NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile Comparison
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER
GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
Analysis: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER occupy different ends of the GPU spectrum, yet their average benchmark scores are surprisingly close. The RTX 2060 SUPER holds a clear performance lead in the data, winning 7 of the 9 head-to-head comparisons, while the RTX 4050 Mobile only ties in two tests. However, the RTX 4050 Mobile achieves this with a drastically lower power draw and a much smaller die, making it the logical choice for thin-and-light laptops. The RTX 2060 SUPER, despite being an older design, is the stronger performer for desktop users who prioritize raw frame rates and have the power budget to support it.
The Verdict
From the benchmark data, the RTX 2060 SUPER is the faster GPU. Its average benchmark score of 18093 is lower than the RTX 4050 Mobile's 19049, but this average is skewed by the inclusion of legacy tests like Passmark DirectX 9 and DirectX 10. In the more relevant modern API tests and overall 3D rendering, the RTX 2060 SUPER consistently wins. Specifically, it leads by 12.4% in Passmark G3D, 11.5% in Passmark GPU Compute, and 2.9% in Geekbench OpenCL. The RTX 4050 Mobile's only wins are exact ties in Passmark DirectX 11 and DirectX 12, where both cards score 130 and 61 respectively. Therefore, the RTX 2060 SUPER is the pick for users who want maximum performance in DirectX 9, 10, and general compute workloads. The RTX 4050 Mobile is the pick for users who need a capable GPU that fits into an IGP form factor with a 50 W TDP, a stark contrast to the 2060 SUPER's 175 W TDP. The data shows the 2060 SUPER is the performance winner, while the 4050 Mobile is the efficiency and portability winner.
Architecture Differences
The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and manufacturing processes. The RTX 4050 Mobile uses the Ada Lovelace architecture on a 5 nm process node from TSMC, featuring the AD107 chip. This chip packs 18,900 million transistors into a 159 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 118.9M / mm². In contrast, the RTX 2060 SUPER uses the older Turing architecture on a 12 nm process node from TSMC, featuring the TU106 chip. This chip has 10,800 million transistors spread across a much larger 445 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of only 24.3M / mm². The RTX 4050 Mobile's newer process allows for a significantly more compact and power-efficient design.
The core configurations differ substantially as well. The RTX 4050 Mobile has 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, along with 20 ray tracing cores and 80 tensor cores. The RTX 2060 SUPER has fewer shading units at 2176, but more TMUs at 136 and more ROPs at 64. It also has more ray tracing cores at 34 and significantly more tensor cores at 272. This suggests the 2060 SUPER is configured for higher throughput in texture-heavy and parallel compute tasks, while the 4050 Mobile relies on its architectural efficiency to achieve competitive performance with fewer resources. The FP32 throughput figures reflect this, with the 4050 Mobile hitting 8.986 TFLOPS versus the 2060 SUPER's 7.181 TFLOPS, a 25% advantage for the newer card in raw floating-point math.
Head-to-Head Benchmarks
The performance gap is most pronounced in legacy and 2D workloads. In Passmark DirectX 10, the RTX 2060 SUPER scores 111 against the RTX 4050 Mobile's 79, a massive 28.8% delta. Similarly, in Passmark DirectX 9, the 2060 SUPER leads with 218 points versus 184, a 15.6% advantage. The 2060 SUPER also dominates in 2D rendering, scoring 854 in Passmark G2D compared to the 4050 Mobile's 633, a 25.9% lead. These results indicate that the older Turing architecture retains a strong advantage in older API and 2D rasterization workloads.
In modern 3D and compute tests, the delta narrows but still favors the 2060 SUPER. In Passmark G3D, the 2060 SUPER scores 16462 against the 4050 Mobile's 14423, a 12.4% lead. In Passmark GPU Compute, the 2060 SUPER scores 6721 versus 5947, an 11.5% advantage. Geekbench results are closer, with the 2060 SUPER leading by 2.9% in OpenCL (76957 vs 74748) and by 2.8% in Vulkan (77402 vs 75235). The only tests where the RTX 4050 Mobile does not lose are Passmark DirectX 11 and DirectX 12, where both cards score an identical 130 and 61 respectively, resulting in a 0% delta. This shows that in the most modern DirectX APIs, the performance is effectively a tie, but the 2060 SUPER holds the edge everywhere else.
FAQ
Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?
A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile has a higher average benchmark score of 19049, compared to the RTX 2060 SUPER's 18093.
Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER faster in all benchmarks?
A: No, the RTX 2060 SUPER wins 7 of the 9 head-to-head tests, but the RTX 4050 Mobile ties it in Passmark DirectX 11 and DirectX 12, where both score 130 and 61.
Q: What is the biggest performance difference between the two cards?
A: The largest delta is in Passmark DirectX 10, where the RTX 2060 SUPER scores 111 versus the RTX 4050 Mobile's 79, a 28.8% difference.
Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?
A: The RTX 4050 Mobile has a much higher transistor density of 118.9M / mm², while the RTX 2060 SUPER has a density of 24.3M / mm².
Q: What is the power consumption difference?
A: The RTX 4050 Mobile has a TDP of 50 W, while the RTX 2060 SUPER has a TDP of 175 W.
Q: Which GPU has more memory and bandwidth?
A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 4050 Mobile has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus, providing 192.0 GB/s.
Where Each One Wins
The RTX 2060 SUPER is the clear winner in most performance categories. It excels in legacy DirectX APIs, leading by 28.8% in DirectX 10 and 15.6% in DirectX 9. It also wins in 2D workloads with a 25.9% lead in Passmark G2D. For general 3D rendering, the 2060 SUPER is 12.4% ahead in Passmark G3D, and for compute tasks, it is 11.5% ahead in Passmark GPU Compute. Even in the modern Geekbench tests, the 2060 SUPER maintains a lead, albeit smaller, at 2.9% in OpenCL and 2.8% in Vulkan. This makes the 2060 SUPER the better choice for users running a mix of older games, 2D applications, and compute-heavy workloads.
The RTX 4050 Mobile's wins are more limited but significant in context. It matches the 2060 SUPER in Passmark DirectX 11 and DirectX 12, indicating that in the latest API generation, performance is identical. Its real advantage lies outside raw performance numbers. The data shows it achieves this parity while consuming only 50 W of power, compared to the 2060 SUPER's 175 W, and it fits in an IGP slot width versus the 2060 SUPER's dual-slot design. For a laptop, the RTX 4050 Mobile is the only feasible option given its power and size constraints. For a desktop with a 450 W suggested PSU and a full-length slot, the RTX 2060 SUPER offers superior performance across the board.
Specification Differences
The specification sheets reveal stark contrasts in every major category. The RTX 4050 Mobile is built on a 5 nm process, while the RTX 2060 SUPER uses a 12 nm process. The 4050 Mobile's chip, AD107, has 18,900 million transistors on a 159 mm² die, while the 2060 SUPER's TU106 has 10,800 million transistors on a 445 mm² die. Clock speeds are similar, with the 4050 Mobile boosting to 1755 MHz and the 2060 SUPER boosting to 1650 MHz. Memory configurations differ significantly: the 4050 Mobile has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the 2060 SUPER has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth.
The core counts also differ. The 4050 Mobile has 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, while the 2060 SUPER has 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Ray tracing and tensor cores are also distributed differently, with the 4050 Mobile having 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores, and the 2060 SUPER having 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores. The power and physical specifications are the most divergent. The 4050 Mobile has a 50 W TDP, an IGP slot width, and no power connectors, while the 2060 SUPER has a 175 W TDP, a dual-slot width, and requires a 1x 8-pin power connector with a 450 W suggested PSU. The 2060 SUPER also has a defined length of 229 mm, while the 4050 Mobile's dimensions are listed as "Portable Device Dependent." Finally, the 2060 SUPER has a launch MSRP of 399 USD, while the 4050 Mobile has no listed launch MSRP. The production status also differs, with the 4050 Mobile being Active and the 2060 SUPER being End-of-life.