 1284 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon RX 580 2048SP
G3D Mark Score
14,114+85%
7,633
Architecture
Turing
GCN 4.0
Process Node
12 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
1920
2048+7%
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.451 TFLOPS+23%
5.259 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1680 MHz+31%
1284 MHz
ROPs
48+50%
32
TMUs
120
128+7%
L1 Cache
1.9 MB+280%
0.5 MB
L2 Cache
3 MB+50%
2 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 580 2048SP is support for FSR Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce RTX 2060 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 2060 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 580 2048SP relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon RX 580 2048SP
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 2060 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 580 2048SP has 16 GB. The Radeon RX 580 2048SP offers 166.7% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 580 2048SP) — a 50% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 580 2048SP) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon RX 580 2048SP
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
16 GB+167%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
336 GB/s+50%
224 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit
256-bit+33%
L2 Cache
3 MB+50%
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 12 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon RX 580 2048SP
DirectX
12 Ultimate (12_2)
12
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Decoder: NVDEC (Turing) vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon RX 580 2048SP
Encoder
NVENC (Turing)
VCE 3.4
Decoder
NVDEC (Turing)
UVD 6.3
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1
H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2060 draws 160W versus the Radeon RX 580 2048SP's 150W — a 6.5% difference. The Radeon RX 580 2048SP is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 450W (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 72 vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon RX 580 2048SP
TDP
160W
150W-6%
Recommended PSU
500W
450W-10%
Power Connector
8-pin
8-pin
Length
229mm
241mm
Height
113mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
72-4%
75°C
Perf/Watt
88.2+73%
50.9
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 2060 launched at $349 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 580 2048SP launched at $229. The Radeon RX 580 2048SP costs 34.4% less ($120 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 33.3 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP) — the GeForce RTX 2060 offers 21.3% better value. The GeForce RTX 2060 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2018).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon RX 580 2048SP
MSRP
$349
$229-34%
Performance per Dollar
40.4+21%
33.3
Codename
TU106
Polaris 20
Release
January 7 2019
October 15 2018
Ranking
#168
#334