NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER vs NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation Comparison

The NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER present a classic generational clash, with the newer workstation card leveraging architectural efficiency against an older, larger consumer GPU. The benchmark data shows a clear split: the RTX 2060 SUPER dominates in specific legacy and DirectX 12 scenarios, while the RTX 2000 Ada wins the majority of tests, particularly in compute and modern API workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result is in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where the RTX 2060 SUPER scores 2011 against the RTX 2000 Ada's 1767, a lead of 12.1%. This is the largest performance gap in either direction, indicating that in this particular modern rasterization workload, the older card's wider memory bus and higher texture rate provide a significant advantage. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 256-bit memory bus delivers 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, compared to the RTX 2000 Ada's 128-bit bus and 256.0 GB/s, which likely explains this outcome.

The RTX 2060 SUPER also wins in the Passmark DirectX 10 test, scoring 111 versus 82, a 26.1% margin. This is the largest relative victory for either card. Additionally, it edges out the RTX 2000 Ada in the legacy Passmark DirectX 9 test, 218 to 216, a marginal 0.9% difference.

However, the RTX 2000 Ada Generation claims victory in the remaining seven head-to-head benchmarks, demonstrating a broader range of strengths. Its most decisive wins come in compute-oriented tests. In Passmark GPU Compute, it scores 7834 compared to 6721, a 16.6% advantage. Similarly, in Passmark DirectX 12, it wins 71 to 61, a 16.4% margin. These results suggest the Ada architecture's dedicated tensor cores and ray tracing cores are more effectively utilized in these workloads.

The RTX 2000 Ada also shows a clear lead in the Passmark G2D test, scoring 1072 against 854, a 25.5% advantage. This indicates superior 2D performance and memory management for desktop tasks. In the Vulkan API benchmark (Geekbench Vulkan), the RTX 2000 Ada scores 83360 versus 77402, a 7.7% lead, showcasing better driver optimization for modern cross-platform graphics. The OpenCL test is closer, with the RTX 2000 Ada winning 78074 to 76957, a 1.5% margin.

In the general 3D performance metric, Passmark G3D, the RTX 2000 Ada scores 16927, narrowly beating the RTX 2060 SUPER's 16462 by 2.8%. The Passmark DirectX 11 test also goes to the RTX 2000 Ada, 138 to 130, a 6.2% difference. Overall, the RTX 2000 Ada wins 7 out of 10 benchmarks, with an average benchmark score of 18954 compared to the RTX 2060 SUPER's 18093. This places the RTX 2000 Ada in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 2060 SUPER sits in the 62nd percentile.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation has an average benchmark score of 18954, which is higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER's average of 18093.

Q: In which benchmark does the RTX 2060 SUPER have its largest lead?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER's largest lead is in the Passmark DirectX 10 test, where it scores 111 versus the RTX 2000 Ada's 82, a 26.1% difference.

Q: Does the RTX 2000 Ada Generation win in any compute-related tests?

A: Yes, the RTX 2000 Ada Generation wins the Passmark GPU Compute test with a score of 7834, which is 16.6% higher than the RTX 2060 SUPER's score of 6721.

Q: How do the two cards compare in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER wins this test, scoring 2011 against the RTX 2000 Ada's 1767, giving it a 12.1% advantage.

Q: What is the difference in their Vulkan performance?

A: In Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX 2000 Ada Generation scores 83360, which is 7.7% higher than the RTX 2060 SUPER's score of 77402.

Q: Which card has a higher Passmark G3D score?

A: The RTX 2000 Ada Generation has a higher Passmark G3D score of 16927, compared to the RTX 2060 SUPER's 16462, a 2.8% difference.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 2060 SUPER is the clear winner in scenarios that favor raw memory bandwidth and legacy API performance. Its victory in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 suggests it handles modern rasterization with high texture throughput better, thanks to its 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 224.4 GTexel/s texture rate. For users running DirectX 10 applications or older DirectX 9 titles, the 2060 SUPER's 26.1% and 0.9% respective leads make it the stronger choice. Its higher pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s also contributes to its performance in these fill-rate-bound tasks.

The RTX 2000 Ada Generation wins in a broader set of scenarios, particularly those leveraging modern APIs and compute features. Its 16.6% lead in Passmark GPU Compute and 16.4% lead in Passmark DirectX 12 make it the superior option for GPU-accelerated workloads, machine learning inference, and newer games that utilize DirectX 12's advanced features. The 25.5% advantage in Passmark G2D indicates it excels in 2D and desktop compositing tasks. For Vulkan-based applications, the 7.7% lead in Geekbench Vulkan positions it as the better choice for cross-platform engines. Its wins in OpenCL (1.5%), DirectX 11 (6.2%), and overall G3D (2.8%) further solidify its status as a more versatile performer across the board.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ substantially in their core specifications. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation features 2816 shading units, while the RTX 2060 SUPER has 2176. The Ada card also has 88 TMUs and 48 ROPs, compared to the 2060 SUPER's 136 TMUs and 64 ROPs. The RTX 2060 SUPER compensates with a wider 256-bit memory bus and higher memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, while the RTX 2000 Ada uses a 128-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. Memory capacity also differs, with the RTX 2000 Ada offering 16 GB of GDDR6 memory versus the RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB.

Clock speeds show the RTX 2000 Ada running at a base of 1620 MHz and a boost of 2130 MHz, while the RTX 2060 SUPER operates at 1470 MHz base and 1650 MHz boost. The memory clocks are also different: the RTX 2000 Ada runs at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective), while the RTX 2060 SUPER runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The power profiles are starkly different, with the RTX 2000 Ada having a TDP of 70 W and no power connectors, while the RTX 2060 SUPER has a TDP of 175 W and requires a single 8-pin connector. The suggested PSU is 250 W for the Ada card and 450 W for the 2060 SUPER.

The bus interface differs, with the RTX 2000 Ada using PCIe 4.0 x8 and the RTX 2060 SUPER using PCIe 3.0 x16. Physical dimensions also vary: the RTX 2000 Ada is 168 mm long and 69 mm high, while the RTX 2060 SUPER is 229 mm long, 113 mm high, and 35 mm wide. The display outputs are distinct, with the Ada card offering 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a, while the 2060 SUPER provides 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C. The RTX 2000 Ada has a launch MSRP of 649 USD, and the RTX 2060 SUPER has a launch MSRP of 399 USD.

Architecture Differences

The most fundamental architectural difference lies in the manufacturing process. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, while the RTX 2060 SUPER uses a 12 nm process. This leads to a massive difference in transistor density: the Ada chip (AD107) packs 18,900 million transistors into a 159 mm² die, achieving a density of 118.9M / mm². In contrast, the TU106 chip in the 2060 SUPER contains 10,800 million transistors on a much larger 445 mm² die, with a density of only 24.3M / mm².

The architectures themselves are different generations. The RTX 2000 Ada is based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, while the RTX 2060 SUPER uses the older Turing architecture. This generational leap brings a different core configuration. The Ada card has 22 ray tracing cores and 88 tensor cores, whereas the Turing card has 34 ray tracing cores and 272 tensor cores. Interestingly, the RTX 2060 SUPER has more of both types of specialized cores.

The FP32 and FP16 compute capabilities also differ. The RTX 2000 Ada delivers 12.00 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and the same 12.00 TFLOPS for FP16 (1:1 ratio). The RTX 2060 SUPER provides 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 but 14.36 TFLOPS of FP16 (2:1 ratio), indicating a different approach to mixed-precision workloads. Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The production status and release timing reflect their positions. The RTX 2000 Ada is an Active product released in 2024, with its predecessor being Workstation Ampere and successor being Blackwell PRO W. The RTX 2060 SUPER is End-of-life, released in 2019, with a predecessor of GeForce 10 and successor of GeForce 30.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear split based on workload priorities. For users running legacy DirectX 10 applications or DirectX 12 games that heavily utilize memory bandwidth, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the better choice. Its 12.1% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and 26.1% lead in DirectX 10 demonstrate that its 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and higher texture rate still matter in these scenarios. Its higher pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s also gives it an edge in fill-rate-limited tasks. However, its End-of-life status and higher power requirements (175 W TDP, 450 W PSU) are notable drawbacks.

For most other workloads, the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation is the superior card. It wins 7 out of 10 benchmarks and has a higher average score (18954 vs 18093). Its wins in Passmark GPU Compute (16.6%) and DirectX 12 (16.4%) make it the better option for compute-heavy tasks, modern game engines, and Vulkan applications. The 25.5% lead in G2D performance is significant for professional desktop use. Its 16 GB of memory doubles the 2060 SUPER's 8 GB, providing more headroom for large datasets. The Ada card's efficiency is remarkable: it achieves this performance with a 70 W TDP, no external power connectors, and a 250 W PSU recommendation, compared to the 2060 SUPER's 175 W and 450 W requirements.

The choice ultimately depends on whether the user prioritizes raw bandwidth for specific legacy and rasterization workloads or broader modern performance, compute capability, and efficiency. The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 2000 Ada Generation is the more future-proof and versatile option, while the RTX 2060 SUPER retains a niche for bandwidth-sensitive applications. The RTX 2000 Ada's 63rd percentile ranking versus the 2060 SUPER's 62nd percentile confirms its slight overall edge in the broader GPU landscape.